Make Simple Card Using Your Name

Have you ever experienced wanting to send someone a touching little card but can’t find one just right enough? Good for you if never had but if you are actually the type who spends an eternity choosing cards, then here’s the problem with you: you were just missing this brilliant idea of mine all along! Kidding aside, it is really frustrating when you want to express your feelings in the deepest sincerity and all you can do is to choose between putting the words on a blank card or settle for one with generic poetry.

But the good thing is, you actually have a way to avoid this wearisome experience. All you need to have are the simplest art materials and perhaps, some little thinking outside (or inside) the box. Maybe you’re getting curious already so read on and you’ll find out how!

MESSAGE IN A BATTLE

This is the second technique in the series of making art out of names. The name of this style takes on the literal, as in, a message battling for space and readability. Don’t worry about getting your point across because this style is good both ways— easy for you to make and fun for your dear recipient to read. Just make sure you have the following:

Materials:

Card paper

Pens, color pens, any other coloring materials suitable on paper that you like

Beads, glitters , glue (optional)

Any other artsy material you like to glue on your design (optional)

Ruler and pencil (optional)

How to do it:

• If you want to put margins on your card, use a ruler and pencil. Otherwise, proceed to the next procedure right away. If you don’t have a card paper, use some stiff paper that is good enough for making cards. Better yet, choose one with a nice scent.
• In the card, write down the name of the recipient and your little message in cursive. Use any pen you like but a dark one would be better. Use capital and lowercase letters, in any size, and follow a random path inside the design area as you write. Usually, the uglier the handwriting, the better so don’t worry (promise, I can write legibly).
• Add some gimmick to your work! Put in some cute details (random shapes, for example) in your message using another color. Put some color in the void spaces or glue anything you can possibly glue on the card. Tada!

Real easy, right? You should agree with me that you were just missing this little article all along. Anyway, with a little innovation, you can always expand the usability of this style (I used this as a cover of my notebook the first time). You can always match your card with your message— tone done the color maybe, or perhaps, do away with the glitters and beads. You can also use plain ballpen. Honestly, I experimented with ballpen and my nephew’s color pens. Interested still? Check out the next part of this series!

How To Make a Simple Art Using Your Name

Obviously, this is all about making simple art (we’re still on the name series, for butt’s sake!) In the words that follow, I will tell you how to make an art out of your name in a completely different way. Of all the styles out here, this is one of the simplest and one of the most attractive. Moreover, this is also one of the easiest to modify.

With this technique, I always can’t stop myself from thinking, isn’t it nice that we can easily express ourselves through our choices? I’m not even talking about a lengthy discourse— not even close. You can make this art with the littlest expenses possible (borrow materials from your noisy little brother!) Forget, too, that killjoy voice inside raising a whole hullabaloo that you might not be artistic enough. Just jump into the excitement! Gather your wits and read on!

Materials:

Paper

Pencil, pens

Coloring materials

How to do it:

• Think about anything that catches your fancy— star, leaves, butterflies, etc. Make a list!
• Start with your favourite (evidently, mine is a butterfly). Make a sketch of its shape at the center of the paper using a pencil.
• Fill the shape with your name in such a way that the letters touch the outline and together, form the same shape somehow. Use a pencil.
• Trace your name with a pen or color pen. Erase the pencil outline.
• Then, proceed to add artsy details and color.
• In the void spaces between the letters, you can put in some designs, too (a web, for example).
• You can add some little things to complement your design. When you are satisfied already, then your art is ready.

 As I said, this style is easiest to modify. You can try to combine many names in one shape like I did before— I chose a hand and each finger was a friend’s name. You can also develop your work around your favourite shape. For instance, you can draw a whole garden with a butterfly at the center. Your friends’ names could be flowers and leaves. Likewise, you can have the solar system if you start with a star or, an underwater scenery if your favourite is a fish. This is what your list is for.

If you think that is a lot of way to do this art, think again. In fact, there are so many ways you can have it! You can try making each shape on a separate piece of paper, glue them with artsy things (buttons, beads, rice, etc), cut them out and then paste them on a pre-made background. Or else, make a stand for each cut out. If you want to, make a mobile!

In making art this way, you should follow one rule and that is to not let anything stop your creativity. You are making something physical with your name so why not let out your inner artist? Anyway, if you’re done with this style, you can always have the next part of this series. Don’t forget to check it out!  

How To Make a Logo

HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE LOGO USING YOUR NAME

What is in a name anyway? Why make a deal out of it? And an art at that! Well, for one, our names represent our person (as in, the whole package— mind, physical attributes, attitude, etc). Besides, we’re meant to stick with them for the rest of our lives. We are supposed to forget how silly they sound because long, long before we were born, our parents already chose the perfect one for us (and they’re supposed to know what’s best).  

So, where am I getting at? Before we shoot off to the moon, here is the bottom line: you can make a completely new thing out of your name to represent you, the way you want to. Think of making a logo for a product (that is you, again). Sounds cool, right? But the better thing is, what I am going to tell you is just one of the many ways to do it! This is a series so what are you waiting for? Read on!

STYLED ECHO

The first technique I will tell you is what I call Styled Echo. As the name suggests, it simply makes use of something that comes back (with a little styling, of course). In this case, you will be using your name and the mirror image it creates. You will need the following for this project:

Materials:

Paper

Pens, color pens, any other coloring materials suitable on paper that you like

Beads, glitters , glue (optional)

Any other material you like to glue on your design (optional)

How to do it:

• Place the piece of paper then fold horizontally. The fold should divide the paper into two equal parts.
• Above the fold, use a dark pen to write your name in any font, in any style you like. To make your design livelier, add some artsy details such as curved lines, leaves, or just any shape you can think of. Also, you don’t have to follow basic name writing rules. Use capital letters as much as you want!

• Press the paper firmly along the fold. Better yet, press your design against the other side of the paper with a hard object (I used my calculator). If the new image formed is barely visible, reapply ink on the original and press again. Repeat until you come up with a decent form.
• Work on the new image. Trace along the blurry lines until you make a mirror image of the original.

•  Apply color. Afterwards, get to work with the beads and glitters. Tada!

Chicken? I told you it’s easy. So here’s what you can do with your new logo: put it on your notebook or scrapbook. Or, make another one using a firmer paper then cut out to make a template. Better yet, do it on the computer if you know how (for mass production!). If you get bored on this technique, don’t worry. There are other styles in the next part of the series. Just don’t forget to check them out.