How to Make an Easy DIY Photo Greeting Card

Create your own Photo Greeting Cards

Making and giving a handmade greeting card is a fun activity that both the creator and the recipient can enjoy. The good news is that custom photo cards are easy to make with only a few simple steps and craft supplies you may already have around the house.

Using a special photograph for the card front and rubberstamping a greeting inside, you can create a one-of-a-kind card with a personal message for someone special. You can also use your own photos to create birthday cards, birth announcements, or holiday cards.

I have personally found great joy in creating and sharing handmade cards with my friends and family for over 30 years.

You can learn how to create your own photo cards by reading the step-by-step instructions in this article.

If you are interested in other card ideas, you can visit our greeting card topic page!

how to make homemade greeting cards using photos

Finished Card Size: 4-1/4” by 5-1/2”
Envelope Size: A2 or 5-3/4” by 4-3/8”

What you need to make DIY photo cards

• A2 Envelopes - 5-3/4” by 4-3/8” (Purchase from Amazon, Joann, Michaels)
• 4”x6” Photos of your choice
• 8-1/2”x11” Cardstock in Multiple Colors (Amazon, Joann, Michaels)
• Rubber Stamps with sayings like Thank You, Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Made By and floral stamps (Amazon, Joann, Michaels)
• Rubber Stamp Ink pad
• Colored Pencils (Amazon, Joann, Michaels)
• Paper Cutter or Paper Trimmer (Amazon, Joann, Michaels)
• Double Stick Tape

Note: Some of my stamps come from Stampin’ Up. Stamps and supplies can be purchased from Michaels, Joann, and Amazon.

Where can I find photos to use on my photo cards?

Keeping a phone in a pocket makes switching from hiking to picture-taking mode efficient and quick. Finding great photo opportunities in settings such as our beautiful National Parks or anywhere in Nature is easy. The flowers and plants in your yard or neighborhood can be great subjects.

Look through your photos to find pictures!  You may have already snapped some beautiful pictures while on vacation.

How do I get copies of the photos printed?

Buying reprints of photos is the best way to accumulate the perfect pictures for cards. Uploading the best images from your phone to Shutterfly is quick and efficient.  Study these uploaded photos by examining each one for quality. Purchase your favorite 4x6-inch pictures by mail.

Photos can be either portrait or landscape orientation.

Reprints can also be purchased from your local pharmacy, such as CVS, RiteAid, or Walgreens.

What camera do I use to take photos?

Using a smartphone camera to take nature photos for handmade cards is easy and fun. It's convenient since I always have it on nature walks and vacations.

A DSLR camera can also be used to take nature for photo cards.

INSTRUCTIONS for making Handmade photo cards

STEP 1: Cut Cardstock to size

Create two cards by cutting 8-1/2” by 11” cardstock into two pieces using the paper cutter. Fold each card in half lengthwise.

When folded in half, you will have two cards measuring 4-1/4” by 5-1/2”.

STEP 2: Add a photo to the front of the card

Let’s decorate one card using one of the 4-1/4” by 5-1/2” cards from Step 1.

The front of the card will be decorated using a photograph of your choice and a contrasting photo border. Using Vacation Photos is a great way to share trip memories.

Crop the Photo to 3-1/4” by 4-1/2”. It's fun to crop each photo manually, using a paper cutter and picking the best part. 

Size the Photo Border to 3-3/4” by 5”.

Step 3: Tape Photos and Backgrounds to Card

Using double stick tape, attach the photograph to the center of the photo border.

Using double stick tape, attach the photo and photo border to the front of the card.

The front of the card is now complete! Yay!

Step 4: Finish the Inside of the card

Let’s decorate the inside of the card next.

Rubberstamp a fun greeting of your choice on the inside of the card. It could be Happy Birthday, Thank You, Thinking of You, etc.

Dress up the inside of the card by rubberstamping a pretty flower under the greeting you just stamped. Then, color the flower using colored pencils. This step is optional.

Step 5: Personalize the card

Personalize your beautiful card on the back by writing “made by your name” or using a rubber stamp that says “made by” and write in your name.

Step 6: Decorate the envelope

Pick an envelope to use with your card.

Add a rubberstamped flower on the front of the envelope that matches the one inside the card. 

 Again, color the flowers using colored pencils. This step is optional.

Ta-Da, your photo greeting card is finished!!!

You have finished making a card that will delight the recipient because you created it yourself. Pat yourself on the back for bringing a smile to someone’s face because you thought of them enough to make it yourself.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on making homemade cards using photos and rubber stamps. Below are more photos of my cards and links to supplies for this project.

Here are some photos of cards I've made:

Some other card-making projects are:

• DIY Wildflowers Birthday Card
• DIY Dandelion Thank You Card - Version 1 and Version 2
• Free Card-Making Ideas