Hi everyone!

Icy here from the Archer and Olive Design Team!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to express your gratitude and appreciation for your mother (and/or a mother figure!) than making a handmade Mother’s Day card!

There are many ways to design your Mother’s Day card. I personally like constructing my own letters through calligraphy or hand lettering. Because nothing says I love you better than a handmade card right?

In this blog post, I will walk you through on how you can create your very own Mother’s Day card!

WHAT MATERIALS DO I NEED

Paper or Card Stock

Feel free to use an A4 size paper and fold it into four. You also have the option to use premade card stock which you can find at stationery stores. These also come in a variety of colors which I encourage you to let your creativity run wild and try!

Pencil, Eraser & Ruler

These materials are essential in drafting and measuring

Colored Pens or Pencils

I’ve consulted with my fellow Design Team members and asked them what colors they thought of when they think of Mother’s Day. There was a consensus of purple and pink, but I have decided to add a little bit of yellow to the mix. I will be using the purple, pink and pale yellow pens from the Archer & Olive Acrylograph Vernal Selection. 

You can make your Mother’s Day card as colorful as you can using any coloring material you have at home! Also feel free to select a variety of colors that represent your mother or mother figure, or go with a specific color palette.

CALLIGRAPHY/HAND LETTERING

I like playing around with different ways I can write down Happy Mother’s Day in calligraphy and hand lettering. If this is something that you have been practicing, feel free to come up with your own Mother’s Day card design!

However, if you need a guide, I have included a printable which you can use as your template. Your work does not have to be exactly like mine as everyone constructs letters differently and this is what makes the hand lettering community beautiful as everyone is unique! Feel free to make your Mother’s Day card as different and unique as you like!

You can find the printable here:

If calligraphy is something you have been wanting to learn, I have a playlist on my YouTube channel that goes through the step by step process here.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR MOTHER’S DAY CARD FROM SCRATCH

Find the center of your card

If you have decided to use a piece of paper, fold it into four.

Once you have folded it (or if you are using card stock), decide whether to have your Mother’s Day Card portrait or landscape orientation. I personally prefer landscape because it allows more room for my hand lettering.

I find the center of my card by measuring its length and dividing it by half and marking that halved measurement with a pencil. I do the same for the width of the card.

Now that I’ve found the two midlines, I join them using my ruler and pencil to produce a crosshair which falls in the middle of the card.

These lines are an outline for me on where to roughly place my handlettered Mother’s Day card design.

Draft your design in pencil

I would usually practice my Happy Mother’s Day design on a separate piece of paper first prior to drafting it on the actual card I am going to use. It also helps using a piece of paper that is the same size as the card so I have an idea on where to place the letters. 

Once I am happy with my practice run, I transfer the design onto the card using a pencil. Initially, I would outline the “skeletons” of the letters first. 

Then, I add lines around the “skeleton letters” to add “meat” to the bones. This method thickens the letters and makes them look bolder.

Now that our draft is complete, we can now finalize our Mother’s Day card using our coloring materials!

Finalize your design 

Now it’s time to color in the “meat” of the letters!

I have chosen the purple Acrylograph to color in the hand lettered Happy Mother’s Day on my card. I highly recommend using the boldest/brightest color of your selection so that it stands out.

After coloring in the hand lettered design, I like to add highlights or shadows to make it more three dimensional and less flat. I often use a light or a subtle color for my highlights and shadows as to not overwhelm the design

If you like the minimal look, you have the option to leave your Mother’s Day card at that. Otherwise, feel free to add illustrations such as flowers, hearts, stars, the list goes on! I decided to add some hearts using the pink Acrylograph.

And there you have your very own handmade Mother’s Day card!

I have included a step by step video you can follow along with and replay as necessary here:

Your Mother’s Day card can add the perfect personalized touch to your Mother’s Day presents!

Remember, your Mother’s Day card doesn’t need to be perfect! What matters is the love and effort put into creating your very own handmade card!

Don’t forget to tag us @archerandolive and @archerandolive.community to show us your work!

Have an amazing time creating!