A playing-card deck of 40 cards, four suits of ten values, can be cut from layers of glued paper, thin wood slices, birch bark or stiff leather, and it is usable only if every card is the same size and has an identical, symmetrical back so that no card can be recognised from behind. Mark the cards with earth pigments or charcoal rather than lead, mercury or arsenic pigments, and replace worn cards before they become identifiable. Mix a deck thoroughly, because hand shuffling stiff cards is less effective than it feels.
Making a deck from available materials: stock, size, marking, safe pigments and keeping cards unidentifiable.
What Makes A Deck Usable
A deck works if no card can be told from its back. That sets three requirements:
- Identical size. Cut every card to the same measure. Make a template and cut all cards against it, trimming together in a stack. A card that is slightly larger or smaller can be felt in the hand.
- Identical, symmetrical backs. A pattern that looks different upside down, or a stain, identifies a card. Use a plain back or a symmetrical pattern.
- Uniform wear. Marks, grease and bends accumulate with use; replace cards before they become identifiable, as the parent article advises.
The parent article’s design is 4 suits × 10 values = 40 cards, with face cards optional. A 40-card deck works for many simple games and is easier to make than a full set.
Stock And Glue
- Layered paper. Glue several sheets with a flour paste or with hide glue; press flat between boards until dry. See Paper Making for the paper itself and Hide Glue for the adhesive. Bend a trial piece to check it does not delaminate.
- Thin wood slices. Shave thin, flat pieces from straight-grained wood. Sturdy but thick; they are closer to tiles than cards.
- Birch bark. Strip it in thin sheets; it dries curled, so press it flat. It is flexible and waterproof.
- Stiff leather. Durable but costly of hide; see Leatherwork.
I do not give a thickness, because the right one depends on the stock; aim for stiff enough to hold in a hand and thin enough to shuffle.
Marking Safely
Draw suits as simple shapes (circle, square, triangle, cross) and values as dots or notches. Use charcoal or soot ink, or earth pigments (ochres, umbers) bound with a little glue; see Earth Pigments and Carbon Pigments.
Avoid pigments made from lead, mercury or arsenic, which the corpus’s pigment article warns about by name: cinnabar (mercury), orpiment and realgar (arsenic) and lead minerals; see Mineral Pigments. Cards pass through many hands and children mouth them.
Coating
The parent article suggests coating cards with wax or oil to keep off marks and moisture. A thin coat of beeswax helps (see Beeswax), but a wax coat can make cards slick and sticky in warm weather. Test a few first.
Shuffling
Stiff cards do not riffle easily. The usual hand methods, the overhand shuffle and spreading the cards face down and swirling them, mix less than they appear to. I will not give a number of shuffles because I have no sourced figure for these cards; mix more than seems necessary, and cut the deck afterwards.
What You Need
- Stock — layered paper, bark, thin wood or leather
- A template to cut every card identical
- A sharp knife and a flat board
- Safe pigments or soot
- Beeswax if coating
Method: Make A Deck
Step 1: Make a template from a scrap, with square corners.
Step 2: Cut cards in a stack of a few at a time against the template.
Step 3: Round the corners lightly so they do not catch.
Step 4: Mark the faces with suits and values, drawing the same size and style each time.
Step 5: Apply an identical back to every card.
Step 6: Dry, then coat with a thin wax coat if you wish.
Step 7: Shuffle well and play.
Common Mistakes
- Cards cut by eye. They vary and can be identified.
- A back with a one-way pattern. It reveals which cards are which.
- Poisonous pigments. Cards are handled and mouthed.
- Keeping worn cards. Smudges and bends become signatures.
Safety
Pigments, glue and adhesives
Use only safe pigments (ochres, umbers, soot). Never use lead, mercury or arsenic pigments on anything handled by many people or by children. Glues made from hide or bone are food-grade enough for craft use but rot if damp; keep cards dry. Cut away from your hand when trimming a stack.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Dice Games for Groups — the dice alternative
- Combine with: Card & Dice Games — the stake rule for chance games