I love making small pieces of fiber art to send to show I am thinking of a friend or celebrate an occasion — and flowers end up on a lot of my little pieces of art! Here is how I make my quilted fabric postcards.

Key to the integrity of the quilted fabric postcard is Timtex or really heavy fusible Pellon. That makes it easier to work with and get through the mail. If you choose to make them postcard size, you can mail just like a postcard. I also put them in envelopes so they arrive at their destination unmarked.:)

Quilted fabric postcards are a perfect one-day project when you are looking for something quick, easy, and creative! Try some different mediums for your handmade postcard!

Here is our quilted fabric postcard tutorial:

One (1) fabric postcard

How to Make Quilted Fabric Postcards

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Quick and easy little pieces of art to make and give for special occasions or just to let people know you are thinking of them!

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Start with fusible TimTex, add a vase, flowers, stems, and beads and you've got a great little gift for someone special in your life!

Here are our detailed instructions:

Materials

Piece of TimTex or other heavy duty double sided fusible stabilizer
Light weight double sided fusible web like Misty Fuse or Wonder Under
Fabric pieces to fill background
White or off-white fabric for back of postcard
Bits and pieces of fabric with fusible already on the back of your cutout pieces
Beads
Beading thread
Sewing thread, colors of your choice

Tools

Iron
Ironing board or pressing surface
Sharp scissors
Rotary cutter
Cutting mat
Teflon-type pressing sheet, or parchment paper
Sewing machine
Beading needles

Instructions

Start by cutting your base for the postcard from your TimTex or heavy duty fusible interfacing. I cut these 4" x 6" which can go through the mail as a postcard. Double-sided fusible TimTex comes sometimes with one side with paper on the back, or sometimes both sides fusible. If you have the TimTex with both sides fusible, use a Teflon sheet or parchment paper on your ironing board - or you'll end up fusing directly to your ironing board. (I've done that -- not fun).
If your interfacing is curled like mine, just take it to your pressing surface, covered with a Teflon sheet, and give it a good shot of steam. It will relax and be flat. (See the interfacing on the left below.)
Now it is time to begin designing your postcard. Lay your background fabric(s) onto the fusible side that is up on your ironing surface. Press according to directions. You don't need a really good fuse now, as you'll be pressing several more times. Just make sure that your background doesn't slip around. I'm using fabric scraps from my scrap bin. I'll trim them off after fusing.
Turn the postcard to the wrong side and trim.
Here is the postcard front all ready for some fusible fabric to make a design! .
I have a bin full of scraps of fabric with fusible on the back. I pulled out some fabrics that I thought would be good for a vase, stems, and flowers. NOTE: I did add a decorative stitch between the table top and the background before I fused the flowers and vase.
I hand cut the vase out of fabric with a lightweight double-sided fusible like Misty Fuse or Wonder Under already applied to the back. And, I cut out some stems. I placed the stem ends behind the vase. Press in place. I like to use either my Karen Buckley's Perfect scissors or Fiskars Micro-tip shears.
Have fun cutting out small flower petals from fabrics that already have the lightweight fusible on the back. Press in place. (Remember to only press on your Teflon sheet!)
I like to add some beads for the centers of the flowers to add dimension and sparkle.
Here is the front of the postcard with the beads. It's beginning to come together!
Then, turn the postcards over and press the white or off-white fabric to the backs.
Next, trim up the edges so the backing fabric is cut to the edge of the interfacing.
I finished the edges of this postcard with a decorative stitch. There are many options for finishing the edge. See our suggestions below.

Write a special note on the back with a Micron pen or acrylic paint pen. Sharpies can run. 🙁 Mail your small piece of art to someone you're thinking about!

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Ideas for quilted fabric postcards

Fussy-cut elements from printed fabrics to make a collage on your quilted fabric postcards.
Go through your scrap fabric bin and pull together some random leftover fabrics to make an abstract design. This is a great way to use up scraps! All you need are little bits!
These little pieces of art are a great way to try out some new techniques! Try a new stitch, quilt block pattern, surface design. Let your imagination go!
It’s fun to use scraps from specialty fabrics to add some ‘Wow’ factor to your tiny quilt.
Pull out those orphan blocks you have stashed to make these small projects.
Do some raw edge appliqué with fusible interfacing (like I did!).
Practice your free motion quilting on these little quilts.
Have a cutting machine? Use it to make elements to add to you postcard.
Draw a design or element directly on the paper side of the transfer webbing. Cut it out and then fuse it to a fabric. Cut it out of the fabric, remove the paper and fuse to the front of the postcard.
Most of all, have fun with your postcard design!

How can I finish the edges of quilted fabric postcards?

Use a decorative stitch on your sewing machine, or practice your satin stitch to finish the edge of the postcard.
You can do either a machine or hand embroidery blanket stitch to finish the edge.
A basic zigzag stitch on your sewing machine is a quick and easy finish
Paint over the raw edges of the very outside edge with textile paint for a colorful edge.
Use a fabric strip to bind the edge like you would a quilt.
I often use a basic straight stitch to add a straight line inner border to the postcard.

Notes about mailing your fabric postcards

If you add beads or other dimensional elements to the front of your postcards, it’s recommended to put the postcard in an envelope. It may require extra postage, too. I take ones with lots of bead embellishments into the post office to make sure there is enough postage.
Make sure there are no loose fabric edges that might get caught in the postal equipment.
You can either use fabric or paper backing on your postcard backs. Both fuse to the Timtex just fine. Paper is a bit easier for writing the address and a note. Some people prefer using card stock.
Another option is to place the postcard into a clear envelope. Just make sure the address is easy for the postal service to read.
Love the look of vintage postcards? Buy some stamps to stamp “postcard” and lines on the address side of the card.
If your postcard has no 3D embellishments, it should go through the mail system for a postcard stamp. Note: I have had some be delivered with ‘postage due’ even though all of the rules were followed. 🙁

Quilted postcards with birdhouse, bird and flowers

I like to make a batch of stitched postcards at one time. Then I have a little pile to be able to send when an occasion arises. Here are some that I made with just the scraps of pre-fused fabrics I keep in a bin. When I have fused a fabric, and then cut out what I need, the leftovers — even really small pieces — are put in a bin for a future project. Fabric art postcards are the perfect use for these little bits.

For this design, I made 4″ x 6″ postcards with a bird house, bird on a limb and a few flowers. I started with the pale yellow background, and then ran out of that fabric and found the gray batik in the bin for the remainder sky fabrics.

When I was sewing the 1/4″ black line around the edge of the cards to form a border, I chain stitched them. I took them off my sewing machine and loved the way they formed a nice little book!

Fiber art postcards in a row with birdhouse and birds

Fiber art postcards with birdhouse in a row

Here is a close up of one of the fiber art postcards:

Fiber art postcard with birdhouse, bird and flowers

Kaleidoscope fiber art postcard

Here is a quilted fabric postcard made by Chardel.

Art on a small scale, fabric postcards can commemorate a major life event or celebrate friendship “just because”. This Kaleidoscope Fiber Art Postcard honors a friend’s retirement. This card was just one of many created to confirm that this friend touched many lives over the years.

I call this design a kaleidoscope, but it also resembles a starburst or sunburst image. In Electric Quilt design software, I can design repeated shapes with consistent angles and proportions. With the software I can place each shape precisely where I want it. Then Electric Quilt prints the whole design and individual templates for construction without nasty surprises. I drew one wedge, then copied and rotated it before final placement. I like having a roadmap to follow, especially with a fussy design.

Working with a symmetric “star”, I wanted an overall design asymmetric design – not a bullseye in the center. So on a printed version, I played with a 4 x 6 inch frame (finished postcard size), moving it over the design until I found a pleasing composition. Once I marked my 4 x 6 outline, I had a pattern to follow.

I marked the outline on my background fabric. With fusible web applied to the back of my design fabrics, I cut each shape according to the pattern. Starting from the center of the star and working my way out, I fused each piece into place, overlapping the 4 x 6 perimeter. A nonstick pressing sheet protects my iron. With the card area filled, I trimmed the excess to give me my postcard shape.

Then, I layered the tiny quilt top with Timtex (stiff interfacing) and fused a light-colored fabric to the back where I wrote a message. I machine-quilted the piece, then finished the edges with a colorful zigzag stitch.

Christmas fabric postcards

Here is a fabric postcard made by Kathy Manley.

She loves to make fabric postcards. They are great for any occasion, but especially for Christmas. She tries to select a large pattern with a big impact on the design. Here is how she made her Christmas Fabric Postcards!

Black and White clip art for fabric postcard

I started this year’s card with a black and white copy from Clip Art.

Using this as a pattern, I cut out the large applique and used a satin stitch to sew it to the background.

Adding some decorative stitching to the background

I then added a decorative stitch as the “rays”.

The top of the card and the backing (I usually use a white fabric or muslin) are fused to the interfacing. After trimming all the edges, I use a satin stitch or decorative stitch around the edges and it’s ready to go!

On the back of the card, just draw a line down the middle, write the address on the right, and your message on the left. Attach a stamp and send through the mail.

The thing I really love is that these Christmas fabric postcards can go through the mail as is. No envelope needed. My friends love getting something this unusual through the mail. If, however, I decide to embellish with beads or sequins (anything that could get caught in the Post Office’s machinery), I’ll put the card in an envelope.

I’ve made so many Valentine’s cards, they have their own article. Check out Valentine postcards for even more ideas!

Browse through more sewing projects and inspiration on Create Whimsy. Check out all of our scrap fabric project ideas on Create Whimsy.