How to Make a Pop-Up Mother's Day Card

Make this Mother's Day special by giving Mom (and Grandma) a pop-up card that you made yourself. This card uses a butterfly that you can decorate and color any way you like.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Art Sets
• Brushes
• Coloring Books
• Greeting Cards
• Printers
• Acrylic Paints
• Crayons
• Glues
• Acrylic Paints
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Internet Access
• Pencils
• Black Felt-tip Pens
• Card Stock
• Markers
• Pencils
• Rulers
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Markers

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

2. Draw or trace a butterfly shape onto a piece of card stock paper. Your butterfly should be 1/2 to 3/4 the length of your greeting card and 3/4 the width of the open greeting card.

3. Outline the butterfly drawing with a black felt-tip pen or permanent marker. Use crayons, paint or markers to decorate the butterfly. Allow any glue or paint to dry before continuing to the next step.

4. Use a ruler and pencil to draw two vertical lines on either side of the butterfly. Each line should be placed 1 1/2 inches from the butterfly's widest point. Cut along the vertical lines.

5. Use scissors to cut the butterfly shape from the paper. Cut just outside of the black outline made in step 3, but leave a 2-inch-long strip of paper uncut on each side of the butterfly for tabs. Keep both tabs centered and even with each other.

6. Fold the butterfly in half vertically, blank sides together. Make a sharp crease and unfold. Fold the tabs on each side of the butterfly under 1/2 inch. Make sharp creases. Do not unfold the creased tabs.

7. Position the butterfly over the open greeting card so that the butterfly's center fold lines up with the center of the card and is at the desired distance from the surface of the card. This is how the pop-up will appear when the card is opened.

8. 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 7. Allow the glue to dry.

9. Decorate the remainder of the greeting card as desired and add your special message to Mom.

Tips & Warnings

• Find butterfly images in coloring books or on the Internet. Many Internet sites offer free clip art images that can be printed out and enlarged for use with your card.
• Make sure that the paper on which you draw your butterfly is the same color as the interior of your greeting card. The tabs on the side of the butterfly will be less noticeable.

on 6/30/2006 You could make a door to hold the card by using a piece of paper making a zigzag line, gluing it to both sides of a card, and attaching it together.