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How to Make Holly Holiday Cards
comments (16) December 8th, 2015
I like to think of new ways to use age-old techniques, so this year, when I was dreaming up a holiday card, I decided to try a fresh approach to reverse appliqué. Here, the image is cut out with an X-Acto knife and then backed with colorful scraps of fabric. If you don't have time to send out cards, consider making cards to enclose gift cards. This technique works very well for any simple shape: trees, ornaments, and wreaths would look equally stunning!
What you'll need to make two cards:
- Cardstock in red and green
- Cutting mat and ruler
- Pencil
- Fabric and decorative-edge scissors
- Tracing paper
- X-Acto knife
- Fabric scraps in red and green
- Glue stick
- Sewing machine and contrasting thread
1. Lay a red sheet of cardstock on the cutting mat. Fold the cardstock in half lengthwise, and press the folded edge flat with the side of the ruler. Using a ruler, cut the sheet in half to make two cards that are 4-1/4 inches x 5-1/2 inches.
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Use decorative-edge scissors, like scallop or zigzag, to cut your green cardstock. |
2. Mark two 3-3/4-inch x 5-inch rectangles on a green sheet of paper. Cut out with decorative-edge scissors.
3. Print out the PDF template, and trace the holly onto a sheet of tracing paper with a pencil.
4. Flip the sheet of tracing paper over, and lay over one of the green pieces of cardstock. With the pencil, go over the traced lines of the holly to transfer the template to the cardstock.
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Cut slowly and carefully with your X-Acto knife, and make sure you are using a fresh, sharp blade. |
5. Cut out the design on the cardstock with an X-Acto knife. Erase the pencil lines.
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If you want, you can use different fabrics for each leaf and berry; just make sure they fully cover each cut-out shape. |
6. Flip over the cardstock to the wrong side. Cut a scrap of the red fabric that covers the cut-out berries. With the glue stick, spread some glue on the cardstock area around the berries. Affix the fabric right side down over the glued area. Cut a scrap of the green fabric that covers the cut-out leaves, then spread some glue on the cardstock area around the leaves. Affix the fabric right side down over the glued area.
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Press lightly on the green cardstock to affix to the red card. |
7. With the glue stick, spread glue over the back of the green cardstock. Affix to the front of one of the red cards.
8. Set your sewing machine to a straight stitch. Starting at the right corner of the card, just inside the decorative edge of the green cardstock, sew around the card, backstitching once at the beginning and end. Trim the threads.
9. Repeat steps 4 through 8 to make the other card.
After you make this project, show off your work to other members!
Post your project in the gallery
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Dare to Make It! Holiday
We dare you to make your own gifts and decorations this holiday season!
Find inspiration and exciting how-to projects to get you through the holiday season in DIY style.
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Comments (16)
Posted: 5:54 pm on March 30th
Posted: 3:11 am on December 18th
Posted: 4:52 pm on April 5th
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Posted: 4:04 am on March 16th
Posted: 1:16 pm on January 25th
Posted: 7:12 am on December 10th
Posted: 2:57 am on January 16th
very fun to do it.Thanks.
Posted: 9:45 am on December 1st
Posted: 10:50 pm on April 3rd
Posted: 3:30 pm on December 8th
Posted: 11:42 am on December 5th
Posted: 9:02 am on December 5th
palady- i have made envelope before from all sorts of things. you can either get an envelop template (they have them at craft stores often) or take apart an envelope and make a template from that. have fun!
Posted: 3:46 pm on December 28th
Posted: 8:47 pm on December 20th
Posted: 2:22 am on December 20th
I am going to see if I can cut a candy cane or two out with the knife and back it with some red striped fabric with a green backing. Thanks.
Posted: 1:58 am on December 20th