DIY Tarot Card Making: A Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Deck

Why Making Your Own Tarot Deck Is Meaningful

Among all the ways to deeply study tarot, making your own tarot deck is perhaps the most effective and personal approach. When you design and illustrate each card by hand, you're no longer just "using" tarot — you're building a deep, personal connection with it. Every line, every color choice comes from your understanding and feeling of that card's meaning.

Making your own tarot deck isn't reserved for artistic experts. You don't need to be an illustrator, nor do you need exquisite drawing skills. The core of DIY tarot isn't about making something "beautiful" — it's about making something "authentic." Authentic in reflecting your understanding of tarot symbolism, and the energy you want to infuse into each card. Some of the most spiritually powerful handmade decks look like children's doodles — but that purity is something no printed deck can replicate.

For beginners, creating a deck (even a simplified version) is one of the fastest paths to understanding card meanings. Because when you must "visualize" each concept, you're forced to truly understand it, rather than just memorizing keywords.

Where to Begin: Choosing a Theme and Art Style

The first step in making your own tarot deck is deciding your **visual language**: what kind of imagery system do you want to use to express tarot symbolism?

**Theme directions** can include: natural elements (plants, animals, celestial bodies), myths and deities (Greek, Norse, Eastern), specific cultures or aesthetics (vintage, cyberpunk, ink wash), a visual diary of personal life experiences, or completely abstract colors and geometry. Choose a theme that genuinely interests you and that you're willing to commit to long-term, because a complete 78-card deck is quite a journey.

**Art style** doesn't need to be deliberately chosen — it often emerges naturally once you start drawing. The recommended approach is: draw 3–5 test cards first (they don't need to be "official"), experiment with different media and styles, and feel which one comes most naturally and resonates most deeply. Then use that style as your foundation to establish a visual language guide: color system, line style, and principles for using symbols.

Essential Materials: From Budget-Friendly to Professional

Full 78-Card Deck vs. Simplified Version

For most DIY beginners, **starting with a simplified version is recommended** rather than jumping straight into the full 78 cards. There are two common options for a simplified deck:

**Option One: 22 Major Arcana** — The Major Arcana are the soul of tarot, encompassing life's primary archetypes and stages of spiritual development. From 0 (The Fool) to 21 (The World), each card tells a complete story. The workload of 22 cards is relatively manageable, making it an ideal first DIY tarot project.

**Option Two: 22 Major Arcana + 16 Court Cards** — Adding the Page, Knight, Queen, and King of each suit brings the total to 38 cards. Court cards represent different personality types and life roles; including them makes the deck more complete while keeping the workload within a reasonable range.

A full 78-card deck (including the 40 numbered cards of the 56 Minor Arcana) is a long-term project that may take months or even years. If you choose to tackle the full version, a phased approach is recommended: complete the Major Arcana first, then work through the numbered cards of each suit in turn.

Design Process: Major Arcana First

Regardless of which version you choose, the recommended design order is to **start with the cards you feel most connected to**, rather than drawing sequentially from card 0. Pick a few cards that particularly resonate with you (usually ones you draw frequently, or ones you especially love or fear), establish the visual style with those first, and then use them as a benchmark to develop the rest.

When designing each card, the recommended thought process is: first, research the card's core symbolism (not just the traditional meanings, but also your personal interpretation); then decide on the card's primary visual elements (figures, animals, scenes, abstract shapes); finally, add color and detail, ensuring the visual focal point of the card is clear.

An important design principle: **each card should convey its core energy without any text**. If your Devil card feels light and free, you may need to reconsider the visual design.

Three Common DIY Methods

Consecrating Your Completed Deck

Once a brand-new handmade tarot deck is complete, consecration (or "activation") is a beautiful ritual that helps you formally establish your connection with the deck.

The simplest consecration method: find a quiet moment, place the deck neatly in your palms, close your eyes, breathe slowly, and silently state your intention to the deck — what purpose do you want it to serve? What kind of insight do you want it to bring? Then slowly look through each card, allowing yourself to reconnect with every image as if seeing them for the first time.

Other common consecration methods include: moonlight cleansing (placing the deck on a windowsill on a full moon night), smoke cleansing (using sage or incense), and crystal cleansing (placing clear quartz or black tourmaline on top of the deck). Choose a method that feels meaningful to you — the sense of ritual itself is the energy you pour into the deck.

Especially Recommended for Hands-On Tarot Learners

If you're someone who learns best by "doing" — someone who loves working with your hands, thinks visually, and understands things through the creative process — then making your own tarot deck is practically **a learning method tailor-made for you**.

The process of creating your own tarot deck is itself a profound tarot learning journey. When you research each card's symbolism, decide how to express it in visual language, and then bring it to life stroke by stroke (or element by element), your understanding of that card will far surpass anything you could achieve through reading or memorization alone.

When you're finished, you won't just have a deck of cards — you'll have a visual diary about yourself, documenting your encounters with tarot and with your own inner world throughout the creative journey. This depth of personal connection makes your handmade deck one of the most powerful tools for divination and self-exploration.

Final Thoughts: Your Deck, Your Language

There is no such thing as a handmade tarot deck that's "not good enough." Every handmade deck is one of a kind, because it carries the thoughts, feelings, and soul of its creator. Regardless of your artistic skill, as long as each card is an expression of your genuine understanding and feeling, it is a deck with a soul.

Start with the first card, one by one, and slowly complete your universe. You'll find that through the creative process, tarot has quietly become part of your life's language.