They say handmade is more sought after since they’re more than just material items but a testament to dedication and creativity. That is so true for the tarot cards as well. After all, creating your personal deck is an absolutely rewarding and personal process.
Whether you just started your divination journey or are someone experienced in the tarot, crafting a deck is a great opportunity to have a unique and solid connection with your cards and infuse your personality into each.
Take a look at our quick guide to create your own custom tarot deck without extra help.
Always Have a Concept in Mind
When it comes to the handcrafted tarot decks, they all have their unique themes. If you are simply about to craft a deck – this is not enough. Instead, make sure to qualify it. What is it that you’re looking for? 70s music bands? Animals from fairy tales? Or, perhaps, you want it to be based on famous actors from the 90s?
The point here is that when you have a concept (modern or vintage – doesn’t matter), you’ll find it easier to pick and use the imagery for your craft. If you can’t decide, approach experts in the niche. Online reading services like TarotAtlas can do the reading session for you and guide you in your creative journey.
Pick the Materials
There’s a bunch of options here, guys! Based on your budget, preferences, and (of course!) artistic skills, you can choose the following ways to go:
- Collage. This one is about checking your favorite magazine or photos to do the cut-and-paste job.
- Draw manually. Let your creative juices flow by using quality watercolor paper or cardstock.
- Use mixed techniques. Make inking, painting, and digital elements part of the process.
- Cyber art. If you’re good at Canva or Photoshop, use these tools to create your personal divination instrument. Plus, you’re welcome to use AI as a helper.
Decide on the Card Symbols and Meanings
A conventional deck has 78 cards. 22 cards are part of the Major Arcana that represents significant life themes and archetypes. At the same time, 56 cards from the Minor Arcana include Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands (4 suits) that tell us about routine challenges and situations we encounter on a daily basis.
The best part here is that you can stick to standard meanings or change them in order to have a deck that fits your personal issues. But before you change anything in a traditional system, be sure to learn more about how numbers, imageries, and colors influence the card’s interpretation.
Craft a Couple of Samples of Cards
If you’re in the middle of your creative ritual but aren’t sure if the chosen theme really speaks to you, make sure to craft a couple of sample cards first. 3 or 5 cards will help you test your chosen style, theme, imageries, symbols, and other elements together with the material or digital choices.
As a result, you’ll see if the artwork looks good on the format of the card. Check the feel and size of each card. Is it comfortable to handle? It’s the right time to fix all the ’bugs’ and make any necessary adjustments before you have all the cards done.
Print Your Tarot Cards
If you decide to go for a physical tarot artwork (not the cyber one), scan each card and print it on durable cardstock. Now, use a protective spray or lamination to guarantee the longevity of your masterpiece.
If you worked on your deck using gadgets, print it using a professional printing service to get the finest quality results possible. We recommend adding a more polished look to your cards by rounding their corners.
Do the Test Drive!
When the deck is there, it’s time to perform test reading sessions. This will help you find out if the handmade cards resonate with you as you expected.
Do not hesitate to change the design, tweak, or add new elements to this or that card, if needed. Always listen to your intuition!
Add a Guidebook
Why not provide your unique tarot deck with a detailed guide? Use it to write down all the meanings and potential interpretations of every card. Plus, document what exactly inspired you to create this or that tarot artwork.
It is recommended to include unique spreads and reading strategies designed for your deck. It’s up to you to choose – to do the handwritten thing or the digital version.
Finally…
When the job is done (and you’re proud of it!), make sure to approach your friends and family members to share your divination artwork with.
To do that, you’ll have to print extra copies, put them in a fancy box, and share it with like-minded friends. If needed, share your work on your social media page. Ask followers for honest feedback on your work.
Challenges with Creating A Custom Tarot Deck
While it looks like crafting your own tarot deck is a process with no drawbacks included, the reality is that there are spots even on the Sun, and we’re here to mention some:
- Creating a tarot deck takes time. After all the process is pretty labor-intensive, especially if you choose to hand make every card like a masterpiece.
- The card’s quality leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, you can’t have the printers that expert manufacturers can boast of. In other words, the quality of your handcrafted deck may be low and far from the one of a deck bought at the store.
- Crafting many cards can be a problem. Would you like to sell your handmade divination tools? Great! But the problem is that creating a great variety of those by hand is time-consuming and can be quite hard.
- It’s not pocket-friendly. Basically, you have to pay for everything, from design software and card stock to lamination services and package options.
Nonetheless, creating your own deck is a creative, fun, and spiritual experience. Just make sure to let your artistic vision go wild and trust your intuition!
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