Sign up TODAY for Card Making News! Learn More >

FTC Disclosure - If you make a purchase via a link on this site, Card Making Circle may receive a small commission on the transaction.

Amazon Disclosure - As an Amazon Associate Card Making Circle earns from qualifying purchases.

 All at no added cost to you. Thank you!


  1. Home
  2.  ›
  3. Card Making Sketches


Card Making Sketches





Card making sketches are rough card designs of your card layout.

They are great place to start when planning your handmade card.

There are so many ways to design your card....Landscape... portrait......shaped.....or square.

When you've decided on the orientation and size the next thing to decide is your layers and how they will fit together in your overall card design.

And then there's the focal point and sentiment to consider.  Whether to position them at the.....centre...top....bottom or to the left or to the right.

By planning your card(s) in a sketch it gets your card making off to a flying start.

But, what about those occasions when you make things up as you go along?

I find jotting down a successful card design in a notebook gives me something to look at when I'm struggling for ideas.  If I remember I add measurements so I don't have to work all out again!

I keep my card making sketches from challenges and some of the websites mentioned below in a folder.

After much trial and error I found this A5 lever arch file from Amazon works for me.

Herlitz max A5 upright A5 lever arch file

I also purchased a pack of A5 poly pockets and A5 dividers I add two sketches to each poly pocket back to back.

If you print out the sketches from Operation Write Home you can fit two sketches each side.




Card Making Sketches Inspiration

Looking at other people's designs can help spark ideas and push your creativity to the next level.

One idea leads to another and before you know it you have more ideas than you have time for!

I've put together some simple card layouts with measurements for US and International card sizes to get you started.

And here's a selection of other websites that offer sketches.

Enjoy!


  • Operation Write Home Sketch Library (OWH) - These are simple sketches with the US measurements for each element.   Although OWH has closed Sandy Allnock maintains the sketch library.  They can be downloaded as a PDF document as a reference guide.





  • Connie Stewart has a series called "Creative Juice"   These have been published in two PDF volumes for £10 each.  Connie specialises in easy simple designs.

  • Google Images



This book from Amazon is packed with loads more ideas....


Card making Sketches for Paper Crafters

Template designs for quick and easy cards, tags and more..










  1. Home
  2.  ›
  3. Card Making Sketches




Copyright © 2024 Card Making Circle    |   All Rights Reserved.