3 Handmade Card Ideas Using Printable Circular Sentiments
Printable sentiments can do much more than simply add a greeting to a handmade card. They can become part of the design itself, helping you create focal points, add color, and bring a card together without needing stamps or complicated techniques.
For today's cards, I used my printable circular sentiments in a few different ways to show how versatile they can be. The collection includes ready-to-use sentiments with colored backgrounds and styled text, as well as coloring versions featuring hollow letters that can be customized with markers, pencils, or other coloring mediums.
In this post, I'm sharing three card ideas that use circular sentiments as an important design element rather than an afterthought. Whether you enjoy simple card layouts or like adding layers and embellishments, these examples may give you ideas for using printable sentiments in your own card making projects.
Why Use Circular Sentiments on Handmade Cards?
Circular sentiments are surprisingly versatile because they naturally draw the eye and work well with many card layouts. Depending on the design, they can serve as a focal point, an accent, or even replace a traditional stamped image.
In the examples below, you'll see how circular sentiments can:
Create an instant focal point on a card front.
Add color and visual interest to simple layouts.
Coordinate with flowers, die cuts, and patterned papers.
Help fill larger card panels without making the design feel crowded.
Be customized through coloring when using the hollow-letter versions.
Let's take a look at three different card designs and the creative choices behind each one.
Card Idea #1: A Beginner-Friendly Card
This first card is super simple and easy to make, making it perfect for total beginners. Even though the design is uncomplicated, it includes all the basic elements of a handmade card: a card base, a background panel, a focal image, a sentiment, and an accent strip that helps tie everything together.
For this design, I chose a two-color palette consisting of pink and a soft recycled-white cardstock. This cardstock has subtle fibers and texture that give it a handmade look. The color sits somewhere between white and very light gray, which makes it a lovely neutral for card making projects.
The card base and the background panel are made from the same cardstock. To create a little contrast between them, I embossed the edges of the background panel using my Sizzix Big Shot before attaching it to the card base. If you don't have a die-cutting machine, you can achieve a similar effect by drawing a decorative border around the panel with a pen.
To keep the design simple yet cohesive and elegant, I chose the "Big Hugs" circular sentiment from the coloring version of the collection. Instead of leaving the hollow letters plain, I added thin lines inside them using a gel pen. This is a fun and easy way to customize printable sentiments, and it shows just how many creative possibilities these coloring versions offer.
For the focal image, I selected a large flower from my Spring Sentiments Collection. I attached the flower using double-sided foam tape to create dimension, while foam strips were used behind the thin stem.
To visually connect the flower and the sentiment, I added a pink strip from my Free Printable Card Making Kit. Since it matches the flower color, it helps bring the entire design together and creates a cohesive finished look.
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Card Idea #2: An Interactive Card
At first glance, this card may seem simple, but there's much more to it than meets the eye.
One of the most interesting things about this card is that it was my first time using wallpaper as a greeting card background. Wallpaper often has texture and subtle patterns that can add a unique touch to card designs. For this project, I chose a wallpaper pattern that coordinated with the light brown card base. After cutting it to size using my Sizzix Big Shot, I adhered it to the card base with my usual paper glue. Of course, scissors work just as well if you don't have a die-cutting machine.
The second feature that makes this card special is that it's interactive. Instead of gluing the entire scallop-shaped piece to the background, I only glued the bottom and side edges. This created a pocket that could hold a removable insert.
Inside the pocket, I placed a heart-shaped card, but you could easily use another shape depending on the occasion or theme. This simple modification turns an ordinary card into something a little more fun and memorable.
For the focal point, I used one of the circular "Miss You" sentiments from the coloring version of the collection. I colored the sentiment using a red marker and attached only the bottom half of the circle to the card. This allowed me to keep the pocket functional while still making the sentiment a prominent part of the design.
Card Idea #3: A Colorful Floral Card with a Sentiment Focal Point
Compared to the previous two cards, this design uses a much brighter and more colorful palette.
The background features a soft watercolor design, while the circular sentiment is one of the pre-colored versions included in the collection. The purple sentiment coordinates beautifully with the watercolor background and works well alongside the colorful flowers.
For this card, I used floral elements from my Retro Card Making Kit. Although the flowers include several different colors, they still harmonize with the background and create a balanced design.
Rather than treating the sentiment as a separate finishing touch, I made it part of the focal arrangement itself. The circular sentiment sits alongside the clustered flowers, creating a combined focal point that immediately draws attention.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy using circular sentiments. Unlike traditional rectangular greetings that are often tucked into a corner, circular sentiments can become part of the overall composition. They stand out more, add visual interest, and contribute to the design instead of simply delivering the message.
👉 Check out these Circular Sentiments and get over 1000 printable sentiments to cut.
One of my favorite things about this collection is its versatility. The set includes more than 1,000 printable circular sentiments across 9 different color options, giving you plenty of choices for coordinating with your card designs.
In reality, the creative possibilities go far beyond that number. Many of the sentiments are also included in coloring versions with hollow letters, allowing you to customize them with markers, pencils, gel pens, or other coloring mediums. You can also print them on colored cardstock instead of white cardstock to create entirely different looks. With so many ways to personalize the designs, the number of unique sentiment variations is much greater than the original count.
These three cards show that printable circular sentiments can be used in many different ways. They can become the focal point of a simple beginner-friendly design, add interest to an interactive card, or work alongside embellishments as part of a larger focal arrangement.
Whether you choose the ready-to-use colored versions or the coloring pages with hollow letters, there are countless ways to customize them and make them fit your own card making style.
I hope these examples have given you a few ideas for your next handmade card project. If you'd like to try these sentiments yourself, be sure to explore the collection and experiment with different colors, layouts, and embellishments to make each design uniquely yours.
