Make a Pop Up Card

Pop-up greeting cards are a great twist on the ordinary greeting card. They are enormously fun (and easy!) to create, and the recipient of your card will be delighted. Now it's time to get creative and to make a pop up card of your own.

Steps

With a Cut-Out Tab

  1. Cut out a rectangular piece of the colored paper. For best results, make sure the actual card is twice the height of the envelope and the pop up shape one half the height of it. A pop up that's too big will prove cumbersome and hard to manage.
    • Scrapbook paper makes for good greeting card material. Cardstock works well, too -- just make sure your crease is straight and firm.
  2. Fold it in half, short sides together. Give it a firm crease with your fingernail or a ruler's edge. Make sure it's straight!
  3. Make two cuts. Make these about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. The cut should be made in from the folded edge of the card in order to make a flap. You can make your cuts deeper or more widely spaced if you wish; take into account the size of your pop up. A bigger pop up needs a bigger flap.
    • If you don't like the fact that there's now a gaping hole in your card, cover it up! Take a piece of paper, cut it to size, fold it in half, and voila! You now have a border for the edge of your card. Problem solved.
  4. Crease the pop-up. Fold the flap over on to the front, then fold it on to the back of the card. Open the card and push the flap up toward you. Pinch the middle to crease it.
  5. Decide what you want to pop up. It could be a picture of a gift, a name, a heart, a part of a photograph, or anything that takes your fancy. Cut out your pop-up shape and glue it on to the front of the pop-up - i.e., the part that is vertical when the bottom, inside portion of your card is flat against the table and the card is open. Allow the glue plenty of time to dry.
    • For this part, it's best to use a glue stick. You don't want a soggy mess being made of you and the card.
  6. Finish the card. Write your message, put it inside the envelope and give it to your intended recipient. They'll love it!
    • If you have ribbon, glitter, stickers, stamps, or any scrapbooking materials around the house, use them!

Without a Cut-Out Tab

  1. Grab a piece of decorative paper and fold it in half, short sides together. Whatever you want to use for the base of your card -- cardstock, printer paper, scrapbook paper -- will be fine. Just make sure it can support the weight of your pop up!
  2. Choose paper for your pop up and fold it in half. You can rummage through your scrap papers for this part; your pop up should be about half the size of your card. If the paper is too big, cut it to size. Once you've found one that fits your needs, fold it in half, short ends together, just like you did with the primary card.
  3. Draw half your image up to the crease to ensure symmetry. For this method we'll use a heart shape. Draw half the heart with the center on the fold; cut it out, open it up, and fold it the other direction. Your heart needs to be very bendy as it's doing the popping!
  4. Form a V-fold. These are tabs at the bottom of your heart that will make it pop up when the card is open. About 1/4" (.6 cm) from the bottom, draw a 45° angle both ways, starting from center. If you have a knitting needle or bone folder, score the paper on that line. If you don't, just form a really firm crease.
    • Fold it back and then fold it forward along that crease. This is the tab that will attach the heart to the card.
  5. Using double-sided tape, attach the tab to the card lining up at the center. Make sure the center of your heart matches up with the center of the card! The tab should be facing out, visible when opened. After all, it completes the shape of the heart.
    • When the heart is attached, force it to fold outward and down. That way, when the card closes, it hides in the center.
    • Glue does work, but it's much messier and less reliable.
  6. Decorate your card. Pop up complete, now it's just time to add your message and final touches! Write on the front, the heart, or anywhere in between. Sprinkle on some glitter, a ribbon, or whatever you can find in your craft drawer. DIY success!

Tips

  • Make sure you cut at the right side of the card. If you cut on the side where you open the card, it means you did something wrong!
  • Decorate your card with glitter pens, stamps, stickers, beads or other craft items.
  • Use specialty trimming scissors to add interesting borders and designs around your card.
  • If you don't want the recipient to look at the cut pop-up, take a Cardstock of the same size and glue it to the cover of the card or thread a ribbon through the center.
  • You can use an exact knife or scalpel to cut much neatly and tidier cut outs.

Warnings

  • If a child is making the pop up card, supervise them when handling scissors.

Things You'll Need

For Both Methods

  • Paper (copy paper, construction paper, cardstock, or scrapbook paper)
  • Scissors
  • Glue/double-sided tape
  • Markers, crayons, colored pencils, writing utensils
  • Envelope
  • Decorations (optional)
  • Ruler (optional)
  • Bone folder/knitting needle (optional)

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