How to make postcards with perforated borders?

I’ve tried searching this on YouTube to no avail.

Basically I want to make a postcard like this:

…using a “normal” postcard and some tool.

I’ve initially thought about a standard hole puncher, but it only makes 1 hole at a time (there are 80 holes in the postcard above), and thus requires a lot of time overall because correct positioning relative to the other holes needs to be achieved somehow.

Is there a better method?

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You can buy special pattern producing scissors for it.

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I bought this set from Fiskar that has a scissor pattern for the kind of perforation we’re looking for - 5th pattern down, :blush:

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@elanlei @LC-Canada Wow, that was quick! Much appreciated for the hints, that’s what I was looking for :call_me_hand:

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You’re welcome - I’ll be curious if others have other cool tools or methods to share! :blush:

My problem with that would be cutting in a straight line. :rofl: I can’t cut a 90 degree angle if my life depended upon it. :smiley:

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I like @LC-Canada’s pinking shear suggestion! :raising_hand_woman: And I love your idea for a do-it-yourself postage stamp-shaped postcard. I’m sure some of the “teeth” on the perforated edges would be bent or torn along their postal journey…but that’s just part of the process, right? :blush: Please share your results!

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There are also dies like this:


Normally you’d use them with a special roll through tool, but you can put it also upside down and press hard with a knife or a roller etc. These are made in many sizes.

I would strongly recommend shaped scissors over a cutting die if the only goal is to cut the edges of a card into a postage stamp or other edged shape. Although @S_Tuulia is I think right that in principle you could use a cutting die without an embossing machine (used with cutting dies), in my experience the pressure an embossing machine exerts onto the paper/die is far more than the average person can accomplish, and I think scissors would give a cleaner and more reliable result.

(full disclosure: I did try using cutting dies someone gave me this way (knife, roller, really heavy slab of marble gone over with the roller…) before I got my embossing machine, and the results were…non-optimal. But maybe others have had better results than I did!)

My mom had pinking shears she used for sewing projects sometimes. They come in various designs and would give you this effect just by trimming the sides of the card. :grin:

Now I had to try how hard I press :grin: and, not very hard, and actually not press, but how I’d peel a carrot, dragging.

But, scissors might be easier to get. My problem with scissors is, if I try to fix the edges, it doesn’t always cut perfect, or straight (not the fault of the scissors).

Here’s my little bird from a die, made using a knife. The ones with only lines (no holes like in this) are much easier but this isn’t hard either.

Bad side with a die is, you can’t change the size.

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Wow, you have an nice touch. I could never get such results with a knife and a die. My embossing machine saved me!