Handmade Halloween message cards! From illustrations to moving mechanisms
Message cards you’ll want to give for Halloween.
Store-bought ones are cute, but if possible, you’d love to handcraft one yourself, right?
In this article, we’ll introduce Halloween cards that are perfect for making by hand!
You might think they’re difficult, but there are plenty of videos that carefully walk you through the steps, so even first-timers will want to give it a try!
With illustrations, decorations, fun pop-ups—your message card options are endless depending on your ideas.
They’re sure to make your Halloween even more special!
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Handmade Halloween message cards! From illustrations to moving mechanisms (21–30)
A pop-up card made using DAISO’s scratchboard and pen
This is a message card that uses a scratchboard, where colors appear when you scrape the black surface.
The way the colorful letters stand out against the black background seems to express both the spookiness and fun of Halloween.
A major feature of this scratchboard is how easy it is to work with: by adding neat cuts, you can easily create pop-up cards.
Draw a blueprint on the back of the black surface and make cuts along it.
The key points are to leave equal margins at the top and bottom, and after making the cuts, scrape the front along those lines to reveal the colors.
Then scrape the decorative areas to bring out more color, and finally mount it on a backing sheet to finish.
Authentic crafts with a special touch: message cards rich in characters and motifs
This is a message card sprinkled with classic Halloween motifs.
You’ll craft elements like spider webs and ghosts out of construction paper, then arrange the finished pieces to complete the card.
By cutting different colors of paper and layering them, each motif gains a sense of depth.
Another key point is that all parts appear to be outlined with black construction paper, which sharpens the contours and gives a pop look.
When placing the pieces at the end, keeping layering in mind will create a dynamic message card that feels like it’s coming toward you.
[Moving Card] Halloween Ghost Card
![[Moving Card] Halloween Ghost Card](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iRo8_Sf11bU/sddefault.jpg)
It has a simple look with a large ghost placed in the center, but if you look closely, there’s a creepy trick hidden inside that makes it seem as if the eyes are moving.
The crease is set opposite to the fold of the base, and the eyelids move as the base opens and closes.
The key is to measure the length of the slits carefully and to control how the eyes move.
By drawing the eyes away from the opening-and-closing eyelids, changing the viewing angle creates the illusion that the ghost is looking at you, which heightens the eeriness.
The simpler the overall design of the card, the more the mechanism stands out.
Heartwarming and cute. A moving Hello card.
Ghosts, one of the classic motifs of Halloween, have an image of suddenly appearing and startling everyone.
This message card incorporates a mechanism that expresses just such a ghost.
Overall, it’s shaped like a house with doors that can be opened.
A ghost is attached to work in tandem with the doors, so as the doors are pulled open, the ghost gradually appears from inside the house.
Because the mechanism is built into the card, the layers of paper create a three-dimensional look—that’s another nice touch.
While the mechanism is the main feature, you’ll also want to put care into the message and decorations to give it a fun, festive feel.
Endless ways to customize! Halloween postcard art cards
This is a message card that makes the most of the limited space of a postcard.
First, the base postcard has a circular space created on it.
With a round object placed at the center, ink is dabbed with a brush so that the area around the circle becomes softly tinted.
By drawing the main illustration in this central space, it seems to help make the artwork stand out more.
Then, with the illustration as the focal point, you can decorate the surroundings with small items to complete it.
By clearly deciding which part to emphasize within the space, it should also become easier to compose the overall layout.
A softly chic, adult-cute watercolor colored pencil illustration message card
This message card features the charming, delicate colors of watercolor pencils.
While Halloween often brings to mind dark, nighttime scenes, the soft touch used here transforms it into a brighter impression—that’s part of its appeal.
Classic motifs are drawn by layering various colors, then softened with water.
Another interesting point is that by mixing in darker tones like brown while layering lines, you create a sense of depth when the water blurs the colors.
Though techniques like how to layer lines, how to add water, and how to spread it require some know-how, you can achieve a highly polished message card.
A chilling Trick-or-Treat message card
How about focusing not on the decoration of the message card, but on what kind of lettering you use? To evoke Halloween more clearly, simple phrases like “Give me treats or I’ll play a trick on you” might draw more attention to the other elements.
You could write the message in distorted-looking letters, elegant brush-style calligraphy, or the kind of eerie, scratchy lettering often seen in horror works.
Using a single impactful typeface could leave a strong impression, but mixing various styles on the message card might create a creepiness that feels very Halloween-like.