How to Make a Christmas Tree Pop-Up Card

Your kids will have fun making their own holiday greetings. This pop-up card is easy to make, and it's a holiday activity in which the whole family can participate.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Brushes
• Acrylic Paints
• Crayons
• Glitter
• Glues
• Acrylic Paints
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Black Felt-tip Pens
• Black Permanent Markers
• Card Stock
• Green Construction Paper
• Pencils
• Rulers
• Pencils
• Crayons

1. Choose a blank greeting card or use a sheet of card stock paper that has been cut to the desired size and folded in half.

2. Draw or trace the shape of a Christmas tree onto a piece of green construction paper. The Christmas tree should be 1/2 to 3/4 the length of your greeting card and 3/4 the width of the open greeting card at its widest point.

3. Outline the tree shape with a black, felt-tip pen or permanent marker. Use scissors to cut out the tree shape. Make sure to cut along the outside of the black lines.

4. Glue the Christmas tree shape from step 3 onto a separate sheet of card stock paper to give the paper tree stability. Use card stock that is the same color as the interior of the greeting card.

5. Allow glue to dry thoroughly.

6. Use crayons, acrylic paints, glitter, construction paper cutouts or markers to decorate the Christmas tree.

7. Use a ruler and pencil to draw a vertical line on each side of the tree shape. Each line should be placed 1 1/2 inches from the tree's widest point.

8. Cut along the vertical lines.

9. Cut out the glued-on tree shape from the card stock. Be sure to cut along the outside of the black lines. This time, leave a 2-inch-long strip of paper uncut on each side of the tree for tabs. Keep both tabs centered and even with each other.

10. Fold the Christmas tree in half, vertically, blank sides together. Make a sharp crease and unfold. Fold under the tabs on the sides of the tree a 1/2 inch. Make a sharp crease.

11. Position the tree over the open greeting card so that the tree's centerfold lines up with the center of the card and is at the correct distance from the surface of the card - 2 inches or 2 1/2 inches. This is how the pop-up will appear when the card is opened.

12. Glue the 1/2-inch, folded portion of the tabs to the surface of the greeting card so that the pop-up shape remains in the position determined in step 11.

13. Allow glue to dry and decorate the remainder of the card as desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter as a template for your pop-up design.

[olsdragon]

on 8/4/2008 This is a lovely idea BUT quite difficult to follow without illustrations. I need illustrations and so do most of the children I know
Regards - olsdragon