Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Present Card - PPSAS11b

Christmas Cards for Beginners: 
The Present Card (PPSAS11b)

Send a completely different kind of Christmas card this year - a hand made one!  With surprising elements like ribbon, a button, and a separate tag, this card will stand out from all the other 2-dimensional cards your friends will receive.  And best of all, this card is simple to make, and extremely cute.  

This card was designed to use a minimum of supplies.  Each paper pack includes enough paper and card stock to make 8 cards (of this design), with materials left over for another project.  

If you have ever done any paper crafting you may already have most of these supplies.  If you don't, you'll love getting some basic tools!

Specialty Tools for this project: 
Christmas themed paper pack (Candy Cane Christmas used here) - $5.00
Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon - 109034 - $4.95
Candy Cane Big designer buttons - 121718 - $8.95
Four The Holidays stamp set - 116921 - $13.95
white embroidery floss
Large Tag Punch (optional) - 119866 - $16.95
A Cute Christmas stamp set (optional) - 120825 - $25.95

Basic Tools for this project: 
Paper Cutter - 104152 - $24.95
Bone Folder - 102300 - $6.95
Basic Black Classic ink - 101179 - $5.95
Medium Whisper White Envelopes - 107301 - $6.50
Snail adhesive - 104332 - $6.95
Sticky Strip - 104294 - $6.95
Scotch tape
a needle and white thread
a thimble (optional)
1/16 Inch Handheld Circle Punch (optional) - 101227 - $8.95
Stamp-a-ma-jig (optional) - 101049 - $11.95
Personalized name stamp (optional) - 115600 - $18.95

Directions: 

1)  Prepare the card bases: Each paper pack will include six 8-1/2" x 11" sheets of card stock, 4 colored and 2 white.  Choose the 4 colors you want to use.  Place each sheet on the paper cutter horizontally and cut in half.  That will give you 8 sheets measuring 5-1/2" x 8-1/2".  Fold each of those sheets in half and crease the folds with your bone folder.  You should now have 8 card bases measuring 5-1/2" x 4-1/4".

2) Cut the presents: Each paper pack will include eight 6" x 6" sheets, six of designer series paper and two of textured card stock.  From each of those sheets, cut a 5" x 3-3/4" rectangle.  Next take a 6" length of ribbon and stretch it across the present, wrap the ends around the back and tape the ribbon to the present using Scotch tape.  Repeat with a 4-3/4" length of ribbon going around the present in the opposite direction.  Adhere the present to the card base using Snail adhesive.  

3)  Make the bows: First wrap a few stitches of white embroidery floss through the big button to give the button a finished look.  Next cut three 6" lengths of ribbon.  Put about a 1/4" of Snail adhesive at one end of the ribbon and stick the other end of the ribbon to that, making a circle.  Next put another 1/4" of Snail on the end of the ribbon inside the circle and push the top of the circle on to that, making a flat bow with no ends.  Repeat with the other two lengths of ribbon.  

Hold all three flat bows together so they form a star.  With a needle and white thread, stitch through all layers two times.  Add the big button, and stitch the big button to the bow.  Once the bow and button is secure, attach the bow to the present with Sticky Strip adhesive.  

4) Add the tag: If you have a tag punch, punch a tag out of the off-cuts from the designer paper or the textured card stock.  If you don't have a tag punch, cut a long rectangle from the off-cuts and fold it in half to make a mini-card.  (You may need to add a layer of white paper to the inside of the mini card to make your greeting show up.)  Either stamp or hand write a cute Christmas greeting.  Punch a small hole with a hand held punch or a thumbtack.  Run some white embroidery floss through the hole and tie the tag around the button.  

5) Stamp the holiday greeting: Choose your greeting from the "Four the Holidays" set.  Ink it with Basic Black ink and stamp it inside the card.  To ensure perfect placement, use a Stamp-a-ma-jig.  (Click here for a video on how to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig.)  

6) Finish your card: If you have a personalized name stamp, sign your creation by using your stamp on the back of the card.  (If you choose to make greeting cards to sell, you must use a name stamp or another copyright stamp for copyright reasons.  If you are giving your cards away for free, it is not necessary.)  

Congratulations!  You have just made your own Christmas cards!  If you need more than 8 cards, buy another paper pack.  Once you have all right right tools, you can make as many cards as you need!  

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