How to Make Prayer Cards (A Step-by-Step Guide)
Making prayer cards at home is simpler than it looks. If you can print a page and cut a straight line, you can produce a stack of clean, thoughtful prayer cards in an afternoon — for a funeral, a Sunday-school class, a hospital visit, or a stack to keep in the kitchen drawer.
This guide walks through the whole thing: choosing the size, picking a prayer, laying it out, printing on the right paper, cutting cleanly, and (if you like) laminating. There are download links to our ready-made printable card sets throughout, so you can either make your own from scratch or start from one of ours and personalize it.
A Prayer for the Person Making These
God who works in small things, bless the ordinary craft of these cards — the printing, the cutting, the folding. Let each one carry more than words: let it carry Your presence into the hand that will hold it. Amen.
Scripture to pray
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.— Colossians 3:23
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.— Ecclesiastes 9:10
Frequently asked questions
What size are prayer cards?
Traditional Catholic and Christian prayer cards (holy cards) are about 2.5 by 4.25 inches — roughly the size of a playing card. Memorial and funeral cards are usually the same size or slightly larger (2.75 × 4.5 in is common). Cards meant to be read at a bedside or in a group can be larger (4 × 6 in or full letter size).
What kind of paper is best for making prayer cards?
Cardstock in the 80–110 lb range prints cleanly and feels like a real card, not a printout. For a slight sheen and more durability, look for 'matte cover' or 'cover stock' at any office-supply store. Regular 20 lb printer paper works if you plan to laminate the cards afterward.
Where can I get prayer cards printed?
For small batches (10–50 cards) the fastest option is your home printer plus a paper cutter. For 100+ cards, most local print shops (FedEx Office, Staples, Office Depot, or independent print shops) will print your PDF on cardstock and cut them to size for a small per-card charge. Online print services (Vistaprint, GotPrint) also print prayer cards; upload the PDF, choose the size, and choose matte cover stock.
How do I laminate a prayer card?
A pouch laminator with 3-mil or 5-mil pouches works well for holy-card sizes. Slide the printed card into the pouch, run it through the laminator, then trim the sealed edge with scissors or a paper cutter leaving a small clear border. If you don't own a laminator, self-adhesive laminating pouches (peel-and-stick) do a similar job without any machine.
Do I have to design my own, or can I use a template?
You can start with a template. Our printable prayer-card pages give you a ready-to-print PDF you can hand off to a print shop or your own printer — just click Print / Save as PDF and pick your card set (funeral, Catholic, personalized). Use those as-is, or open the PDF in Word or a design app and add your own image or name.