I love to draw dresses, particularly 50's inspired styles. After experimenting one afternoon I came up with a pink dress that I thought would make a fun spring card. Some ways to use it could be Mother's Day, a wedding shower, a baby shower or just for that special friend!
It's my small gift to you for following along.
Click HERE to get your free Printable PDF.
Print your free PDF and then I'll show you a few fun things you can do with it.
You can print this on regular printer paper and it looks just fine but I like to print the clipart on photo matte presentation paper which can be found at any office supply store. The colors are just so vibrant and the paper is a little more sturdy. Pictured above, you can see the difference between the two papers. These could also be printed on white card stock, as well.
Here are a few suggested supplies:
1. Your free printable PDF
2. A pair of sharp scissors to cut out the dresses
3. Foam mounting tape: This is my favorite type of tape to use for card making because it adheres well and it creates a pop-up, 3-D look. You can also cut it to the exact shape you want. You can find this tape in the office section of your grocery store, at office supply stores and/or online. HERE is an example. I think I used a generic version. Just look for double sided permanent foam mounting tape.
4. Blank notecards: I made two sizes of the dress. In this demonstration I used a 5 X 7 blank notecard for the larger dress. It is the ideal size to center the dress on. You could use a smaller card for the smaller dress or you can cut a square around the dress the and give it a border, as I will show you.
*OPTIONAL SUPPLIES
5. Assorted Ribbon Scraps: If you would like to add some embellishments, coordinated ribbon adds a nice touch to these cards.
6. A Sewing Needle: If you like to sew/embroider you can dress you card up that way. I think hand sewing adds such a charming and warm effect.
7. Embroidery floss: If you will be embroidering your card, find some nice coordinating floss.
You could sew on a charm, glue a band of scrapbook paper, or use any kind of ephemera you have on hand. Try tying a thin bow around the waist of the dress, as an example. Just grab some interesting scraps and experiment. This is the fun part!
Start by carefully cutting out your dress. I decided to use a black notecard to really contrast with the pink of the dress.
Cut out a couple of squares of the foam tape. I like to double up my tape to make the dress really pop up.
Place the tape evenly on the back of the dress.
Center your dress on your card and apply pressure to adhere. You can stop here and have a very cute card. Try some different colored notecards for variety. If you want to keep decorating here are some more ideas:
APPLY SOME RIBBON EMBELLISHMENT:
Before adhering your dress to the card find some coordinating ribbon. I like to use my sewing machine to attach the ribbon but you can use little drops of glue to attach it, if sewing is not your thing.
If you would like to try sewing the ribbon, just measure out enough so there is a little overlap on either side of the card. Put one side of the ribbon under the presser foot and hold the other side taught and straight. Just sew down the middle of the ribbon. When you are done, trim the edges.
You can apply the ribbon in different directions for different effects. ***Note: if you are mailing these make sure to add the extra postage since they will likely be bumpy and not able to be machine sorted.
Here is another idea. Cut a shape border around the dress such as a rectangle or oval.
Center the dress on the card then poke evenly spaced holes around the border. Honestly I just eyeballed it and winged it. I ended up with an uneven amount of holes so I just added a french knot. I love the spontaneity that errors can create. Luckily I have lots of them. Errors are an opportunity for creativity! At least that's my mantra.
Now add a running stitch. (If you would like a more thorough tutorial on the running stitch, you can view my post HERE. There is also another FREE PRINTABLE to practice on.)
Here is another idea. I added some french knots to the ribbon and embroidered a hanger to hold the dress. You could add beads, and even sew designs on the dress itself. *** Note: If you will be embroidering the dress, make sure it has been printed on card stock or matte paper that is a little thicker. Regular copy paper would tear too easily. If you are interested in a more detailed tutorial on how to make french knots, see my post HERE where there is another FREE PRINTABLE on which to practice and step-by-step instructions.
Happy Almost Mother's Day, Happy Spring, Happy Baby Shower, Happy Wedding shower or whatever it is you are celebrating!
If you want a huge variety of themed clip art, feel free to visit my etsy shop HERE for more printable PDF clip art.
Thanks for stopping by!
Warmly,
Pam