Make a 3D Valentine’s Day Pop Up Card
Create a “stand out” Valentine’s Day card this year for your betrothed (or just someone awesome) and design a three dimensional pop up card. This card takes pop up cards to an entirely new level as you will create a heart that transcends the rest.
Contents
Steps
Printable Pop-Up Heart Template
Doc:Pop Up Heart
Gather Supplies
- Find or make a good template to use. The pop up card has an old school, pixelated appearance so you want a template that will help you achieve that effect. You can download the template or create your own.
- Design your own template by drawing the shape (heart) in the middle of the paper using squares and rectangles to edge your drawing.
- Create the 3-D effect along the bottom, which will allow the heart to pop up by drawing vertical rectangles along the bottom. Rectangles should be the exact same size and shape so you may want to create a template or take measurements.
- Choose thin cardstock for the heart. While you don’t want something completely flimsy, you will want card stock that will be easy to cut and trim. Also pay attention the color you choose as that will be the basis for your card.
- Grab a sharp pair of scissors, a craft knife and ruler to be used for scoring the card.
- Find or buy decorative materials such as glitter, card stock, confetti, paint pens, markers or colored pencils. Have a glue stick on hand adhere decorations to the card.
Create Card
- Cut card to size, leaving an equal amount of space at the top, bottom and sides.
- Cut out black lines on the template and then score the grey lines. You will be cutting out the sides of the heart but not the top lines. Then every other line along the bottom but not the ends of the rectangles. Use your craft ruler to cut lines.
- The lines you don’t cut you’ll score with your ruler.
- Fold card (slowly) in half at the top sides of the heart. As you fold inward, the heart will begin to puff and pop outward.
- If you have trouble holding the card in place you can tape it to a flat surface when trying to fold.
- Push against the top portion of the heart in order to create definition and get the top part of the heart to pop out.
- Finish folding card until it is completely in half and smooth over the heart.
- Create outside card design using a variety of materials (glitter, confetti, etc.). If you plan to include an outer card using card stock, cut to size and glue to the top using a glue stick.
Complete and Package the Card
- Sign and add final flourish to the card. Don't forget to add a special Valentine’s Day message somewhere inside the card.
- Create the card envelope using either a template or by hand. Use either the same color or complimentary color light card stock for the envelope.
- If you are creating the envelope by hand, trace the card (while its folded) on a piece of card stock.
- Add large triangles to each side of the template to create an envelope.
- Cut envelope out using scissors.
- Close the envelope by folding the two sides inward and then fold the bottom side on top. Add a piece of clear tape to hold in place.
- Slide card into envelope and close with top flap from your envelope. Don’t forget to address your card!
Tips
- Add confetti inside the envelope so when your sweetheart opens the card the confetti falls out.
