Why color your own tarot cards? Certainly, there are literally hundreds of decks available, already in full color- why go through the trouble? Simply put, it is by far the most effective way to become familiar with the complex symbolism of the Tarot deck. Carefully coloring your own cards will allow you to see every detail, helping to develop the intuitive insight that is neccessary to fully realize the potential of you cards. The deck you create will be unique, unlike anyone else's- it will have your personal stamp on it.

This feature includes all instructions for printing and coloring your own set of Tarot cards, including two sets of black and white card graphics. Choose between the 1910 Coleman-Waite or the beautiful Vacchetta deck of 1893. Both decks have been updated and modified for easier coloring.

Getting Started

Materials needed:

Printer
Strong card stock compatible with your printer (or, printed pages can be copied onto card stock)
Colored pencils (I prefer Prismacolor) or Watercolors
Craft sealer (spray; useful if you plan to use your cards frequently)

Optional:

Corner cutter (available at most craft stores, creates a rounded edge)
Metallic gel pens in Gold, Silver, and Bronze/copper
Patterned paper for the backs of cards (affix with spray adhesive) or rubber stamps

Fun:

glitter; die cut confetti
scraps of mylar (for water)
decorative papers or wrapping paper

Step One

Copy the pictures on the following pages to your hard drive. Open in any graphic editing program or even Word. Pictures look very large, but print standard tarot card size. If printing from windows, the margins may need to be adjusted so the pictures will fit the page. I suggest printing a test page to spot any potential problems before beginning. If you plan to use paint or markers, test your paper for compatibility before you print. Note: Printing directly from your browser may have unattractive results!

When the printing is finished, use sharp scissors or a paper cutter to carefully trim the cards. If you prefer a rounded edge, use the corner cutter, making sure to leave a border around the card to prevent lopping part of the picture of with the cutter. If you'd like a paper backing on your cards, use spray adhesive to apply decorative paper (use a sturdy or coated paper for this task) to the back of each card, and trim to fit. Alternatively, you can decorate the backs with rubber stamps.

Step Two

The fun part! Using your colored pencils, or whatever medium you've chosen, begin coloring. If you like, you can layer colors, enhance colored pencil with water colors, or add glitter, foil, metallic leaf, or decorative paper. After each card is finished (and dry), coat several times with sealer, spraying lightly and allowing each card to dry completely between coats. If you like, you can skip the sealer, and have your cards laminated, or you can laminate them yourself with self-stick acetate. (available at office supply and mass market retail stores)

Step Three

Scan or photograph your favorite cards and share them! We will choose our favorites to be featured on the site sometime in the future.

Reader Gallery One: Fred R. Hinojosa

Vacchetta Deck: Cards, page one Cards, page two Cards, page three Cards, page four Cards, page five Cards, page six Cards, page seven Cards, page eight Cards, page nine Cards, page ten Cards, page eleven Cards, page twelve Cards, page thirteen	Waite Deck: Cards, page one Cards, page two Cards, page three Cards, page four Cards, page five Cards, page six Cards, page seven Cards, page eight Cards, page nine Cards, page ten Cards, page eleven Cards, page twelve Cards, page thirteen Cards, page fourteen Cards, page fifteen Cards, page sixteen Cards, page seventeen Cards, page eighteen Cards, page ninteen Cards, page twenty

Copyright notice- all images and text © Alternative Religions, 2003 Copies may be made for personal use only. Distribution or commercial use forbidden! Images are modified from the originals, and are NOT copyright free.