So, I wanted to try something new and fun, and I thought, why not make my own tarot card deck? I’ve always been a little curious about tarot, but those fancy decks in stores can be a bit much, both in price and style. So, I figured I’d just do it myself, keep it simple and see how it goes.
First, I grabbed some plain white cardstock from my craft supplies. I could have gone for colored paper, but I wanted a clean look to start with. Then, I cut the cardstock into rectangles. I didn’t measure precisely, I just eyeballed it, aiming for something that felt right in my hand. They ended up being a little bigger than playing cards, which I liked.
Brainstorming and Sketching
Next, I needed to decide what to put on the cards. I looked up some basic tarot meanings online, just to get an idea of the traditional symbols and themes. I didn’t want to copy anything exactly, but I wanted to capture the general vibe of each card.
- Major Arcana: I started with the big ones, like The Fool, The Magician, and The Lovers. I sketched out simple images that came to mind for each one. For example, for The Fool, I drew a stick figure about to step off a cliff, but with a little sun peeking out from behind, to show optimism.
- Minor Arcana: These were a bit trickier. I decided to keep it super simple. For the suits, I just used basic shapes: hearts for Cups, diamonds for Pentacles, spades for Swords, and clubs for Wands. For the numbers, I just wrote the number in the center and added the corresponding number of suit symbols around it.
Inking and Finishing
Once I was happy with my pencil sketches, I went over them with a black fine-liner pen. I’m no artist, so I kept the lines simple and clean. It was actually pretty relaxing, like a little meditation session with each card.
After the ink dried, I thought about coloring them in, but then I decided against it. I liked the stark black and white look. It felt more personal and less cluttered. I mean, I can always color them in later if I change my mind, right?
Giving it a Try
With my deck finished, I shuffled them and did a few simple readings for myself. It was surprisingly fun! Even though the images were super basic, they still sparked my imagination and helped me reflect on things.
This whole project was way easier than I expected. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon, and now I have a unique tarot deck that feels like it’s truly mine. Plus, it didn’t cost me a fortune. Maybe you should give it a try too. It is really not that hard, and you will get a deck that is really your own!
