DIY Handmade Holiday Card

We believe the best gifts are those that are handmade and come from the heart. So while you’re wrapping up your Rocky gifts this week, add an extra heartfelt touch with a holiday card made just for them.

We partnered with local calligraphy artist, Brittany Dakins of Peak Paper Co. in Edmonton to do a crash course on how to make a holiday card with modern calligraphy. Follow along and share your creations with us at #rockymade.

Calligraphy and painting are talents but they're also skills that can be learned. And once you've practiced and spent the time learning and developing your own style that people want to be a part of, it's the most rewarding feeling.

SUPPLIES

There are lots of ways to do modern calligraphy including the traditional dip pen with a nib that you dip in ink and watercolour lettering that you do with a paint brush. But no matter what tool you're using, the same principles of pressure and technique we'll talk about apply.

The tools used in this video are:
Brush Pens - Tombow fudenosuke soft tip and Tombow dual brush pens

You can even use crayola markers to create calligraphy if you're not ready to invest in the archival-quality markers.

To create the card, you’ll also need:

• Fine line pen, such as a Sakura Micron
• Practice sheets made by Peak Paper Co. Download Here
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Small round paintbrush
• Small jar of water
• Paper towel
• Heavy-weight blank cards and envelopes

CALLIGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

MAKING THE CARD

In this tutorial, we'll be making the Merry and Bright Card and I'll show you how certain brush pens can easily be mixed with water to give a watercolour effect without needing your own paint set.

We hope you enjoyed these videos! We had so much fun collaborating with Brittany. Don’t forget to share your creation on social with #rockymade. Wishing you the happiest holidays that are merry & bright.

For more calligraphy inspiration, follow Brittany on Instagram @peakpaperco.