How to make a pop up card

Making a pop up card is a great way to make your greeting card unique and memorable for the receiver. They are not as difficult to make as you might think. This article shows you how to make your own pop card through simple step-by-step instructions.

Blank card

Use a blank greeting card or a piece of card stock that has been cut to the desired size and folded in half. A folded card measuring six by eight inches works well for this method of making pop up cards.

Your picture

Draw or trace the shape of the pop up feature that you are going to include on your card, onto a separate piece of heavy white paper. Card stock or cardboard is best the best option in this case. This picture can be anything that you want, but it is best to keep it to a simple shape in order to make it easier to cut out. When you have successfully traced your picture, go over the outline in black marker pen and decorate the picture as you wish.

Starting the pop out

Use a ruler and pencil to draw one vertical line along each side of your traced picture. Place each line at about two inches from the picture's widest point. This forms the basis of the pop up aspect of the card.

Cutting out

Use scissors to cut along the outside of your picture's outline. In this way, the black marks that you made earlier will remain. Leave the two-inch-long tab of paper on the center of each side of the snowman uncut. Make sure that both tabs are centred and even with each other. (Note: if your card is smaller than six by eight inches, make the tabs one inch instead of two inches.)

Folding

Fold the picture in half vertically, with the blank sides together. Make a sharp crease and then unfold it. Fold the tabs on the sides of the snowman under by half inch and then, make a sharp crease.

Matching to the card

Position the picture over the open greeting card so that the picture's centrefold lines up with the centre of the card. Keep in mind that your picture's fold should oppose the card's fold. Determine where to place the tabs. This depends on how far you want the picture to pop up. Mark the two spots for the tabs with a pencil, making sure that they are equidistant from the edges.

Finishing

Glue the half-inch, folded-back portion of the tabs to the surface of the greeting card so that the pop-up shape remains in the position which was determined earlier. Finally, allow the glue to dry. Your card will be ready to send.