Make Christmas cards by yourself - DIY tutorial

Text and photos: Anna Plaszczyk

6 December 2019

Handmade Christmas cards have many advantages. The first and most important one, is that each is unique and exceptional. It is also important that we can use items that we no longer need like: yarn scraps, old cardboard boxes, dry sticks and ribbons from last years gifts.

Making Christmas cards can give their author as much fun as giving them to the loved ones. The number of designs depends only on our imagination.There are few things that you need in order to make cards. The first of them are thicker sheets of A4 paper and a box cutter or a guillotine. Cut sheets into halves (lengthwise or breadthwise - depending on how card should be opened), then gently cut with a knife (make a scratch on a paper, cutting about 1/3 of its thickness) a place of bending for its easier opening.

Then you will need scissors, a double-sided adhesive tape, a hot glue. You will also need: yarn, floss, colourful washi tapes, decorative gift tapes, felt or other fabrics, old cardboard boxes, dried oranges, coffee beans, anise, coloured pepper.Colourful washi tape or classic gift wrapping ribbons can easily be put on the front of the card in order to glue Christmas trees on it, made of cardboard or felt. Christmas trees of gift ribbons can be made using bilateral adhesive tape. First, we cut the tape in a shape of a tree and then we put ribbons on the adhesive side of the tape, and finally – we cut them to the shape of a tree. Peel the protective paper from the other side of adhesive tape in order to stick it to the card. Similarly, we can make a Christmas tree of yarn or jute string. Thanks to this, Christmas tree will have a shape you have always wanted.

The Christmas tree can also be decorated with felt balls, bows (made of ribbons) or coffee beans and anise. Stars can also be made of the cork (a wine cork can be cut into slices and then stars can be cut out), felt or bark found in the forest. Oranges can be dried quickly in a mushroom dryer or in the oven at a low temperature. Colourful ornaments of our Christmas trees can be also cut from the gift ribbons or fabric remnants that will not be useful anymore. Using hot glue will ensure that these parts will not start to unravel.

Time spent with the children on making cards can be a great opportunity for the development of manual skills and long conversations.

Time spent on making one card- from 15 to 30 minutes.

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