Sometimes a plain white business card just won’t do. If you are in a creative field, like art, you can be more adventurous with your business card design. You would expect a graphic design business card to be more creative than a lawyer business card.

You also may need to take a risk and try something different if your business cards just aren’t getting people’s attention. Either way, here are some great, creative ideas to get you on the right path to create your own unique business card or other type of calling-card object:

Print business cards on opaque material. That’s right – a see-through card! Using a see-through design is sure to get your card noticed. Of course, you can’t use the back side of these cards for anything extra, but your card will look so impressive you won’t miss using the back side!

Use the card material or card holder to make a connection with your profession. For instance, a SCUBA instructor could put her business card in a clear waterproof bag to prevent it from getting wet. An editor could use a pencil as her business card by printing her info right on the side of the pencil. An architect or builder could use small, thin pieces of wood as their card’s canvas. Just pick something that makes sense with your profession.

Use inexpensive objects as your card’s canvas. You can use just about anything – a clothes pin for a Laundromat, playing cards with the name and contact info scribbled on them for a magician – anything related to your profession.

Place an object on your card that people can use. For instance, a hairdresser could attach bobby pins to her card so that prospects will keep it for the bobby pins. One cool design idea is using the bobby pins to simulate hair coming off a person’s head that is drawn on the card.

Use a stand-up or pop-up card. You can get cards with whatever object you want perforated so that you can bend that segment of the card up, making it 3D. Or you can create your card in a triangle shape or in a hinge shape so that it stands on its own. Make sure to print your info in the direction you want the card to ultimately be standing in.

Tie in some element of your business. A gift shop business card could give off the essence of their business card being a gift in itself by tying a ribbon around the card, or could use a card holder that looks like a small gift wrapped box. This would be an easy idea to implement, since many stores already have these little boxes for their gift cards.

Hopefully some of these ideas sparked a creative, unique idea you can use for your new business cards. Be sure to check out different printing companies online and offline for rate quotes for these types of cards. They will be more expensive, but if you get a few orders from people who normally would have thrown your card away (and you will), it’ll be worth it!