my first alt | 4 DIY ideas for last minute business cards

As some of you may remember, back in August I purchased a coveted ticket to Altitude Design Summit (Alt), which is a design and blogging conference in Salt Lake City at the end of this month. (FYI you guys, when I say "blogging conference," it's just because it sounds WAY more professional than "sleep-away camp for adults that share a mutual infatuation with glitter, handwritten typography and paper crafts." But just know, that's what's really going on. And it's awesome.)

But seriously, from the second I purchased my ticket, I have been SO EXCITED - as in Jessie-Spano-addicted-to-caffeine-pills excited - because this will be the first time I've been anywhere with a substantial number of fellow bloggers, much less a beautiful city I've never been to for five whole days. Eeep!

I'm hoping to take you guys along for the ride leading up to the event, and give you some great recaps of my time there as well, in case there are some of you contemplating attending in the future.

For the purpose of today's post though, I thought I 'd start with a practical topic: business cards! Back when I bought a ticket, I thought to myself... I have five months to make new business cards for Alt. That's PLENTY of time. And then, holy crap, January showed up without me noticing and now I'm scrambling to get some printed up! Now you might be asking, why do you NEED business cards? Well, from what I understand, there are a butt-ton of people at Alt (yep, a butt-ton.) Talented people left and right, all of them blogging about food or fashion or design or crafting - how's anyone supposed to keep track of who they met or what they talked about? That's where good, old-fashioned business cards come in.

I do actually have a set of cards I got FO' FREE from a UPrinting.com giveaway I won on papernstitch, but I had them printed 6 months ago, and believe it or not, this place has changed quite a bit since then. I'd like for my cards to reflect the aesthetic of the new site design I hope to have up by Alt - cross your fingers for me!

Luckily, I have a few card vendors in town that are well-priced with a quick turnaround time, but it got me thinking, what if you waited until the very last minute to figure out your cards (as in a day before) or if you were maxed out on your budget?

Well, then this post is for you! I scoured the internet to find a few different options of how to use supplies you have on hand or easy things to pick up at the craft store so you could have something cute and stylish to hand out - even if it is last minute and on a shoestring budget!

Take a look below, and let me know which looks you're a fan of. I'll be sure and share my new cards when they come in. And for any Alters (especially first timers like me) that may have stumbled here, please leave your info in the comments so we can meet up!

Now on to the good stuff. Here's how to make biz cards...

... using Printable Labels [via oh, hello friend]

Danni over at oh, hello friend made her cards for Alt last year using labels she printed out. Depending on what card stock you use, what textures, and what color labels you print on, the possibilities for different looks are endless! I also love the way Danni wrapped the labels around the cards, and she took it to a whole new level with those cute animal paperclips and her stamp!

... using Washi Tape [via Bucket of Squash]

Rashi over at Bucket of Squash used a simple name stamp plus chip board and washi tape to give her cards a crafty and unique, yet clean and modern look. Of course, this assumes you have a custom stamp on hand, which you may not, but you could also purchase a customizable stamp tool for a fraction of the price of printed cards. (Shout out to Rashi, who I actually met recently - well, virtually! I love her eye for design, and she'll be attending Alt as well, so I'll be keeping an eye out for her gorgeous cards!)

... using a Free Printable Template [via How About Orange]

Need a funky card but not too handy in the design department? Fear not because Jessica at How About Orange is about to hook you up! I saw these a while back, and thought how convenient it would be for someone that wasn't particularly design-inclined but that still wanted something cute and memorable. She even gives you step-by-step instructions on how to customize them with your name/info and how to print them out and cut them. Also, if argyle isn't your thing, there are also three other designs with illustrations for you to choose from. Happy printing!

... using Watercolors [via You Are My Fave] 

(okay, so it's actually a birth announcement, but let's just pretend this baby is REALLY ahead of the curve and already ordered business cards. A future Alt attendee in the making!)

Are you an artist or gifted illustrator? How about putting those talents to good use on your cards. You could print out your info on sheets and then add paint or a small illustration making each one special, as well as representative of your skills. I think this birth announcement (slash potential business card idea) from You Are My Fave is just gorgeous!

So that's it! Get to it! Also, if you do have a little bit of extra time and extra money, but you still want to add a DIY flare to your cards, check out this great round-up by my friend Brittni over at papernstitch.

// Which cards are your favorite? Would you ever go the DIY-route for making your business cards? //