When you take the time to make a handmade greeting card, you let the recipient know you care. Even if you’re pressed for time this holiday season, you can still surprise those on your list with these easy-to-make Christmas cards.
Christmas Card Idea: Hanging Ornaments
This cute card is a snap to make. The gold letter stickers add a festive touch, but you can substitute letter stickers or die-cut letters of any color. (To see the card in detail, scroll down and click on the photo.)
Materials and Tools
- white cardstock
- heavy-weight green and red patterned scrapbooking papers
- gold letter stickers
- 1/8″ red ribbon
- adhesive (glue stick or double-sided tape)
- adhesive dots (mini and pop-up)
- paper trimmer
- craft knife or metal ruler
- bone folder
- 1 1/2″ circle punch
- scissors
Instructions
- For the card base, cut the white cardstock to 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. Lightly score the card at the halfway mark, using a craft knife or the edge of a ruler. Fold the cardstock in half to make a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ card. Flatten the crease with a bone folder.
- Punch three circles from green and red patterned papers.
- Add the letters J, O, and Y to the center of the circles to make the ornaments.
- Arrange the ornaments in a jagged line, slightly overlapping, on the card front. Glue the J and Y ornaments down with glue stick or double-sided tape.
- Attach the O ornament to the card front with a pop-up adhesive dot.
- Glue a strip of ribbon from the top of each ornament to the top of the card. Trim off any excess.
- Make three small bows from ribbon. Adhere the bows to the ornaments with mini adhesive dots.
Christmas Card Idea: Gift Boxes
This festive card makes good use of leftover holiday scrapbooking papers and small pieces of ribbon. If you vary the sizes and shapes of the gift boxes, as well as the patterns you choose, no two cards will be alike. (To see the card in detail, scroll down and click on the photo.)
Materials and Tools
- white cardstock
- heavy-weight green and red patterned scrapbooking papers
- 1/8″ ribbon
- adhesive (glue stick or double-sided tape)
- adhesive dots (mini and pop-up)
- transparent tape
- paper trimmer
- craft knife or metal ruler
- bone folder
- scissors
Instructions
- For the card base, cut the white cardstock to 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. Lightly score the card at the halfway mark, using a craft knife or the edge of a ruler. Fold the cardstock in half to make a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ card. Flatten the crease with a bone folder.
- Cut or punch five “gift boxes” of various shapes and sizes from heavy-weight patterned papers.
- Glue the three largest boxes to the card with glue stick or double-sided tape.
- Wrap a piece of ribbon around one of the remaining boxes, knotting it in front and taping it in back to secure the ribbon.
- Adhere the two remaining boxes to the card with pop-up adhesive dots.
- Tie three or four bows with ribbon, and adhere them to the boxes with mini adhesive dots.
Tips for Making These Christmas Cards
- I used patterned papers from the Poinsettia & Sucre D’Orge collection by Harmonie loisirs créatifs to make these cards, but you can use any holiday papers you have on hand.
- If you don’t have a 1 1/2″ circle punch for the Hanging Ornaments card, trace a metal-rim tag or other object of the right size, and cut out the circle with scissors.
- The Gift Boxes card design can be used to create cards for birthdays and other occasions.
Treat someone special on your Christmas list to a handmade card this year. These step-by-step directions make it easy.