Embossed Christmas Cards DIY Ideas

Hey friends!  Are you planning your handmade Christmas cards already?  I’ve got a couple of fun and surprisingly quick Christmas cards DIY ideas to share with you today using die cuts and embossing folders.  Embossing is so easy that you can even have the rest of the family help!  It’s how we all got involved in making handmade cards in my house last year (yep, even my husband pitched in, and we had a great day of it).

I love making handmade cards, but so often, the detail that goes into them and the time it takes prevents me from making more than just a couple special ones.  I know a lot of you out there are probably just like me – and today’s Christmas cards DIY post is for you!  Learn how to make this snow globe card and copper embossed card with just a few basic paper crafting supplies.

Christmas cards DIY snow globe supplies:

• Manual Die-Cutting Machine (I’m using the Sizzix Big Shot)
• Tim Holtz Nostalgic A2 Cards
• Snow Globe Die
• Snowflake Trim Embossing Folder
• Favorite Stamp(s) and Ink (or a photo to put inside)
• Glue Dots
• Scrap of Clear Plastic Sheet, like shrink plastic, or re-purpose plastic packaging (optional)
• Spectrum Aqua Markers (optional)

First, place the front of your card inside the snowflake embossing folder.  You can wrap the backside of the card around the back of the folder to keep it flat.  Then, roll it through your die cutting machine.  (If you’re using the Sizzix Big Shot like I am, set your tab to #1).

Next, use the medium circle from the snow globe die set to cut a circle in the top half of the front of your card.  You can just open the card up so that you only cut through the top layer.

Next, die-cut your snowglobe base in a coordinating color.  I opted for brown, to give it a warm, wood feel.  Before you pop the base out of the die, you can take a moment to color the openings in with a watercolor marker to give the base some depth.  The die itself makes a great stencil.

Optionally, use the large circle die to cut a circle of clear plastic, to make the snow globe look more “glassy”.  (You can even dab some white paint on it if you’re good at that sort of thing!)  I just used glue dots to attach the circle, and then adhere the base on the front of the card.

Finally, I used a Christmas tree stamp inside the card to show through!  You can add whatever kind of design you like – add snowflakes, or a photo of the family – this is where you can really make the card your own!

The end result is a card that you can assemble in under 10 minutes that’s unlike any store-bought cards your friends will receive this year.  And guess what?  This next card is even easier.

Copper Christmas cards DIY supplies:

• Sizzix Big Shot (or again, your favorite manual machine)
• Merry Christmas Verse Embossing Folder
• Tim Holtz Metallic A2 Cards

Just like the Christmas cards DIY above, you’ll slip the front of the card into the embossing folder, and wrap the backside of the card around the back of the embossing folder.  For this card, alignment is important so try not to shift it as you run it through your embossing machine.

The beautiful texture says everything you need, and it’s got amazing shine.  And best yet?  This card only takes a minute!  If you’re a sucker for foil Christmas cards (like I am) then this is a really fun one that definitely gets noticed with practically NO effort on your part.  You can even switch them up, and use other embossing folders for totally different looks.

I hope you enjoyed these starter ideas for Christmas cards DIY – I’ll see you guys again soon!

About Adrianne

Adrianne is a writer, artist, designer, wife, and mom of 2 kids. She blogs at happyhourprojects.com where the theme is tutorials and recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Her favorite projects are jewelry-making, paper crafts, and recycled crafts. She participates annually in ArtPrize, an international art competition, and she's the author of the book DIY T-Shirt Crafts: 50 Ways to Recycle a T-Shirt (August 2015).

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