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A tarot deck is 78 printed cards, and it leads a busy life. It gets shuffled, cut, spread across a table, gathered up and carried about. Sewists will recognise that description at once. It is precisely the sort of object we end up making a case for.
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Plenty of households now own one. One estimate of modern practice in America, compiled by TarotCards.io, reaches 1 to 1.5 million witches in the US today, and card reading spreads well past that group. Counting is inexact, because almost nobody registers a belief anywhere. What is not in doubt is that decks sell in numbers no small press would have predicted in 1990.
Why Does a Deck Get Wrapped and Put Away?
Two reasons sit behind the habit, and only one of them is spiritual. The plain one is wear. Card stock is paper with a printed coating, and it creases, softens and picks up grease from fingers.
Conservators say much the same about any paper object. Guidance on caring for archives asks for cool, dry, stable storage, low light levels, and a box matched to the size of its contents. A loose box lets things slide and knock about. All of that transfers neatly to a pack of cards.
The second reason is a habit of setting apart. Silk wrapping has been recommended in reading circles for over a century, usually for focus rather than physics. Wrapping something before you put it away marks the end of one use and the start of the next. Sewists do the same when they fold a half-finished project into a bag.
What Is Actually In a 78-Card Deck?
Sizing anything depends on knowing what goes inside it. Tarot began in 1440s Italy as a card game for wealthy households, and the pack it settled into splits into two groups:
- 22 major cards, the named ones such as the Fool, the Star and the Moon.
- 56 minor cards, divided into four suits of 14 rather than the usual 13.
- 16 court cards, four in every suit, counted inside that 56.
Stacked up, 78 cards make a block roughly 25 to 30 mm deep. The cards themselves usually measure about 70 by 120 mm, which is noticeably taller and narrower than a standard playing card.
None of that is fixed. Pocket decks run nearer 60 by 100 mm, and oversized illustrated decks reach 90 by 140 mm. Some modern packs add extra cards, so a deck of 80 or 82 is not unusual at all. Measure the deck you are sewing for, including any guidebook that lives beside it.
How Much Cloth Does a Spread Need?
A reading cloth is a hemmed rectangle, which makes it an ideal first project. Its job is to give the cards a clean, slightly soft surface and a defined edge.
Size it by the largest layout the owner actually uses. A three-card line needs about 45 cm of width. A ten-card Celtic Cross wants 60 by 75 cm as a minimum, and a 90 cm square feels far more comfortable.
Fabric weight decides how the cloth behaves. A medium cotton or a linen blend around 200 grams per square metre lies flat and stops the cards sliding. Silk looks beautiful and slips badly. Velvet grips well, though a dropped card vanishes into the pile.
Choosing Fabric and Lining for a Deck Bag
A lined drawstring bag is the other classic make, and it is an evening’s work at most. The real question is what belongs between the outer fabric and the contents. A project such as this DIY fabric valet tray teaches that lesson quickly.
Four decisions cover almost all of it:
- Outer fabric. Quilting cotton, needlecord or a light canvas all hold their shape.
- Lining. A smooth cotton lets the cards slide in and out without catching a corner.
- Interfacing. One light fusible layer stops the bag collapsing around the deck.
- Channel and cord. Allow 3 cm for the casing and roughly 1 metre of cord.
Alt text: a wooden table topped with lots of sewing supplies
Add 1.5 cm seam allowances and about 15 mm of ease around the card block. Nothing exotic is required, and the essential beginner sewing tools will do the whole job. Britain has a long tradition of cloth things made for daily handling. The Quilters’ Guild Collection cares for more than 600 pieces made to be used rather than admired.
What the Indie Deck Boom Means for Makers
Self-published decks have changed the market completely. Illustrators fund a deck directly, print a run of 500 or 1,000, and sell it themselves. Crowdfunding made that possible for artists with no publisher.
The interesting consequence for a sewist is variation. Indie decks arrive in odd trim sizes, with thicker card and much bolder colour than older packs. Several ship in a rigid box that the owner still wants a soft bag for.
It also makes an obvious gift. Someone who has just spent £45 on an illustrated deck is exactly the person who would welcome a cloth to go with it. That is a genuine small commission, and it takes under an hour of machine time.
What to Keep In Mind Before You Cut
- Measure the actual deck, because 78 cards is not a fixed size.
- Allow 15 mm of ease so the cards are never forced into the bag.
- Choose a mid-weight natural fabric over anything slippery.
- Prewash cotton and linen, since a 3 percent shrink ruins the fit.
- Line the bag whenever the outer fabric has a loose weave.
Small Makes for a Well-Handled Deck
You do not have to believe anything to enjoy this as a project. A practice built around a physical object tends to produce things worth making properly, and that is the honest extent of the connection. The bag and the cloth are ordinary sewing, sized to unusual measurements. If you already hem, press and topstitch, both are a weekend’s work and under £10 of fabric.
FAQ
Why Do People Keep Tarot Cards Wrapped In Cloth?
Partly to protect the card stock from light, damp and finger grease. Partly as a small ritual that sets the deck apart between uses. Both reasons are old, and both are sensible.
Do Tarot Decks All Come In the Same Size?
No. Most sit near 70 by 120 mm, but pocket decks and oversized art decks vary widely. Card counts vary too, so always measure the deck itself before cutting.
What Fabric Is Best for a Tarot Bag?
A mid-weight cotton or light canvas outer with a smooth cotton lining. Add a light fusible interfacing so the bag keeps its shape. Avoid anything with a loose weave.
Can You Sew a Deck Bag Without a Machine?
Yes. A drawstring bag is four straight seams and a casing, so a firm backstitch handles it comfortably. Allow roughly 2 hours by hand.