How to Create an Embossed Card

Embossing creates a raised, decorative image on a surface. Crafters can choose from several methods to emboss paper for greeting cards, invitations or scrapbook pages. Embossed cards look expensive, but can be made cheaply with just a few items. Your friends and family will thank you when they receive your beautiful card.

Embossing Powder

• 1

  Purchase a blank card at a craft or paper store, or make your own by folding a piece of heavy card stock in half.

• 2

  Press your stamp into the pad that goes with it. An embossing pad looks like an ink pad, but is specially formulated for embossing.

• 3

  Place the stamp over the card in the place you want and press it firmly and evenly onto the card.

• 4

  Sprinkle the embossing powder over the stamped design. The powder looks slightly like glitter, but is designed for embossing. Tap off any excess powder.

• 5

  Heat the powder with the heat gun. The powder will melt over the stamp and start to glitter and shine.

• 6

  Lay the card under a heavy surface, such as a book, for 10 minutes. This allows the embossing to set completely while keeping the card flat.

Dry Embossing

• 1

  Purchase or cut out a card from heavy card stock.

• 2

  Tape the stencil to a window or light box.

• 3

  Lay the front of the card over the stencil, so that you are looking at the inside front cover of the card. Tape the card lightly to the window or light box if you wish for stability.

• 4

  Rub the stylus over the paper along the stencil. Take extra care at the edges of the stencil to create sharp, crisp lines. If the stylus seems to stick, rub the stylus on a piece of waxed paper a few times. This adds just the tiniest bit of wax to the stylus to help it run smoothly over the paper.

• 5

  Remove the tape carefully and take the paper and stencil off the window or light box. Color the raised or lower portions of the embossed card with colored pencils, if you desire, for a slight colored effect.