Altered Playing Card - Junk Journal Project 🃏 "Go Wherever Your Heart Desires"

This sweet little project takes something as simple as a plain ol’ playing card and transforms it into a stunning, vintage-style embellishment with a whole lot of mixed media goodness—and just a sprinkle of creative magic. ✨

It was actually one of the projects from our January 2020 Creative Day (can you believe how long ago that was?!), and I’ve been meaning to write about it ever since. Honestly, we’ve made so many beautiful things together over the years during these crafty catch-ups and community days... and I thought, hey—it’s about time I finally start documenting them all properly!

So consider this the beginning of a little throwback series where I catch up and share all the gems we’ve created—one make-at-a-time. 💛 Whether you were there on the day or you’re just looking for some vintage-inspired junk journaling ideas, I hope this project sparks a bit of joy and creative inspiration.

Stay tuned... there’s a treasure trove of craftiness to come!

For this project!

Altered Playing Card - Junk Journal Project 🃏 "Go Wherever Your Heart Desires"

What you will need:

🧰 Supplies:

Standard playing card
1 or 2 used tea bags, dried and emptied
Clear gesso
Mixed media sprays (vintage, earthy tones work best)
Inks (Distress Ink or similar)
Collage paper or book paper scraps
Sentiment strips ("Go wherever your heart desires") or other.
Stamps (vintage images)
Twine and string from original teabag string
Metal charms or beads
Small brad
Gel medium or glue
Paintbrush or sponge

Step 1 Pre Your Card

Start with a standard playing card and apply a thin coat of clear gesso to both sides. Let it dry completely—this gives you a better base for all the juicy mixed media layers.

Step 2: Add Your Tea Bag

Carefully cut open a dried, used tea bag so it forms a rectangle. Keep the string attached if it’s still intact—it adds that perfect rustic charm!

Glue the tea bag flat onto the front of your playing card using gel medium or strong craft glue. Have little bits fall over the edge. You can even cut one up and use it in pieces.

Step 3: Spray & Stain

Grab your mixed media sprays and start building color! Use warm vintage tones—think sepia, rust, soft pinks, or antique browns. Let it drip and dry naturally for those dreamy layered effects.

Dab around the edges with Distress Ink to deepen the look and give it that well-loved grunge feel.

Step 4: Collage It Up

Rip or cut small pieces of collage paper or book pages and glue them randomly over the card. Let text peek through in unexpected places. Add a soft wash of color over the top if needed to blend. Add some splatter of light colour spray with a paint brush. You can also use distress ink mixed with water or acrylic paint.

Step 5: Sentiment Time

Choose a quote or phrase (in this case: "Go wherever your heart desires") cut it up if preferred and glue on in staggered layers. You can print the sentiments out, stamp them, or also use pre-made word strips.

Step 6: Tie It Together

Thread a charm or beads to the twine around the middle of the card and tie it in a sweet little bow. This adds dimension and texture.

Step 7: Embellish the Magic

Attach an extra charm or use the teabag string and attach with a small brad. Anything tiny and treasure-like works here—think keys, hearts, stars, or vintage bits.

💬 Final Thoughts:

This technique is such a playful and creative way to give those old playing cards a fabulous new life—and let’s be honest, you probably already have most of the supplies tucked away in your stash. It’s simple, satisfying, and totally worth a try! Embracing imperfection and layering with love. No two cards will ever be the same—and that’s exactly the point. ❤️

If you give it a go, don’t forget to tag me or pop your creation into our group—I seriously love seeing your crafty masterpieces in action. 🧡

Keep it crafty and stay sparkly,

’Til next time,
Julie ✂️✨

P.S. Go ahead and give that QR code a little tap (or scan it with your phone—either way works like a charm!) and come join our Facebook crafty community. It’s a cozy little corner of the internet where inspiration flows, ideas are shared, and creative hearts connect. We’d absolutely love to welcome you in! 💬🎨

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