Examples & Inspiration
Collage with Magazine Clippings
Anyone can create a visually interesting and colorful deck with clippings from magazines, newspapers and other ephemera. Use a glue stick or gel medium to affix your design. Use coordinating themes, colors, or imagery to create a cohesive deck.
TIP: Depending on how many layers of material you add to the cards, they might need to be sealed with a clear medium to allow a clean shuffle. If you don't have a sealant, use an alternative shuffle style.
Illustrated with Key Themes Listed
Creating this type of deck is perfect for those really looking to memorize the meaning of cards. Use a waterproof or smudge proof pen like a Micron or Sharpie to give each card a simple (or complex!) illustration. Add the upright and reversed meaning to the cards to make them useful flash cards.
TIP: Make sure your ink is dry before handling cards, if it's taking awhile press the card with a clean sheet of copy paper to lift any lingering wet ink.
Painted with Gouache and Rubber Stamps
Opaque paint, with other tools can create colorful, unique cards. Use a heavy body paint like gouache or acrylic to lay down washes of color or interesting shapes, overlay that with rubber stamps in waterproof ink.
TIP: If your paint is sliding off, you can use very fine grit sandpaper to gently create a rougher texture to the card. Seal you design with a gel medium to prevent cracking with shuffling or use an alternative shuffling method.