gws-playing-card-holder-2
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You are here: Crafts / Yarn and Needle Crafts / Embroidery / Plastic Canvas Playing Card Helper
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I love playing games. It doesn’t really matter what it is but I’ll enjoy it. My whole family is competitive so when Holden got a bow and arrow for Christmas one year my dad gave us all a crash course with it in my sister’s side yard and we proceeded to have a competition. And we had only just learned!

From board games to card games to tournaments with a bb gun or bow and arrow, we’ve done it all, it seems. But the last time I played cards my dominant hand began to cramp up and hurt. You see I injured myself some time ago and grip can be difficult and holding my hand in the same position for ages gets painful fairly quickly. So when I saw these playing card holders I knew they were just right for me. I just wish I had these while my card playing Poppa (and card cheating Poppa!) was around because I’m sure he would have loved one!

For this project you will need:

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

These things are not easy to come by but, luckily, you can get them at Amazon here.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

And in case you’re ever wondering, yes, sometimes I do have candy in my hand I’m snacking on as I take pics for tutorials :)

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Thread your needle with your solid yarn and be sure to hold on to the tail as you start and stitch around it securing it.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Begin stitching the outer edge with your solid color on the diagonal.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Continue around…

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

And if you need to start a new piece of yarn, run the needle through the backside of the work to secure the end and then snip off the excess.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Continue your solid color up the hump (this is like two circles, the smaller, middle one is raised from the larger back circle).

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Because of the nature of the circles getting smaller, every other stitch you’ll need to do 2 stitches into the same hole up top. Can you tell that’s what is happening in the pic?

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Here you can see a bit better that the center is raised…

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Take your variegated yarn and go around the center making 2 stitches that are 4 spaces high and then 2 stitches that are 3 spaces high all the way around

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Begin stitching your variegated yarn along the outer edge making this stitch one shorter than the solid stitch behind it (my variegated is 3 spaces long where the solid is 4).
Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Back stitch with the solid color around circles to help cover the plastic canvas.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Stitch around the other edge, 2 stitches per opening, to cover the outside edge.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Fill in the center with your solid color, all but the very inner section as seen above.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Make 2 matching circles per set and place together.

Have trouble holding cards? These plastic canvas playing card helpers are fun to make, cute to look at and keep your hands from cramping while playing gin!

Stitch an X a few times in the middle to hold the pieces together and that’s it!

These plastic canvase playing card helpers are simple, pretty and lots of fun to make, plus it makes a good travelling or waiting room craft because it’s easily portable. Anyone up for a game of cards? :)

gws-playing-card-holder-2

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32 Comments

  1. Kim Smyth says:

    I’m so glad you explained to fill in the blank spots using a back stitch! That’s why McRae holders are so thick. I’ve been going over from the front. Great tutorial!

  2. This is such a great idea for anyone

  3. I hope they are as easy as you make them appear. I know a lot of people who use them and they really work well.
    I would like to make them for new members in our card group. Thanks for sharing.

  4. Wow, that looks great!!

  5. Marilyn Fisher says:

    I don’t understand the purpose of the raised center piece. Are the circles already have the small circle attached when you purchase the plastic circles?????? Can you use just the flat round pieces?

    Thank you for your answer in advance,
    Marilyn

    1. Hey, Marilyn! The raised center piece is an important part of the design because it holds the cards in place. I’ve tried making playing card helpers with plain plastic canvas circles and the cards easily slip out.

  6. Linda I Rohlfing says:

    I love these I just got one while playing cards with friends in Mesquite NEVADA

  7. Marci McHugh says:

    Thank you for your tutoring. I made 10 set of these and sold all in an hour at our ladies group bazaar last weekend. also have ladies begging for them. Now I can’t find the canvas pieces. Amazon is out of stock and not sure they will ever get more. I am going to try just the circles if I can find some local. Thanks again.

  8. Sharon Rapp says:

    Thanks. Been looking for this pattern for a week. I’m heading to Hobby Lobby today to get supplies

  9. Marsha Brockwell says:

    Where do I find these circles. Was buying them at Everything Plastic but they no longer carry them! Help! Thanks!

  10. Twylla prather says:

    How long do you cut the yarn to begin with.?

    1. You can cut the yarn to any length you’re comfortable working with. I typically work with lengths of about 18 inches.

  11. What size yarn needle do you use to make this project?

  12. Marce Knapp says:

    Thanks for posting the directions for making the playing card holders. The directions are very easy to follow. I have made many of these already. They are fun to make while watching T.V.

  13. Mary Patterson says:

    Thank you for sharing Allison. Can you tell me if you have to use the raised canvas circles or will the plain circles work?

    1. Others have said they were able to make the plain circles work but I personally have not tried it and cannot guarantee good results. If you give it a try let us know how it goes?

  14. Sandy McDonald says:

    Very cute! When putting them together, do you place them with the bump out side in or out? If out, there is a gap between the 2 in the middle. Is this the way it is suppose to be? Thanks

    1. Hi, Sandy! When putting these together you want the bumps facing out on both sides. I hope this helps!

  15. I love the variegated yarn used on the card holder, along with the solid red. Can you share what brand it is and is it 4 ply that we should be using? Thanks so much for sharing this pattern.

  16. Very nice !

    Where did you buy the colored Yarn ?
    Do you have the model number ?

    thanks, good job again !

  17. Could I use a flat circle instead of the one with the center pushed out? Thanks!

    1. I’m not sure. I know the flat circles are a lot easier to get ahold of and if you already have a pair I’d give it a whirl. The bump out does help the cards slide in and out easily but it also puts pressure on the outer edge so thee cards stay neatly inside. And it also kind of gives you a little extra something to hold on to, but I think it could work flat it might not be quite as good but I do think that functionally it will work. If you give it a go, let me know if it works!

    2. Thanks! I may try because I can’t get the others right now and have flat ones on hand! Will let you know!

  18. Tish Alicki says:

    I love these….going to try to make some this week. I have small hands, and it’s so difficult holding a lot of cards. Thank you for sharing!

  19. I like all your crafts.

  20. Pat Schwab says:

    Allison, I used to have card holders for my family from a toy company. They had a spring holding them together. I made some out of margarine tub lids once. This is so much cuter.