How to Create a Faith Inspired Handmade Card with Die Cutting and Pattern Paper
- Rick Adkins
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
Religious-themed cards can sometimes feel intimidating to create. Many cardmakers worry about finding the right balance between meaningful imagery, scripture, and beautiful design. The good news is that creating faith-inspired handmade cards is often much simpler than it appears, especially when you start with products that are designed to work together.
For today's project, I created a sweet Psalm 23 card featuring the new The Lord Is My Shepherd Stamp & Die Set from Pixi Dust Designs. As part of the Pixi Promises Video Hop celebrating the June 2026 release, I wanted to create something that felt uplifting, soft, and approachable while still highlighting the scripture sentiment.
I walk through the creative process in the video, but here on the blog I wanted to share some of the design decisions behind the card and why this approach works so well for creating meaningful handmade cards.
Why Pattern Paper Does So Much of the Work
One of the easiest ways to simplify religious cardmaking is to let your pattern paper establish the mood of the card.
For this project, the Bella Flowers 6x6 Pattern Paper Pack provided a soft floral backdrop that immediately created a peaceful and comforting feeling. The gentle pinks, creams, and greens support the scripture message without competing with it.
A common mistake I see cardmakers make is trying to add too many techniques to a card that already contains a strong sentiment. When the scripture or message is intended to be the focal point, a thoughtfully chosen pattern paper can do much of the heavy lifting while allowing the sentiment to remain easy to read and appreciate.
Creating a Strong Focal Point with Die Cutting
The adorable sheep image naturally becomes the star of this design.
When working with faith-based themes, symbolic images often communicate the message before the recipient even reads the sentiment. That's one reason I enjoyed working with The Lord Is My Shepherd Stamp & Die Set. The imagery and scripture complement one another, making it easier to create a cohesive design.
Layered die cuts also help add dimension without creating visual clutter. By building a small scene with the sheep, grass, and shepherd's staff, I was able to create depth while keeping the overall design clean and easy to follow.
This is especially helpful when you're creating cards for church friends, encouragement cards, or thinking-of-you cards where the message itself should remain the focus.
Why Ink Blending Works So Well for Scene Building
Even simple ink blending can make die-cut elements feel more realistic and polished.
For this card, subtle shading with Lost Shadow Distress Ink, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, and Rustic Wilderness Distress Ink helped define the individual pieces without requiring advanced coloring techniques.
Many cardmakers assume every image needs extensive marker coloring to look finished. In reality, light ink blending often provides enough contrast and depth to bring die-cut images to life while keeping the process approachable for beginners.
It's one of my favorite techniques because it delivers a big impact with minimal supplies.
Making Religious Cardmaking Easier
One of the biggest challenges with religious-themed cards is deciding how to combine scripture, imagery, and decorative elements without overwhelming the design.
A simple formula can help:
Choose one primary scripture or sentiment.
Add one supporting focal image.
Use pattern paper to establish the mood.
Limit embellishments so the message remains clear.
Following this approach removes much of the guesswork and helps create cards that feel intentional rather than crowded.
Adapt This Idea Using Your Own Supplies
While I used products from the Pixi Dust Designs June release, this design concept can easily be adapted with supplies you already own.
Try substituting:
Floral pattern papers from your stash
Any faith-based stamp set with a scripture sentiment
Animal-themed die cuts or stamped images
Seasonal papers to create cards for Easter, Christmas, or everyday encouragement
If you're newer to cardmaking, keep the layers simple and focus on creating contrast between the focal image and background.
If you're more experienced, you can expand the scene, add texture, or incorporate additional die-cut elements while keeping the same overall layout.
The goal isn't to copy the card exactly. It's to use the design principles and adapt them to fit your own style and supplies.
Final Thoughts
I hope this card encourages you to give religious cardmaking a try if you've been hesitant in the past. Meaningful cards don't have to be complicated. Often, a thoughtful sentiment, a strong focal image, and a few simple techniques are all you need to create something that will truly encourage the recipient.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different scriptures, images, and color palettes. Sometimes the simplest designs become the most meaningful cards we create.
If you create faith-inspired cards, I'd love to hear what themes or scriptures you enjoy working with. And if you haven't watched the video yet, be sure to check it out below for a closer look at how this project came together.
Watch the Video
If you're a visual learner, this will help you see how all of the elements come together for this faith-inspired handmade card.
Video: Pixi Promises Video Hop | The Lord Is My Shepherd Card
If you have problems watching the video here on my blog you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel by Clicking Here! Make sure to hop along the video hop and leave comments along the way for your chance to win $25 in Store Credit from Pixi Dust Designs. The winner will be announced on June 15th on their YouTube Channel Community Page.
(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!
Supplies Used
Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
Happy Crafting,
Rick Adkins
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