Craft this vintage Mother's Day card with soft fabric embellishment and a sentimental vintage image - and try the matching teacup pincushion!

(click here for a larger Mother's Day Card craft image)

The design for this Mother's Day card grew out of our teacup pincushion craft. We thought a matched set of a pincushion and card would be extra special for Mom. Also, we were inspired by the vintage image we found of a mother with her baby. This 1921 illustration comes from the cover of an antique piece of sheet music, "Mother's Lullaby," by Milton Weil. Click on the vintage image link in the list of materials below for a FREE PDF download.

Finally, we wanted to try out a new pad of distressing ink. This is a semi-translucent dye-type ink that comes on a raised stamp pad. When rubbed or applied on paper, it adds a faded, aged look.

On a separate page, we have instructions for making the matching Teacup Pincushion. They make a wonderful gift set to give to your mother this Mother's Day!

Materials for this Mother's Day Card

• Vintage Images (FREE PDF download), printed two times: on white matte photo paper, and on peach construction paper.
• White matte photo paper.
• Construction paper or light card stock, 8.5" X 11", peach (see Tips).
• Cover stock or card stock, white or ivory, 7" X 15".
• Coordinating envelope, 5.25" X 7.25" (see Tips).
• Scrap notecard or card stock, 5" X 7".
• Coordinating fabric, 4.5" X 6" (see Tips).
• Distressing ink (we used Distress Ink in the antique linen color, by Tim Holtz for Ranger Ink) (see Tips).
• Foam cosmetic wedge for applying the distressing ink.
• Glue stick or tacky craft glue (like Aleene's).
• Fabric scissors or pinking shears.
• Decorative edge scissors.
• Small scissors like embroidery or manicure scissors.
• Craft knife.
• Bone folder.

Instructions

1. Print the vintage images on the matte photo paper. There are two identical 3"-wide images on the PDF file: Choose one to be a template and the other to apply to the card. Cut out both images with small scissors. 
2. Fold the template image in half vertically. Fold a 5" X 7" scrap notecard in half vertically. Nest the folded notecard in the folded heart-shaped template. Draw a line around the image template, about 1/2" larger than the template. Cut this heart shape from the notecard and lay it flat. This 4"-wide heart is the template for cutting a window in the face of the card.
   
3. Trim the card stock to 7" X 15". From one end of the 15" side, measure in 5" and score a vertical line with the bone folder. Measure in 10" from the same edge and score a second vertical line. This divides the card stock into three 5" X 7" panels. Fold the outside panels, left panel first, over the center panel to be sure the top and bottom edges align perfectly. If the left panel does not fold flat inside the card, trim the left edge a smidgen.
4. Place the card face-down and flatten the panels. With a ruler and pencil, draw two intersecting lines connecting the four corners of the center panel. Using these lines as guides, center the heart template horizontally, about 1.75" from the bottom edge. Trace around the heart template with a pencil and cut out the window with a craft knife.
5. Rub the edges of the cut-out window AND the vintage image with distressing ink, using the foam cosmetic wedge.
   
6. Trim the fabric to 4.5" X 6" with pinking shears or fabric scissors. Adhere it to the back of the left panel with glue stick or tacky craft glue. Be sure none of the fabric edges show through the window when the panel is folded in.
7. Apply glue stick or craft glue to the entire back of the center panel, around the window, to the edges. Fold in the left panel onto the glue and press it under heavy books until the glue is dry.
   
   
8. Print the "Happy Mother's Day" text from the PDF download onto the peach paper. Trim it to 1" X 4.25" with decorative scissors. Rub the edges with distressing ink.
9. With glue stick, glue the vintage image heart in the center of the fabric heart on the face of the card. Glue the "Happy Mother's Day" tag below the heart.
10. Write your Mother's Day message inside and give it to mom with a hug and a kiss.

Tips

• The peach-colored paper can be be any kind of paper that will go through your inkjet printer. We used construction paper, but any lightly textured paper will do.
• Distressing ink is a semi-translucent dye-type ink that comes on a stamp pad. The pad is raised from the base so you can use it to apply the ink directly to paper. We preferred to apply the ink sparingly with a foam cosmetic wedge, rubbing it along the edges of the card window and the "Happy Mother's Day" tag on the front. We chose Ranger Ink's Tim Holtz Distress Ink in a yellowish color called "antique linen," but blue or pink would have been suitable for this card, too. 
• For the fabric, we used the blue-on-blue floral flannel left over from our teacup pincushion craft. you can use any coordinating fabric, but a small print design is best so it is recognizable around the image.
• You can use a ready-made envelope for your card, or make your own. The quickest way we know to make a custom envelope is to use a commercial envelope as a rough pattern:
• Select your envelope paper - plain or patterned - and trim it to dimensions roughly three times the height and width of your new envelope.
• With a pencil and ruler, draw a rectangle with the dimensions of your new envelope face in the center of the back of the paper (make the face dimensions 1/2" larger than the dimensions of your card).
• Disassemble and flatten a commercial envelope (roughly the size and shape of the envelope you are making) to use as a template. Line up one corner of the template face with the same corner of your drawn rectangle face. With a pencil, trace the two adjoining flaps from the corner to the tips. Repeat for each of the four corners and remove the template.
• Freehand, draw in curved tips for your new flaps. If your new envelope is larger than the template, you will have to connect the flap lines. If the envelope is smaller than the template, round off the point where the flap lines cross.
• Cut along the outside lines. With a bone folder and straight edge, score the four fold lines around the face of the envelope. With the template as a guide, fold the flaps and burnish with a bone folder, and glue the bottom, left and right flaps together with glue stick.
• If you want to add some homemade lick-and-stick adhesive to the top flap, visit our craft recipes page. Otherwise, insert your card and tuck in the flap, or seal it with glue stick.