3D Greeting Card Art

January 2, 2012

Received for holidays or just because, greeting cards have become even more sentimental in our age of increasing emails. Instead of stuffing them in a box, use our 3-step approach to transform cards into layered, dimensional décor, perfect for home or as gifts.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Shadow box
Old greeting cards
Scissors
Tacky glue, fast-drying if possible
Foam mounting tape or foam sheets
Scrapbook paper, optional
Paint chips, optional
Old book pages, newspapers or sheet music, optional
Stencils, optional

Tip: In place of paper, try using old, unwanted clothes as a material.

Step 2: Lay Out Your Look

Foreground: Use your cards to create your focal point. Cut out key details, keeping in mind they’ll be layered. To find the right arrangement, experiment.
Background: Pair your foreground with a complementary backdrop, using our color wheel basics to make your pick. For more focus on the foreground, select neutral-colored scrapbook paper, or for a vintage effect, go with the pages of old books, newspapers or sheet music. Tea dye for a romantic, aged appearance.
Extras: Try cutting out hearts from paint chips for hanging with fishing line within your shadow box. Or use stencils to form accents like butterflies. Emboss a texture onto your background, or with stamps, dab on designs. Use paper to make a border.

Step 3: Assemble & Enjoy

Begin by pasting your background to the shadow box.
Cut foam mounting tape or foam sheets into smaller pieces, remove the sticker backing or add a little tacky glue, and attach to the backside of foreground elements. Stack multiple pieces of foam for extra height.
Place your foreground pieces atop the background one by one; your sticky mounting foam or tacky glue should secure them in place. The more you can stack these on top of one another, the more dimension you’ll achieve.
Attach extra accents with fast-drying tacky glue. If applying a border, use mounting foam to elevate it as a layer.

Uses for Your Art

Give handmade art to loved ones for Valentine’s Day, weddings or baby showers.
Make a few shadow boxes, each from a different year’s cards, and arrange them as a decorative timeline.
After particularly busy card seasons invite a few loved ones over to turn greetings into 3D art during a craft party. Regroup each year, and soon you’ll start a new tradition.

Quick Tip Marketplace

Ready to impress buyers with your gorgeously styled packaging? Visit Home Made Simple Marketplace on Facebook® to shop and sell handmade items, fabulous finds and more!

Have an idea you think others should try? Share it in a comment.

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