Since I am a sucker for this little holiday, I thought I would give you a fun little DIY treat to make. On one of my trips to the used bookstore, I found a cool book called Paper Magic by Mashiro Chatani. It shows you how to make some really great pop-up cards. The ones featured in the book are really beautiful and elaborate. If you flip to the back there is a section that tells you how to make each month of the year as a pop-up card. Using this technique and letters from the book, I came up with a "love" card to make for your special Valentine.
Look at the designs on the cover! Aren't they gorgeous?
This is the template you will need to make this project. Click here to get your free PDF.
O.K, first print out your template. I recommend printing these on cardstock. I used both craft and photo matte paper for this example. For this project you will also need an exacto knife. You may also want some supplies to decorate or color the card such as colored pencils, watercolor paints, stickers or whatever your heart may desire!
Here is the printed template. Take note of the key in the upper left corner which will come on handy later.
Start by cutting around the rectangular card shape.
You may want to paint and decorate at this step before you start your cutting. I decided to do mine a little later in the process. It's just a matter of personal preference.
This next step is kind of tricky. See the key on the top of the sheet? This indicates where and how you will need to cut the template. You will want to gently score (Just cut to make a light dent without cutting through the card.) the dash lines and the dotted lines on the card. This will make the card easier to bend in a nice straight line. The dashed lines are the "valley folds" (the ones that fold down) whereas the dotted lines are the "mountain folds" (the ones that will fold and pop up). The long unbroken lines are the ones that are to be cut through the card with the exacto knife.
Here I am using the exacto knife to score the dashed line. You only want to make a light crease being careful not to cut through the whole card. This will make it easier to fold the card.
Cut the long unbroken lines all the way through the card with the exacto knife. Follow the line as precisely as possible.
Here is where I decided to paint my letters. You may find it easier to decorate before cutting which is why I mentioned that above but you could also opt to leave it plain, too.
Now you will do some fiddling. Fold the dashed lines inward (like a valley) and fold the dotted lines up (like a mountain). It will take a little tweaking to get it just right. I started by folding the card inward down the center on the dashed line. Once the card is creased, it is easier to start popping the letters forward (if you scored the centers of the letters, they will be much easier to manipulate and will have a nice crease.
It also looks cute on brown cardstock. I'll bet a red or pink would look nice too! I kept it pretty simple but you could get really creative. (I was thinking a nice metallic paint would look great! ) Have some fun personalizing these, then surprising your valentine with a unique card made by you!!!
Wishing you a great day with your favorite Valentine!
xxxooo
Warmly,
Pam