Calligraphy requires a special ink pen with an angular tip
The word "calligraphy" comes from the Greek words "killi" and "graphos," meaning "beautiful" and "writing." In other words, calligraphy is simply an artistic way to draw letters. If you've just learned calligraphy you may be wondering what sort of crafts you can make with this new talent. Because calligraphy is an art form, written craft ideas are only limited to your imagination.
Calligraphy Cards and Invitations
Don't pay for printed cards and invitations when you can hand-write them yourself and print copies on high quality stationary. Handwritten calligraphic wedding and baby shower invitations or holiday cards can show off your artistic ability. Embellish handmade cards and invitations by scanning and adding family photos, then mount the printout onto a doily. When printouts are finished you can also add eclectic decorations such as scrapbooking cutouts and stickers.
Calligraphy Letters
While you may have learned to write the alphabet from a calligraphy book, crafting your own letter styles is another creative project. Start by designing a drawing of the first and last letters of your name. Large artistic initials can be framed and used to decorate your home. Once you've designed your own creative calligraphic initials, either re-design each letter in your name or work on designing the initials of a friend or family member.
Calligraphy Borders
The calligraphy pen can draw crisp, sweeping, ribbon-like lines to create decorative borders. Try matting a beloved photo onto a sheet of decorative paper, using your pen to draw long, curvy lines in single sweeps around the photo. This will result in a handmade decorative border. Your project can be framed and used to decorate your home. If you're into scrapbooking, draw calligraphic borders around the photos in your scrapbook.
Calligraphy Gifts
One idea for an intricate handmade gift involves writing out family recipes in calligraphy and binding them in a book or laminating the recipes and hooking them into a binder. If you don't have family recipes you could write out a loved one's favorite poems. You could also use calligraphy to label each photo in a family or friend keepsake photo album with the dates and names of the people in the pictures.
