Welcome To Your Members Area

5 Ways to Practise Calligraphy Techniques

The art of calligraphy dates back to ancient times, but in recent years it has made a major comeback in the crafting world. A quick scroll through Pinterest or Instagram brings no end of brush lettering inspiration. While these are a joy to look at, in order to dive into the craft yourself you’ll need to put pen to paper. But where to begin? Once you’ve learned the basics, there are countless ways to practise your calligraphy skills. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite craft projects that incorporate beautiful brush lettering so you can give it a try.

1. Bullet journaling

What better way to practise a new craft than in the comfort of your own journal? If you haven’t tried bullet journaling yet, then now is the time to get involved. By merging creativity and organisation, bullet journals have become great tools for mindful crafting, and the best part is that you can make yours totally unique to your own style, whether you love doodling, working with watercolours or mixed media. The best place to start brush lettering in your bullet journal is with your monthly cover pages – for 12 inspiring ideas, click here.

2. Write a motivational quote

WCreating stunning wall art featuring inspirational quotes is one of the most popular ways to use calligraphy today. Start simple with a short phrase, and then practise, practise, practise! If you’re new to brush lettering, try Lou Collins’ step-by-step instructions here. The tutorial even includes a brush lettering template that you can download for free for extra support. Pretty soon, you’ll have a striking work of art that you can frame up to give as a gift to a loved one.

3. Start scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is another fab way to test out new crafting techniques and make something wonderful in the process. Whether you want to preserve family memories, create a place for all your holiday photos or commemorate a special day, scrapbooking is a brilliant solution. Let your creativity run wild or grab a scrapbook kit packed full of inspirational ideas, like the Two Minute Scrapbooker Family Kit. For loads of fantastic scrapbooking ideas – including calligraphy tips – click here.

4. Brush letter your card fronts

We’re all indebted to the creator of the die cutting machine. For quick and easy shapes, letters and sentiments, there is nothing that compares! But if you want to practise your calligraphy skills, try ditching the dies in favour of hand lettered sentiments for your cards. You’ll want plenty of choice when it comes to colour, so be sure to pick up a set of water-based pigment ink pens, like the Zig Memory System Calligraphy Pen Set.

5. Try new mediums

Typically, your brush lettering skills will be put to the test on paper – but for something a bit different, try adding calligraphy to other mediums. Siobhan Ferguson does just that with her step-by-step custom apron craft. Once you master this technique, you can add calligraphy to bespoke tote bags, cushions and so much more! The opportunities for brush lettering are endless, so grab your pens today and see where your creativity takes you.

Your privacy is important to us