Tarot Card Crafts

Looking for some craft ideas inspired by Tarot art and imagery? I have a ton of stray Tarot cards that have accumulated over the past thirty years, often with no rhyme, reason, or companions. I hate to throw them away, so I often upcycle them into something fun. Whether you like Tarot jewelry or other craft projects, here are some Tarot-themed craft project ideas to try out!

Tarot Box

If you’ve got a set of Tarot cards that you’d like to keep safe, one of the best ways you can store them is in a special box. This easy craft project is one you can make either for yourself, or as a gift for a friend. You’ll need the following:

• A plain wooden box, available at craft stores
• A pencil
• Paints or a woodburning tool
• Scrap fabric

For the box’s cover, choose a design from your Tarot deck. For the one in the photo, I chose 0, the Fool, because it’s the first card, and signifies the beginning of a journey, which I thought was perfect for the lid’s design. Using your pencil, copy the design of the card onto the box’s lid.

Use either acrylic paints or a woodburning set to finish the image permanently. Although you may wish to add a coat of polyurethane to seal the design if you use paint, it’s not absolutely necessary.

Use a piece of scrap fabric to line the inside. You can either glue it in place, or leave it loose to wrap around the cards. Before you place your cards in the box for storage, consecrate the box as you would any other magical tool.

Tarot Jewelry

I love jewelry, the danglier and clunkier the better. So obviously, I’ve got a metric shit ton of Tarot jewelry. It’s super easy to make. You’ll need:

• Images of the Tarot cards you want to use
• High quality photo paper for your printer
• Jewelry findings, such as pendants, small photo frames, brooches, blank charms, etc.
• Glue
• Basic jewelry making tools such as pliers

Use your computer to print out the smallest size possible of the Tarot images you wish to use. Most photo programs have an option to print out what’s called a Contact Sheet. Use that if you have it–otherwise, just reduce the size until it’s small enough for jewelry.

Once you’ve printed out your images, incorporate them into the jewelry findings, following the manufacturer’s instructions. The images above include small photo frames which were turned into earrings, and a pendant that can be worn on a chain or cord. Use a small dab of glue to hold everything in place. Try experimenting a little to get the result you want.

Some easy jewelry ideas:

• Print out your images and decoupage them onto a piece of metal or wood to wear as a brooch
• Use small charm frames, attach them to a chain, and wear as a necklace or bracelet
• Jazz up a pair of Tarot earrings with beads or semi-precious stones, and give as gifts

Decoupage Projects

This project was inspired by a piece that appeared many years ago, over on Goth Martha Stewart. The original design used a table. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a spare table you can decorate (or worse yet, if you don’t have any room for yet another piece of furniture in your house), the idea can be impractical. Instead, we’ve decided to go for a smaller project, and put together this tea-size tray using the same methods.

You’ll need:

• A wooden tea tray
• Mod Podge or other decoupage medium
• A brush
• Tarot cards you’re not using anymore

Make sure the tray is clean before you do anything to it. Wipe off any dust or cobwebs you may find. The tray in the photo originally came from a thrift shop, or you can purchase one new at a craft supply store.

Before you do anything with the Mod Podge or decoupage medium, determine how you’re going to position the cards on the tray. The cards I ultimately ended up using came from a partial pack of Arthurian Legend cards, and they were a bit large to fit well. Don’t be afraid to trim off some edges if you need to.

You may want to do a theme in the selection of your cards–for instance, if you want to do a tray that focuses on money and prosperity, use a collection of Coins cards. Likewise, if you want to make a piece that emphasizes guidance and wisdom, you might choose cards from the Major Arcana.

A brief note: some people absolutely, positively, refuse to use Tarot cards for anything other than their intended purpose. If you’re one of those folks, that’s fine–you can still do this project using other decorative items. However, if you’re someone who’s trying to figure out what to do with all those stray Tarot cards in your drawer or that half deck that you were left with when someone spilled their drink during a reading, this is a great way to use up those old cards.

Once you’ve figured out the positioning of your cards, remove them from the tray. Use your brush to add a thin layer of Mod Podge. If you can’t find Mod Podge, make your own decoupage medium by blending equal parts white glue and water in a small bowl. Position the cards on the tray, and then add a thin layer of Mod Podge on top of them. Spread it out so that it’s even, and allow it to dry.

You’ll want to add multiple coats of decoupage to the cards, so that eventually, all of the edges of the cards are covered and you have a smooth surface on your tray. The tray in the photo has eight coats of Mod Podge over the cards.

Use your tray as a centerpiece or as a portable altar or divination spot. If it gets dirty, just wipe it off gently with a soft cloth.

Tarot Bags

If you’re a Pagan who’s often on the go, it can be easy to lose track of your magical gear – especially those really small items that always seem to disappear! With this quick craft project, you can sew a zippered, lined pouch that will hold small items like crystals, pendulums and charms, and is large enough to fit your favorite deck of standard-sized Tarot cards.

This project is so easy you can make it from scrap fabric. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 pieces of your exterior material, cut to 7 x 5 1/2″
• 2 pieces of your liner material, cut to 7 x 5 1/2″
• One 4″ zipper

You also need a bit of basic sewing knowledge, like how to sew a straight line. That’s about all you’ll need, along with scissors, pins and a sewing machine. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can do this by hand, it will just take a bit longer.

That’s right, you read it correctly – we’re going to attach the zipper FIRST. Trust me, it makes the rest of the project a LOT easier.

To attach the zipper, take one piece of your liner fabric — in the photos, it’s the bright blue material. Place it right side up. Now, lay your zipper, also right side up, along the left edge of your liner fabric. Your zipper should be closed. Finally, take one piece of your exterior fabric and place it right side DOWN on top of your zipper and your liner. Pin through both layers of fabric, and the zipper.

Using a zipper foot on your sewing machine, stitch down the left side of the fabric, sewing all three items together. Now, unfold the whole thing, flip it around, and repeat the process with the other pieces of liner and exterior, catching the other side of the zipper in between them. If you don’t have a zipper foot for your sewing machine, I highly recommend you get one. They’re not expensive, and will save you a ton of frustration.

Remember that weird zipper-attaching trick we did in the last step? You should be able to lay the whole thing out flat so that the zipper is in the center (and the pull on the top side), with the exterior fabric on top of both sides, and the lining fabric attached beneath. Ever wonder what keeps zippers and other things in place and looking nice and neat? Topstitching. Use your iron to press everything flat, and then run a line of stitching down the top of each side, close to the zipper. This will anchor all three layers together and provide support. It will also keep your zipper from looking floppy when the pouch is done.

Now that you’ve topstitched, here’s where it gets really fun. Take your two exterior panels and flop them so that they’re lying with the right sides together. On the other side of the zipper, do the same thing with the interior lining material.

Pin everything in place, and stitch down the two long edges. DO NOT stitch either of the short edges together yet. After you’ve sewn together the two LONG edges, stick your hand in through the short open end of the exterior fabric… and UNZIP THE ZIPPER. Trust me. If you don’t do this, you’ll regret it in a few minutes.

Once you’ve unzipped the zipper, stitch together the short side of the exterior fabric. Don’t do the short side of the liner yet.

Remember that short seam on the liner I told you NOT to sew up yet? Well, here’s why. You have to stuck your hand through that opening, reach THROUGH the zipper (yes, that zipper you were supposed to open from the other side) and pull the liner out through the hole. What you’ll end up looking at is, as in the photo, the outside of the pouch, the zipper, and then the interior of the lining. But wait! There’s a hole in the lining!

That’s okay. Use your iron, press down about a 1/2 seam inside the liner, pin it in place, and then sew it shut.

Now, stuff the freshly-closed lining down into the pouch through the zipper.

Congratulations! You made a zippered pouch with a liner! And it’s large enough to hold your favorite Tarot deck, or you can use it to keep small magical goodies and tools from getting lost. Fill it with crystals, herbs, oils, pendulums, or anything else you can think of, and have fun making more of them!

If you don’t have the patience to tangle with a zipper, don’t worry–try making a simple drawstring bag instead!