Tutorial: Design your own playing cards

Here's how to make a fun, unique pack of playing cards of your own design!

1. Decide on the size of your cards. Make a template and use this to cut 52 cards from thin card. I used a paper trimmer to do this quickly and easily, putting some tape on the trimmer so I could line them up to the same size. If you like, use a corner rounder to round the corners of the cards.

2. Decide on symbols and colours for the suits. I based mine on the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, with red roses, blue squares, green leaves and yellow triangles. You can hand carve stamps based on your suits, like I did, or choose any small stamps you may have. I also made a larger stamp for my "Ace of Leaves"!

3. Lay out all the cards, and stamp the numbers on them. I found it easiest to stamp all those of one colour first, then clean the stamps and go on to the next colour.

4. Stamp the suit symbols on the cards. You can have fun deciding on how to lay these out on the card.

5. Stamp the face cards. I created one stamp for these, making it quite basic so it could look male or female. I then stamped the suit symbol in the centre.

What do you think? If you were going to make your own cards, what designs and colours would you choose?