DIY Easy & Fast Birthday Cards

Kids can help to make birthday cards.

Homemade cards are a great way to show someone you care on his birthday. You have put imagination and effort into creating a personalized card, instead of just buying one from the store. Even if you are short of time and apprehensive about your creative skills, you can make a card that will impress the birthday boy or girl. Forget about regular cards and go for one with a surprise inside that is sure to make the recipient smile.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock in two colors
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Patterned paper
• Markers
• Glue dots
• Sequins and stickers (optional)

Instructions

Pop-Up Birthday Card

1. Fold a piece of card stock in half to make a blank card. Draw two pencil lines, parallel to each other, running perpendicular with the fold of the card. The length of the lines will determine the distance between your pop-up and your background; the longer the lines, the farther away the pop-up will be.

2. Cut along the pencil lines to create a flap. Lift the flap up and press it downward. Use your thumb to create a firm crease. Return the flap to its original position.

3. Turn the card over, lift up the flap and create another crease. Return the flap to its original position. Open up the card. Place a finger on the back of the flap and push it inward to complete the pop-up mechanism.

4. Decorate the inside of the card to your liking. Use colored marker pens to create doodles and shapes. Attach sequins, paper stars or hearts to glue dots if you are not satisfied with your own doodling skills. Remember that this will form the background to your pop-up item.

5. Draw a cupcake, large heart, large star, balloon or any other object on patterned card stock, or card stock that is a different color than your background card. Position tracing paper over an image in a book or magazine to carefully trace a shape if you are not confident in your freehand drawing ability. Place the traced image over your chosen card stock and go over the outline to transfer it to the card. Cut out the object carefully. Make sure it is big enough to make an impact when it pops up, but not too big that it will not fit within the edges of the closed card.

6. Add sequins, stickers or doodles to the pop-up object to add interest. Attach the object to the lower end of the pop-up mechanism with a glue dot. Close your card and open it to make sure the object pops up.

References

• Making-birthday-cards.com: Make a Birthday Card
• "Card-Making Techniques from A to Z"; Jeanette Robertson; 2008