Homemade Christmas Cards

Seasons Greetings House Card

Make this Christmas card to bring Seasons Greetings from your house to a neighbor's house, and spread some Christmas cheer.

Approximate Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 1 card

Supplies:

• 1 pattern of house
• tracing paper and pencil
• 1 in 11.7 x 8.3 (A4) sheet of pink patterned cardstock
• 1 in 5 x 5 black cardstock
• 1 in 5 x 3 white corrugated cardstock
• 1 leftover piece of green cardstock
• 4 paper flowers
• 6 pearl heart pony beads
• 8 small blue flat-sided rhinestone beads
• 4 small red flat-sided rhinestone beads
• silver thread
• Foilart Super-tack glue pen
• pink craft foil
• tree-shaped paper punch
• craft glue
• scissors
• stanley knife (utility knife)
• ruler
• 1 sheet of ordinary white printer paper

see http://www.smokymountaincraftsupplies.com/pony-beads-heartpearl.html for a possible supplier of pony beads

Steps:

1. Trace and cut the house from the pink patterned card stock.
2. Score the house length-wise and with the fold at the top, cut off any protruding edges, so that the house will look neat.
3. Cut out all the windows, and cut open the door and fold it back, so that the door will stand slightly ajar.
4. Glue the black cardboard to the back of the front of the house, and cut off any protruding edges.
5. Glue the silver thread to the top of the roof ~ make a wiggly pattern. This will be the "electrical cord" from which the Christmas lights will hang.
6. Use the corrugated cardboard to add a roof to the front of the house, and cut off any protruding edges.
7. Glue the rhinestone beads in place to complete the string of Christmas lights.
8. Glue the paper flowers at the bottom of the top windows.
9. Use the tree punch and punch out five Christmas trees.
10. Glue one tree to the door, and four to the roof of the house.
11. Use Super-tack glue to add some detail to the trees.
12. Allow the Super-tack glue to dry for about 10 minutes. When the glue is wet, it is blue, but when it is dry it becomes transparent.
13. Press foil down on the glue. Remember that, of course - the pink side of the foil must be on top.
14. Rub the foil over the areas where you have added glue with the Super-tack glue pen.
15. Carefully lift the foil. On the areas where you have added glue with the Super-tack pen, some of the foil will stay behind, thereby highlighting certain areas of the trees.
16. Use the pearl heart pony beads to add window sills to the bottom windows.
17. Space and print the following onto the white printer paper:
    Seasons Greetings from our house to yours.
    
18. Glue the message to the inside of the card.

By BessieBessie

Ornament Card

A Christmas ornament is the inspiration for this card. Get the children to help cut out the circles and make a batch of these cards to send out as seasonal greetings.

Approximate Time: 10 mins.

Supplies:

• 1 sheet holiday theme paper
• 1 holiday ribbon (green with red dot metallic)
• 1 hollyberries (from Making Memories)
• hot glue gun
• scissors
• pencil
• circle template (4-inch-diameter)

Steps:

1. Fold 8 x 4 inch patterned paper in half. Then lay the circle template on fold. Draw the shape and cut it out.

   Note: I used the ribbon spool as a template

2. Cut 11 inch length of ribbon and tie into a bow. Trim the ends at an angle. Glue on top of card.
3. Adhere hollyberries in the center of bow.

Envelope size: 5x5 in.

By Maricel

Craft Project: Button Wreath Christmas Card

Approximate Time: 45 minutes

Supplies:

• kraft and white cardstock
• green buttons
• red gem stickers
• gold gem sticker
• red grosgrain stitch edge ribbon
• Christmas 3D sticker - Believe
• Elmer's dot adhesive
• scissors
• double-sided adhesive
• pencil
• 2 inch circle template (used as a guide)

Instructions:

1. Fold 9 x 5 1/2" of kraft cardstock in half to make a card.

2. Cut 3" square of white cardstock, then adhere it to the upper center position of card.

3. To make wreath, place the circle template in the center of white square card and trace around it lightly in pencil. Use dot adhesive to attach buttons around the circle shape and add red gem stickers on each button.

4. Adhere red bow on top with a gold gem sticker.

5. Cut 4 1/2" length of red grosgrain ribbon. Attach to card along the bottom.

6. Affix dimensional sticker.

By Maricel from Fairfax, VA

Craft Project: Nativity Christmas Cards

Approximate Time: 20 in 30 minutes or less

Supplies:

• 1 image of a Nativity scene in black and white (per card)
• 1 piece of card stock (5 X 7 inches) per card
• type written or stamp saying "Keep Christ in Christmas"
• 1 sheet white computer paper
• printer
• rubber cement
• scissors

Instructions:

1. Take the computer paper and print off in black and white a picture of the nativity scene. Make sure the size will fit your card stock. (My card stock was recycled from a publishing plant and it is 5 inches x 7 inches. My picture measured 2.75 x 1.5 inches.)

2. Print off "Keep Christ in Christmas" on another piece of paper sized to fit your card stock and image.

3. Fold your 5 x 7 inch card stock in half.

4. Cut out the Nativity scene around the edges and glue it in place on the outside of the folded card stock with the rubber cement.

5. Next cut out the "Keep Christ in Christmas" and paste it under the Nativity scene. (You can make your envelope or use an already made invitation envelope.)

6. Add some nice words to the inside of the card and you are done.

Suggestions: These make great fast and easy paper cutting cards and are very popular. Copy your Nativity scene and words on a copy machine to give it a really dark look. You can embellish your card more if you like, but with this particular card I wanted it to look like German paper cutting. I think it gives it finesse. I love to use the rubber cement on quick items because if you goof up you can rub off the glue easily and clean up is fast.

By Gem from VA

Craft Project: Felt Poinsettias Card

Approximate Time: 25 minutes

Supplies:

• white and lime green cardstock
• felt poinsettias, approximately 2 inches in diameter
• Making Memories mistletoe patterned paper
• KandCompany BW Peppermint Twist Collection patterned paper in dots print
• KandCompany Christmas Cheer felt stickers
• KandCompany Christmas Cheer adhesive paper ribbon
• Recollections, dimensional sticker (Joy to the World)
• EK Success 2" circle punch
• double-sided tape

Instructions:

1. Fold 7 x 10 inch white cardstock in half to make a card.

2. Cut 7 x 1/2 inch strip of Mistletoe patterned paper. Adhere to the top edge of card.

3. Cut 7 x 4 1/2 inches from dots patterned paper. Adhere to card.

4. Using double-sided tape, adhere a row of 3 punched circle shapes from lime green cardstock to card. Attach felt poinsettias.

5. Place 7 inch length of Christmas Cheer adhesive paper ribbon across the card. Affix "Joy to the World" sticker to the center.

By Maricel from Fairfax, VA

Craft Project: Spotting Santa Cut-out Christmas Card

Approximate Time: bit more than an hour

Supplies:

• blank sheets
• colors (pencils, crayons, pens, whatever :)
• cardboard
• scissors
• glue
• pencil
• eraser

Instructions:

Note: It will probably help to make a rough sketch of the card before starting on it.

1. Draw and color the different parts of the card on separate sheets of paper and cut them out. For example, I folded a blank sheet and colored it fully to make the background. I made the door frame, the girl, and the gift-box, on separate scraps of paper and cut them along their outlines. (This is the process that takes up most of the time).

2. Take small pieces of cardboard and paste them on the back of the cut-outs with glue. I wanted the door frame to be above the girl and the gift box even more in front. So, I glued one piece of cardboard on the girl, two, on the door frame, and three, on the gift-box.

3. Finally, paste the cut-outs on the card, and add whatever finishing touches you wanna add (like, I drew in, the shadow of Santa).

4. And...it's done!

By Gunja from West Bengal, India

Craft Project: Let It Snow Card

Approximate Time: 30 minutes

Supplies:

• 5.6 inches x 8.2 inches red cardboard
• green cardboard
• 5.3 inches x 3.6 inches brown riffled cardboard
• a few sheets of ordinary white printer paper
• small wooden Christmas ornament (approximate size 1 inch x 1 inch)
• 2/8-inch wide red, silver edged, organza ribbon
• one clear plastic bag
• pencil
• ruler
• pair of standard scissors
• pair of pattern edged scissors
• standard paper punch
• clear Sellotape
• quick-drying glue

Instructions:

1. Fold the red cardboard in half to create a card sized 5.6 inches x 4.1 inches ~ use the ruler to make the fold neat and smooth.
2. Use the pair of pattern edged scissors to cut a piece of green cardboard sized 5.5 inches x 4.0 inches.

3. Glue the green cardboard to the front of the card, carefully ensuring that it is an equal distance from the edges.
4. Now glue the Christmas ornament to the front of the card, carefully ensuring that it is an equal distance from the edges.

5. From the plastic bag, cut a piece sized 4.5 inches x 3.1 inches.
6. Use the sellotape to stick the plastic bag in place over the Christmas ornament, again ensuring that it is an equal distance from the edges. Only stick three sides with the sellotape ~ leave the top side open, so that you can add the "snowflakes."

7. Use the standard punch to punch the white printer paper ~ the circles that you have punched, will be the "snowflakes." The more circles you punch, the more snowflakes you will have.

8. Add the snowflakes to the piece of bag that you have placed over the ornament and use the sellotape to seal the top side of the bag.

9. Take the piece of brown riffled cardboard. Cut out the inside, leaving a space of 1 inch from the outer edges of this piece to make a "frame."

10. Glue the frame to the front of the card, carefully ensuring that it is an equal distance from the edges.
11. Make a small bow with the ribbon and glue it in position in the top right corner.

12. Cut a piece of white printer paper that can be glued to the inside of the card, where you can write a message.

Photos included:
Photo 1: Use the pair of pattern edged scissors to cut a piece of green cardboard.
Photo 2: Glue the Christmas ornament to the front of the card.
Photo 3: Use the sellotape to stick the plastic bag in place over the Christmas ornament.
Photo 4: Add the snowflakes to the bag that you have placed over the ornament.
Photo 5: Use the sellotape to seal the top side of the bag.
Photo 6: Glue the frame to the front of the card.
Photo 7: Make a small bow with the ribbon and glue it in position in the top right corner.

By BessieBessie from Pretoria, Gauteng

Making Christmas Cards With Family

Craft Project: Snowflake Christmas Card

Approximate Time: 20 minutes

Supplies:

• 8.2 inches x 5.7 inches white cardboard
• 5.5 inches x 3.9 inches left-over red felt
• small strips cut from left-over black felt
• a piece of left-over emerald green cardboard
• three scrapbook snowflakes
• red glitter
• Modge Podge
• thin paintbrush
• pencil
• ruler
• pair of standard scissors
• quick-drying glue
• tree-shaped paper punch
• one sheet of ordinary printer paper
• one matching envelope

Instructions:

1. Fold the white cardboard in half to create a card sized 5.7 inches x 4.1 inches ~ use the ruler to make the fold neat and smooth.

2. Paint the edges of each snowflake with a little bit of Modge Podge, and sprinkle the glitter over the painted edges while the Modge Podge is still wet.

3. Allow to dry thoroughly.

4. On the computer, type the phrase "Merry Christmas" in a suitable font and print it out. Draw a speech bubble with a pencil around the phrase and cut it out.

5. Take the piece of red felt. Cut out the inside, leaving a space of 0.8 inches from the outer edges of this piece to make a "frame."

6. Glue the frame to the front of the card, carefully ensuring that it is an equal distance from the edges.

7. Add thin strips of black felt on the left-hand side and right-hand side of the frame and cut off any protruding pieces.

8. Glue the phrase in place at the top of the frame.

9. Now, glue the three snowflakes in place.

10. Using the tree-shaped paper punch, punch several trees from the piece of emerald green cardboard.

11. Glue the trees in position over the black strips of felt.

12. Cut a piece from the emerald green cardboard that can be glued to the inside of the card, where you can write a message.

By BessieBessie from Pretoria, Gauteng

Picture Frame Cards

Supplies:

• cardstock
• glue (craft glue or glue sticks work best)
• picture
• scissors (both regular and "fancy")
• craft knife
• decorations: markers, glitter, crayons, stickers, feathers, buttons, beads, sequins, and more

Instructions:

1. Take measurements of your envelope, because your card will need to be a good fit for your envelope.
2. Cut one piece of cardstock in a square 1/4 inch smaller in both length and width from the envelope. This is the frame portion of the card.
3. Cut another piece of cardstock twice the size of the first square and fold it in half. This is the card portion of the card.
4. Use a marker or pen to write your greeting inside the card.
5. On the frame portion of the card, you will need to cut out a rectangle from the center of the card leaving a frame of 1 inch thickness on each side. A simple way to cut out the center is to use your craft knife.
6. Place glue on two opposing sides of the backside of the frame portion.
7. Glue frame to front of card.
8. Decorate the frame with markers, glitter, and other items and let dry.
9. Slip picture in open side of frame.

By Kelli Mahoney

Easy Fa-la-la-la-la Christmas Cards

Fa-la-la-la-la Cards

Supplies:

• one piece of cardstock or a plain white card
• one piece of colored background paper
• scraps of flesh-toned paper
• scraps of embroidery floss
• scraps of ribbon
• fine-lined marker
• glue stick
• white craft glue
• circle punch

Directions:

Fold your piece of white cardstock in half or use a "decorate yourself" plain white card. Cut your colored background paper to fit and using the glue stick apply adhesive and cover the white card with the colored paper.

Using a circle punch, punch out the flesh-toned paper to make three faces. You can trace around a pop bottle cap and cut with scissors if you don't have a punch.

Apply the glue stick to the back of the faces and adhere to the card. Using a fine tipped marker draw on faces, making the mouth shapes into an "0" so it looks like they are singing. I used a little blush to color the cheeks by applying it with a cotton swab.

The hair is made by wrapping the floss around two fingers and tieing it in the middle; I trimmed the boys hair but left the girls hair with the loops that are formed when you wrap your fingers.

Tie small bows from scrap ribbon and use white craft glue to apply them to the girls' hair and the boys' collar. Draw musical notes around the card. Use a marker to write the words "Fa-la-la-la-la" on scrap cardstock, or print out the words from your computer and cut with scissors.

I used scalloped scissors, but you can use straight paper scissors if you don't have craft scissors. I set up an assembly line when making my cards and just repeat multiple steps to make up lots of cards at one time; the kids can help by punching out the faces.

By Paula from Christmas, MI

Handmade Christmas Cards as Gift

These cards have become a tradition with me and my family. Everyone loves to receive a Christmas card that is so personalized and I get to share a wonderful bond with my daughter-in-law. This is also very frugal as the cards serve as a birthday gift for me and double as a beautiful Christmas message for the people I love. Thankfully handmade gifts are coming back in style!

By grandmafudge from Laurel, MT

Make Your Own Christmas Cards

Craft Project: Santa Christmas Card

Approximate Time: less than an hour

Supplies:

• colored papers
• colored pens
• cotton
• glue
• scissors

Instructions:

1. Fold a colored paper to make the card. Cut a round shape out of another paper (preferably skin-colored, you may even color a white paper with crayons :).

2. Place some cotton on the card. Then, put the round cut-out on top of it and seal it from all sides with glue, as in the images.

3. Glue some cotton on the face to make beard and mustache (I rolled a small piece of cotton and glued it on top of the beard to make the mustache look separate from the rest of the beard).

4. Cut a red piece of paper in the shape of Santa's cap. Glue some cotton at its base. Then glue the cap on the head of Santa.

5. Finally, cut a small piece of red paper in the shape of mouth and stick it. Draw the eyes and glue a tuft of cotton at the tip of the cap. Then write your message, and it's done!

By Gunja from West Bengal, India