I am often asked for masculine card ideas and today this post will help you with this kind of card designs. I have three tips that you can think about for every masculine card you make:
Tip 1: Color choice
I think color choice is the most important consideration when making masculine cards. Many people think dark tones/colors when making cards for men or boys; most crafters lean towards Night of Navy, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Basic Gray, or Smoky Slate. But I don't really agree.
I love to add a pop of a brighter color into the mix. And that is perfectly ok, especially when choosing paper designs and patterns.
Consider:
- Cherry Cobbler
- Melon Mambo
- Blackberry Bliss
- Shaded Spruce
- Pretty Peacock
- Bumblebee
- Pumpkin Pie
In Stampin' Up!s August-December Mini catalog there is a pack of 6x6 designer paper that is perfect for masculine cards. Introducing: Plaid Tidings

I love, love, love this pack of paper and I am sure you can see why. The plaid patterns have a masculine feel which means that the colors in this pack are perfect for masculine cards.
So don't be afraid to try colors that are a bit out of the norm and try a pop of brighter color too.
Tip 2: Choosing embellishments
When choosing embellishments for masculine cards, do you avoid adding a bow or ribbon on your cards? Consider again. Using a bow does not make your card feminine in design. If you want to add a bow, keep it small or if using ribbon or twine, tie it in a knot and place it near the card crease. Choose a coordinating color for ribbon or twine and these, too, can add a pop of brighter color. And consider the ribbon texture: Linen thread/ribbon, Braided Trim, Faux Suede Trim and Denim Ribbon are a few suggestions.
As for other embellishments, certainly use them! Keep them small and consider the shape. Circles and stars work well and don't worry if they sparkle or shine. As long as they are small they will work. Again, coordinate your embellishments with the colors in your paper so that they blend in rather than stand out.
I recommend you consider:
- Woven Threads: Pretty Peacock, Purple Posy, Rococo Rose, Seaside Spray, Terracotta Tile
- Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels: Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, Night of Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Shaded Spruce
- Whale of a Time Sequins: Flirty Flamingo, Just Jade, Pacific Point, Pool Party

Each of these embellishments have colors that will be fabulous on masculine cards.
Tip 3: Choosing layouts
My final tip is about the layout of the card itself. Most card layouts can be either masculine or feminine, depending on the colors, paper, and embellishments you use, but I feel that some layouts lend themselves perfectly to masculine cards.
Each week I post a card map challenge for you to try and here is your challenge for this week. The moment I saw it, I thought: masculine card layout.

I took the above three tips into consideration when designing my card for this challenge. I used the Plaid Tidings paper, the Snowflake Sequins (not all are snowflake designs), Bumblebee Gingham ribbon and for the stamp set, I chose Tasteful Touches because I feel the word font is more masculine:

What colors do you normally choose for masculine cards? Leave me a comment and let me know.
There are many more tips I could share for designing masculine cards - I will do another blog post about this some day soon.
For today, here's my card.
