Handmade Card and Gift Card Holder

Nothing tells someone you care about them like giving them a handmade card, unless of course, it is accompanied by a handmade gift.  Papercrafting can be a lot of fun, but with all the different tools, machines, and embellishments out there, it's sometimes difficult to know where to begin.  I sometimes get overwhelmed by all the products that are made for card making and scrapbooking!

While I think some of the tools out there can really enhance some of your projects, I also enjoy being able to make things without the fancy gadgets or having to plug something in.  I came up with this simple, yet elegant design for a greeting card and matching gift card holder that you can easily whip up in 30 minutes.  Why buy a card when you can make one with supplies you probably already have at home?  And just think of how special the recipient will feel knowing you made something just for them!

Supplies:

White card stock 8.5"x11"
Craft paper card stock (or similarly colored card stock)
Teal card stock (or another color of your choosing)
Lace scraps
Scotch tape - regular and double sided
Paper trimmer
Envelope
Stamp
Small hole punch
Decorative paper edging scissors
Twine

I had an extra envelope that is about 3 1/2 x 5, so I decided to make a card to match.  I used the white card stock for the base of my card and I cut it a few millimeters shorter than the envelope on all side so that it would easily slide in.  Mine is a top fold card, so measure your white card stock accordingly (you could also do a side fold if you prefer). 

Next, I cut a strip of my teal card stock to match the width of the card and used a ruler to draw lines defining how wide the strip would be.  I used the lines as a guide for cutting with my scallop edged decorative scissors.  If you don't have scallop edged scissors, just about any other edge would look lovely or you could even create a torn edge - just make sure it's semi-straight.

Once my teal strip was cut and decoratively edged, I cut a strip of my lace a couple of inches longer than the width of the teal strip.  I used Scotch tape to adher the ends to the back of the card stock. 

Then, I trimmed my craft paper card stock to just slightly smaller than the base of my card, so there would a thin white border around it.  I used double sided tape to attach the craft card stock to the base.  I pretty much always use double sided tape when I can because glue is often messy and I'm too impatient to wait for it to dry.

I used double sided tape again for overlaying the teal strip with the card base and craft paper card stock.  Then, I grabbed one of my Happy Birthday stamps and stamped it above the teal strip.  You can use any sentiment you want - I decided on a birthday one because I never seem to have birthday cards on hand when I need them.  You can easily find some cute $1 rubber stamps from Joann's or Michaels that have simple greetings like "hello" and "thank you." 

To make the gift card holder, I used my paper trimmer to cut a strip of white card stock that was about 7.75 inches long by 3 inches wide.  These measurements don't have to be exact as long as the overall dimensions are larger than the gift card.  I made a fold in the card stock strip 4.25 inches from one end and then folded a 1 inch flap in the opposite direction on the other end.  The portion that is 4.25 inches long is the back of the gift card holder and the rest folds up to form the pocket that holds the card. 



I cut a strip of the teal card stock about 2.5 inches with the scalloped edging and then I wrapped lace along the length of it, just like I did for the greeting card.  The teal strip was then adhered to the front with some double sided tape and it was tucked under the one inch flap.  I then used a small hole punch to create little notches on either side of the gift card holder near the top of the 1 inch flaps.  These notches are for holding the twine in place when you tie it around the flap, which forms the pocket.

And now, you have a lovely matching greeting card and gift card holder ready to give to that special someone. 

If you're really in a hurry and don't have 30 minutes to spare, you could check out my roundup of printables here and simply print out a lovely card that someone else designed.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you give it a try, I'd love to hear how yours turned out!

Have a great weekend!

Michelle