Hi, it's Therese, and I'm back with another edition of Take 2 with Therese! Today, I'm sharing 5 proven tips for easy card color combination and two fun designs using the new Altenew Crafty Necessities A4 Colored Cardstock!

5 Proven Tips for Easy Card Color Combination!

I love mixing my own colour combos, but I know that this can be a real struggle for many. Today, I have a formula that will help you create a beautiful color combination every time!

TIP #1: Analagous

Use an Analogous colour combo! This is one of the easiest combination of colours to create. Simply choose anywhere from 2-5 colors that lie beside each other on the colour wheel. It's as simple as that! I have a colour wheel and refer to it often, but you can also search for a free version on the internet for inspiration.

You can choose any combination of warm or cool colors, and today I chose a ‘cool' combination of three:
Blue | Blue-Green | Green

TIP #2: How Much Color?

Choose a minimum of 2 colours and a maximum of 5, but typically 3 is most common. And you can also use these colour combinations in many different proportions.

Both of my card examples today have used an equal amount of each colour, but you can mix it up with the 60%, 30% and 10% rule. Using a dominant colour for 60% of your design, a secondary colour for 30% and a pop of colour for the remaining 10% of your design.

TIP #3: Mix Shades & Tones

Did you know that you can mix different shades and tones of your chosen colours? For example, I used 2 shades of blue and 2 shades of blue-green in my colour palette today.

TIP #4: Neutrals

Neutrals are muted shades that appear to be without color; they are not found on the colour wheel, but will compliment all colours. The four most common are black, white, brown and grey, but the list also includes shades that may have an undertone of colour, such as taupe, beige, tan, ivory and cream.

You can confidently add neutral colors into your analagous palette at any time. Today I added a warm grey for the die cut sentiment.

TIP #5: Complimentary

If you want to add in another color, then take a look at your colour wheel. This time, I would recommend looking exactly opposite your chosen colour palette, this will give you the ‘complimentary' color that will co-ordinate (not clash) with your design.

For this color combination today, the complimentary color is: Red Orange (note the fish from the Calming Koi Set).

BONUS TIP: Step up your design by adding a fun detail to your coloured background. I added a pattern using the Water Builder Stencil, but you could also stamp over top or add texture using an embossing folder.

5 Proven Tips for Easy Card Color Combination Video Tutorial

Watch the video tutorial below to see how I made these cards. Click here to watch it in HD on YouTube.

I hope you are inspired to create an easy color combination using some Crafty Necessities A4 Colored Cardstock for your next handmade card project!

Have you tried these tips for easy card color combination? Do you have other tips? Let me know in the comment section below!

Have fun crafting!