Have you been wondering how to create beautiful deckled edge place cards? Well, so was I. Keep reading to see how you can create a beautiful product with just a few tools that you may even have laying around at your house already!
Deckled Edge Place Cards Are Gorgeous!
I didn’t know what “deckled” actually was until I started reading a little bit for this post. Apparently, the term comes from when paper was first handmade with a tool called a “deckle.” The deckle was used to shape the paper into form, and often left the ragged edge look, which is often seen in antique books. For our purposes, the deckled edge is the feathery, uneven edge often found on handmade or art papers. This look is delicately beautiful and is very lovely when used with art pieces and place cards. Obviously, I was very excited to try out this method when I had a client request this style recently. Keep reading to see the process!
Creating the Cards
In this case, I’m starting with some tools that I have hanging around my house: a stainless steel ruler with a cork back, your watercolor paper of choice, a mechanical pencil and a paper cutter or scissors.
For this project, I need to create a standard 2 x 3.5 inch place card. To begin, I take my 9 x 12 inch paper and cut it in half vertically, giving me two 4.5 inch x 14 inch halves.
Past experience has shown me that I need at least an extra 0.5 inches of paper in order to have enough to grip and tear– less than this becomes difficult for me to rip with some degree of accuracy. After these pieces are cut, I take my ruler and mark each end 0.5 inches from the edge.
Then, I move my paper to the edge of my table. I want my paper to hang about 0.5 inches off of the side of the table and have the ruler resting exactly on the edge of the table right where my pencil marks are. Next, I start at the top of the paper and start ripping. During this process, I try to keep good pressure on the ruler and keep the paper steady.
I repeat this process on the other side of the paper, so now I have both of the vertical edges ripped.
After this process is complete, I then turn the page horizontally and cut the paper into 3 inch sections.
Then, I repeat the process of marking and cutting with the smaller pieces. As with the first pieces, I’m leaving 0.5 inches on each side for me to grip while I rip.
I then repeat the process with the small cards. I hold the card on the edge of the table and stabilize it using the ruler.
And Voila! I now have three 2 x 3.5 inch deckled edge place cards all ready for calligraphy!
Want To Watch The Process?
The Final Product! Beautiful Deckled Edge Cards!
So what do you think? Let me know in the comments! And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out new designs in the shop! If you would like to talk about a quote for pointed pen calligraphy designs or place cards, please contact me to discuss your project!
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