What’s more special than giving someone a heartfelt card at Christmas time? Gifting them a card you’ve created yourself from scratch. Making your own handmade Christmas cards is the perfect way to experiment with paper craft, layer textures and add intricate details that show your personality and just how much you appreciate the receiver.

Professional artist and illustrator Sarah Capon has a signature layered-paper style that is full of personality. Her creations are one-of-a-kind and we asked her to guide us through the steps to creating your own unique paper art Christmas card creations. “My favourite thing about paper art is the inherent texture and shadows you get from layering each piece of paper together. I love the depth you can create and how delicate it can look,” says Sarah. 

Follow her steps to create your own!

SEE ALSO: How to Make Your Own Gel Plate Print

‍Christmas Tree Pop-up Card

A close up of Sarah’s hands holding a Christmas card open showing a green Christmas tree, a yellow star on top and four pop-up presents underneath. The card has a white background and a pink border.

This Christmas tree pop-up card is inspired by the joy Sarah feels at Christmas time. “I aimed to capture that nostalgic spirit of decorating the tree with loved ones and the excitement of gift giving,” says Sarah. “Every year we decorate my family’s tree with quite an eclectic assortment of ornaments, that aren’t all traditionally Christmassy. Inspired by this, I thought “Why not cover this tree in pretty pink flowers?” The beauty of this design is that the decoration is totally up to the maker!”

Get your folding skills ready – this handmade Christmas card may look like it has a lot of steps, but it’s all folding different elements. The more paper presents you make, the more gifts under your pop-up tree. Happy folding!

What You'll Need

‍ Instructions

A series of gifs showing hands using a ruler to measure, a pencil to mark and a fork to scour a sheet of pink card on a cutting mat.‍

Step 1: Measure and mark the centre of a sheet of A4 red card – this should be at 14.8cm. Use the back of a fork and a ruler to score a line along the marked centre to make folding easier. Then, fold the card in half along the line and press firmly to create a sharp crease. To make the card square, measure 14.8cm along the longest edge and trim off the excess. 

A series of gifs showing hands measuring, marking and scouring a sheet of white card on a cutting mat, then placing it on a piece of pink card.

Step 2: Repeat step one with a white card, making it slightly smaller to fit inside the red card. After scoring and folding, trim 1cm off the edge parallel to the fold line and 2cm off one side that runs perpendicular to the fold line.

A series of gifs showing hands using a pair of scissors to cut a Christmas tree out of green card and using a green pencil to draw leaf details on it.

Step 3: Use a graphite pencil to draw a Christmas tree shape onto a piece of dark green card. Make sure the tree is no taller than 11cm to keep it from peeking out of the card when folded. Cut out the tree shape, aiming for smooth edges – don’t worry about slight deviations from your sketch. Once cut, erase any leftover pencil lines. Use a dark green pencil to add details to your tree, such as shadows beneath each tier and some leaf details.

A close up of hands using a pair of scissors to cut a star out of yellow card.

Step 4: Draw and cut out a star for the top of your tree, keeping it within 3.5cm tall.

A series of gifs showing hands using a pair of scissors to cut a flower out of pink card, then using a pair of tweezers to glue the flower to the Christmas tree cut-out.

Step 5: Next, it’s time to make decorations for your tree. Use a red pencil to gently scribble over a section of pink card, creating a gradient effect. Cut out small flower shapes from the gradient section that are around 2cm wide. Arrange and glue the flowers onto the tree.

A series of gifs showing hands folding pink and yellow pieces of card into box shapes, pasting a strip of pink card onto yellow card, drawing dots on the pink card using a white POSCA pen, and hands holding four finished boxes.

Step 6: Make some pop-up presents to place under the tree by following these steps:

  • Cut a strip of pink paper 4cm wide and 6.8cm long. Fold it in half, then fold those halves in half again to create a box shape.
  • Cut a strip of red paper 2.5cm wide and 8cm long. Fold it in half, then fold those halves in half again to create a box shape.
  • Cut a strip of pink paper with red scribbles (to match your flowers) that’s 1.5cm wide and 6.8cm long, and fold it into a box shape.
  • Cut a strip of yellow paper measuring 3cm wide and 10.4cm long. Measure 1.7cm from the bottom and fold, then measure 3.5cm from that fold and fold again, followed by another 1.7cm fold. This will result in a tall, skinny box.
  • Cut a skinny strip of pink paper with red pencil scribbles and glue it to the yellow box to create a ribbon.
A series of gifs showing hands sticking double-sided tape onto the back of the Christmas tree cut-out, sticking the Christmas tree onto the inside of the card, and showing the Christmas tree stuck to the card.

Step 7: Next, attach the Christmas tree to the card. Cut another box strip of white paper using the measurements 2cm, 4cm, 2cm, 4cm for your folds. Then, use double-sided tape, attach this box to the back of the tree on one of the long sides, ensuring the opening of the box faces the opposite side. Position the box slightly below the base of the tree to allow for smooth folding. Add double-sided tape to the bottom 2cm tab and the other 4cm tab, securing these to the back and bottom of the card.

A series of gifs showing hands using a pair of scissors to cut a rug shape out of purple card, drawing details on the card using a purple pencil, applying glue to the back of the card, and sticking it into the inside of the Christmas card.

Step 8: To add a cosy touch, create a little rug to sit under your tree. Cut an oval shape approximately 9cm wide and trim off one side that will sit up against the tree. Add some pencil details to your rug, like fuzz or fun patterns. Use double-sided tape to attach the ‘rug’ at the base of the tree.

A series of gifs showing hands applying glue to a couple of pieces of pink card and folding them to make boxes, then using tweezers to glue them under the Christmas tree on the Christmas card.

Step 9: Apply double-sided tape to the tabs that meet at the opening of the box and attach the taped sides of the presents to the base of the card and the upright tree. You can stack them or arrange them however you like.

A series of gifs showing hands measuring a piece of pink card and applying glue to a strip of pink card, glueing it to the outside of the Christmas card, then using scissors to cut a bow shape out of pink card, then sticking it to the outside of the card using double-sided tape. 

Step 10: Now that the inside of our card is finished, it’s time to cast your focus on the outside. Cut a 4cm wide strip down the length of an A4 piece of pink card. Centre and fold the strip around the card, attaching it with double-sided tape. Then, cut out a pink bow and attach that to the front of your card using foam mounting tape. Now the outside of your card looks like a cute little present!

SEE ALSO: Make DIY Home Decor with These Resin Art Projects

‍Flower Collage Cut Out Card

A close up of hands holding a white card with a heart cut-out in the centre and a collage of pink paper flowers popping out of the card. 

This step-by-step will help you craft the perfect card for loved ones that adore the simple things in life, says Sarah. “The flowery heart design comes from my current love and obsession with flowers – it’s a celebration of life’s simple joys and the uplifting feeling that flowers bring to the world. The flowers popping through the heart are meant to convey the idea that the love can’t be contained within the card.”

What You'll Need

‍Instructions

A series of gifs showing hands using a ruler to measure, a pencil to mark and a fork to scour a sheet of white card on a cutting mat.

Step 1: Measure and mark the centre of a sheet of A4 white card – this will be at approximately 14.8cm. Use the back of a fork and a ruler to score a line along this marked centre; this will help the card fold easily. Once scored, fold the card in half along the line and press firmly to create a sharp crease.

A series of gifs showing hands using a graphite pencil to draw a heart shape on the white card, using a scalpel to cut it out, and removing the cut-out to reveal the heart shape.

Step 2: Create a heart-shaped window by finding the centre of the right-hand side of your card and marking it lightly. Use a graphite pencil to draw a heart that connects in the middle of the page. Once you're happy with the outline, take a scalpel and carefully cut out the heart. After cutting, erase any remaining pencil lines.

A series of gifs showing hands using a graphite pencil to sketch a flower arrangement on the inside of the card.

Step 3: Next, map out the design for the inside of your card. Place a piece of regular printer paper inside the heart cutout. Then use a pencil to sketch a flower arrangement with the flowers approximately 3cm wide. Consider which flowers you would like to look as if they're ‘popping out’ of the heart – these will be added at the end. Mark the bottom of the card in relation to the heart, then remove the paper. Finish your design map by drawing a vase shape that extends down to the mark at the bottom of the card.

A series of gifs showing hands using a graphite pencil to sketch flowers onto pink card, then using a pair of scissors to cut them out as well as yellow card to make centres of the flowers. Hands then place the coloured card cut-outs onto a sketch of the flower arrangement.

Step 4: Create the flowers by selecting a colour for your flowers and copying the shapes from your map directly onto the card using a graphite pencil. You can also use tracing paper to transfer your design or draw them digitally and print them on your chosen colour if you prefer. Cut out your flower shapes, then create flower centres by cutting smaller ovals out of yellow card.

A series of gifs showing hands using scissors to cut flowers out of pink card, and leaves and stalks out of green card, then tweezers to stick them onto the sketched flower arrangement.

Step 5: To make the leaves and stalks, use green paper and cut them out according to your design map. It’s a good idea to make them longer than you think you’ll need; you can always trim them down later.

Step 6: Select a colour for your vase and cut it out based on your design map. Don’t worry if it’s too long at this stage; you can trim the length once it’s attached to the card.

A series of gifs showing hands using a paintbrush with glue and tweezers to stick the flowers, leaves, stalks and vase together, then using coloured pencils and a POSCA pen to draw details on the flower arrangement.

Step 7: Assemble the card. Use glue and a paintbrush to attach the flower shapes, leaves and stalks based on your design map. For any central flowers, use a small square of foam mounting tape beneath them to add depth. Once everything is glued together, add details with coloured pencils. With a slightly darker shade than your flower petals, add some petal details and then use a white Posca pen to add small white dots to the yellow centre. Decorate the vase however you like – draw stars, landscapes, a smiley face, or anything else you can come up with!

A series of gifs showing hands using scissors to cut a rectangle from pastel purple card, then glueing it onto the inside of the white card. Then, hands apply glue to the back of the paper card flower arrangement and sticks it onto the pastel purple card.

Step 8: Before attaching the vase to the card, create a background. Cut a rectangle from your chosen background colour that’s about 1cm smaller on all sides than the card. Curve the edges to give it a softer appearance, then use double-sided tape to attach the background to the inside of the card. Once the background is attached, position the vase inside the card using double-sided tape, making sure to check its placement in relation to the heart before sticking it down.

A series of gifs showing hands using tweezers to glue two flowers to the front of the white card, then showing the front of the finished card and opening the card to reveal the finished flower arrangement.

Step 9: Finally, choose which flowers you would like to have ‘popping out’ of the heart and make copies of those flowers. While the card is closed, glue these flowers over the top of the flowers inside, making sure to only glue to the outside white card. Now they’ll look as if they’re coming out of the heart!

‍Print Your Own Personalised Christmas Cards

If you don’t have time to make handmade Christmas cards, but still want to make something unique, Officeworks’ Print + Create service could be the perfect solution. Choose one of Officeworks’ card design templates, upload a photo or design, and create a personalised message for the inside of the card. You can print from two to 500 cards, so everyone on your list will be covered, and Officeworks’ Same Day Printing service means you can upload them in the morning and they’ll be ready to pick up in the afternoon (as long as you order by 2pm).

‍SEE ALSO: How to Pick Up a Creative Hobby: Three Artisans Show You How