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Card Making Ideas

Gather up your card making supplies, find a place to work, blast your favorite music and let’s rock out some hand-made greeting cards with these card making ideas. There are so many occasions for making cards and also many ways make them. Traditionally, a card has a base that is folded in half. They are decorated with beautiful images and meaningful sentiments. This, however, isn’t about tradition. It’s about having some fun with the principals you already know and then taking it to a new level. You’ll learn a few different folds, how to make shaped cards and other fun, new techniques.

6 Creative Card Making Ideas

Who says cards have to have one fold at the top or the left side of a card? Let’s think outside the box to create some creatively folded cards.

Card Making Idea #1: Double Z-Fold

Wendy Weixler’s birthday card shows this fold in a striking way. She embossed several mats in her Spellbinder’s Wizard and added a few die cut images to complete the look. To create the card follow these easy instructions:

• Cut a cardstock base: 4¼"x11" and score at 1½", 3", 5½" and 8".  
• Cut and emboss the following Spellbinders’ Die Templates: balloons and frame from Party Edgeability, “Birthday” and present from Birthday 1. Embellish the die cuts with white gel pen if desired.
• Using texture plates of your choice, emboss the following cardstock rectangles: 2¾ x4", 2¼x4" and 1¼x4". 
• Cut a piece of white cardstock, 2⅛ x2¼" to put behind the frame on the last panel. Alternately add a photo or sentiment here
• Assemble card as shown using dimensional adhesive on the die cuts.

Supplies: Spellbinders’ Wizard and Die Templates: Party Edgeability (S4-091) , Birthday 1 (S3-095); WorldWin Cardstock; Creative Impressions Ribbon; Pop-up Glue Dots

Card Making Idea #2: Gate Fold

A gate-fold card involves having the opening at the center and two edges on either side. This can be accomplished with any size paper by finding the center of a strip of paper and folding the ends in to meet at the center. Wendy Weixler’s lovely card, Two Hearts, One Love, not only features a gate fold but also shows off several long rectangle Nestabilities to add scallops around each panel.

Supplies: Spellbinders Wizard and Die Templates:  S4-142 Long Classic Rectangles Large, S4-143 Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles Large, S4-112 Classic Oval Small, S4-113 Scalloped Oval Small; Sparkraft Pink Pearl Paper; Fancy Pants stamps Simply Stated

 

Card Making Idea #3: Gate Fold with interaction

Begin with a gate fold card as described above. Then Choose a Nestabilities Die Template set from Spellbinders. Die cut three concentric shapes at the same time with one pass in the Wizard. Inspired by Jeanette Stumpfel, Eli Harlan used circles, but for fun, try other nested shapes. By using a double sided paper, she simply flipped over the middle circle frame. To create the interlacing feature, she adhered the smallest and largest circles only to the left side of the card and the mid-sized circle only to the right. This card is sure to delight a friend.

Supplies: Spellbinders Wizard and Die Templates:  S4-114 Standard Circle Large, S4-115 Petite Scalloped Circle Large; Prism Exclusives cardstock: Rosa; Fancy Pants patterned paper: Crush Devoted

 

Shape, Rattle and Roll

Let’s really have some fun here with some shapes to add amazing techniques to cards.

Card Making Idea #4: Shaped Butterfly

Why make a square or rectangular card when you can create one with a fun shape. Try using Spellbinders’ Nested Sets such as butterflies or flowers. Donya Schroeder shows the results of her shaped card using the Butterfly Die Template. Can you say super cute? Just remember to fold your patterned paper and place the folded edge just inside the cut edge near the top of the butterfly.

Supplies: S4-049 Wreath of Hearts, S4-116 Standard Circle Nestabilities Small, S3-039 Postage Stamps, L2-09 Julius Font; Prism Cardstock: Prismatics Sage Dark and Medium, Classic Purple; Creative Impressions Green ribbon; Pop-Up Glue Dots

 

Card Making Idea #5: Shaker Box

Rattles are not just for babies or snakes. How about creating a card that has some movement and interest by making a shadow box filled with tiny sparkly goodies. Becky Chabot created this Valentine’s card with a little magic in it. Here’s how:

• Die cut with Spellbinder’s Nestabilities Classic Heart Scallops by placing two dies (one medium, one small) on the cut surface at once.
• Remove the center, add a sentiment and set aside.
• Cut a larger heart for the backing and ink the edge.
• Turn the medium heart over and adhere a piece of transparency over the center opening.
• Add a line of foam adhesive—making sure it will seal all the way around.
• Add glitter, sequins, buttons and beads to the inside of the foam adhesive and press the large heart onto it, sealing all the goodies inside.
• Assemble the card as shown.

Supplies: Spellbinders’ Wizard and Die Templates: S4-137 Nestability Scalloped Heart, F-001 Red Premium Craft Foil; Scrappin Sports & More papers: Jazz, Pretty Paisleys; Chartpak Cardstock: Frances Meyer—Red Basket Weave, White and True Love Jumbo Sticker

Card Making Idea #6: Party Invitation

This invitation may not exactly roll but accordion fold it, tuck it inside a padded envelope and your guests will be honored by the effort you made with this special invitation. Beth Pingry used Spellbinder’s Shazzam font to cut letters out of lightweight chipboard. She covered each with patterned paper and added a rectangular invite at the end. Holding it all together are mini safety pins with little bits of ribbon tied on. With invites like this, who would dare miss the party.

Supplies: Spellbinders Wizard and Die Templates: L3-03 Shazzam font; Creative Impressions brads, eyelets, turn mounts, ribbon, mini safety pins; Clearsnap Colorbox Lime pigment ink