![[Oshi Activities] Ideas for making DIY trading cards. Handmade merch for your fave](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/9TZ3D04Z56k/maxresdefault.webp)
[Oshi Activities] Ideas for making DIY trading cards. Handmade merch for your fave
Photo cards, which are popular as bonuses with K-POP idol merchandise and albums.
They’re items you can enjoy in various ways, like displaying your bias’s photos as interior decor or slipping them into your phone case.
Some of you may want to try making your own photos or character goods of your favorite member.
In this article, we’ve compiled a bunch of ideas for handmade photo cards.
We’ll introduce everything from easy projects themed around social media or student IDs to more elaborate creations.
Be sure to try making your own original goods using photos of your favorite idol.
[Oshi Activities] Ideas for making DIY trading cards. Handmade oshi merch (1–10)
official-style trading card
This content focuses not only on the front but also on carefully crafting the back design to create a trading card that looks as if it were officially released.
A clear approach would be a close-up of the face on the front and a large signature over a full-body shot as the background on the back.
The deliberately modest choice to feature the face on only one side gives it the confident restraint of an official product.
The key point is using the same photo with different crops to create a unified look across the card; also consider fine-tuning the color tones by editing the photo with filters.
Trading cards you can make without a laminator
Here’s an idea for making trading cards using 100-yen store laminate cards, even without a laminator, and just things you have at home.
Use Word or Excel to arrange your favorite photos or illustrations at trading card size and print them on A4 paper.
Make a back side too with images or illustrations you like.
Cut out each card, then glue a business card-sized piece of card stock centered between the front and back.
Neatly finish the edges and corners, then sandwich it in a laminate film to complete.
Be careful with adhesive laminate film, as it tends to trap dust.
[30 Yen DIY] Double-sided trading card
![[30 Yen DIY] Double-sided trading card](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yYCPzctelBk/sddefault.jpg)
These are trading cards printed at convenience stores, featuring a unique frame that looks as if they were shot with a Cheki camera, emphasizing their cuteness.
First, create the front and back as separate images by combining frames and materials.
If you design the images with borders at the top and bottom, they’ll end up looking like a Cheki.
Once each image is ready, combine them into a single photo and print it.
After printing, cut it in half and align the two sides perfectly; once you stick them together, the trading card is complete.
[Oil] Semi-Transparent Trading Card
![[Oil] Semi-Transparent Trading Card](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C6Ig6qBOHwg/sddefault.jpg)
These trading cards have a gentle vibe, with a softly blurred, translucent look that highlights your fave’s cuteness.
All you need is a printed sheet of your idol and some jojoba oil; combine the two and you’ll get a semi-transparent trading card.
First, place the paper face down in a container, add a few drops of oil, and work it in.
Once the oil has been absorbed evenly, the base is done.
Finish by laminating it to make the translucence stand out even more.
The key points are how much oil you use and how well you blend it in.
cheki-style trading card
It’s a simple design where the photo is enclosed in a distinctive frame, as if it were taken with a Cheki instant camera.
Place the photo in a frame with a large bottom margin, print it, and mount it onto thick paper like construction paper to make it sturdy.
If you adjust the colors or even intentionally lower the image quality, it enhances that Cheki-like vibe and the relaxed, snapshot feel.
In addition to the photo and frame, decorating with text—such as a signature or a short message—is also recommended.
Original frame trading card
It’s a cute trading card with a bit of 3D depth, as if your favorite character is quietly peeking out from a gap in the frame.
Use a frame with a window-like cutout, which you can find at 100-yen shops, and layer it over the image of your fave.
It’s important to think about how you want to show their expression, so adjust the size of the character and the frame to match your ideal look.
Once you’ve layered the character and the frame, cut it out, carefully tidy the edges and surface, and when it’s shaped like a trading card, you’re done.
hologram trading card
These are trading cards with a holographic finish that sparkle as they reflect light when viewed from different angles.
Basically, they’re simple cards made by laminating the front and back designs together and rounding the corners, then overlaying a holographic film on the front surface.
A key point is to align the layers precisely so the overall look feels cohesive.
Instead of applying holograms to both sides, intentionally using a hologram on only one side makes it easier to highlight the side you want to stand out and to indicate which side is the front.
Easy trading cards made with photos and sleeves!
https://www.tiktok.com/@ringojam._.mokkun/video/7462954387661507858This is a trading card you can easily make using just photos and sleeves, and your fave is clearly visible not only on the front but also on the back.
The most important part is the photo printing: half of a standard photo is just the right size for a trading card, so split the photo area into top and bottom, place different images in each half, and print it as a single photo.
Cut the printed photo in half, apply glue to the backs, and align the cut pieces perfectly to stick them together.
After that, simply put it in a sleeve and you’re done.
Your personal touch will really show in how you choose the images for the front and back.
Film-style trading card
This is a card designed to look like a strip of camera film with consecutive photos lined up.
The key idea is to decide what scene you want to express within the limited number of frames captured on a single strip.
If you line up photos of the same scene from different angles, you can create a burst-shot look that conveys motion; if you intentionally line up photos from different scenes, you can evoke the feel of a photo album.
The process is simple: choose your photos, cut them to the same size, and arrange them like film.
It could also be interesting to add design elements to the frame for extra flair.
Trading card using official merchandise
When it comes to making your own trading cards, it can feel like each of your skills is being put to the test, so people who aren’t confident in crafting might find it hard to get started.
That’s exactly when you can make good use of official merchandise—boldly use official goods and take advantage of their material quality.
The idea is to use official stickers as the base, add decorations like washi tape frames and small stickers, and then finish it off with lamination.
If you want to show something on the back as well, you can make another sticker in the same way, stick them together, and then laminate the combined piece to finish.