Ideas for Making a Homemade Pop Up Card

From LoveToKnow Crafts

Ideas for making a homemade pop up card can help you create a unique and personalized greeting for almost any occasion. Pop up cards offer a fun and interactive element that appeals to both the young and the young at heart.

Surprise a loved one with a homemade pop up card.

Basic Pop Up Card Technique

There are several different ways you can make a pop up card. However, the simplest technique for making a pop up card is to use a v-fold. Just follow these steps:

Cut a small rectangular piece of cardstock.
Fold the rectangle in half.
Make a notch in the middle, then fold about 1/8 inch of the cardstock down to make a small tab.
Glue the tabs to the inside of the card. The angle you use will determine the look of your finished design. Use a 60 degree angle if you want the pop up part of the card to lean towards the back when it is opened. Use a 90 degree angle if you want the pop up part of card to stand up vertically when the backing is opened. Use a 100 degree angle if you want the pop up part of the card to lean forward from the back when the backing is opened.

Another fairly common method for designing a homemade pop up card involves making an internal stand by cutting slits in the backing card. When you bend the card inward, the slits pop up to form a small stand. Then, you simply need to adhere your image to the stand to make it pop up when the card is opened.

Fun Ideas for Making a Homemade Pop Up Card

Pop up cards can be made in many different ways. The key to finding ideas for making a homemade pop up card is to challenge yourself to stretch your creative muscles. For example:

Make a birthday cake that pops up from the page
Have a Christmas tree pop up from your holiday greeting
Make a rattle pop up from a baby shower card
Have a message, such as "I love you!" pop up when you open the card
Personalize the card by cutting out a silhouette photo for your pop up

If you're looking for more ideas for making a homemade pop up card, LoveToKnow Crafts suggests visiting the following links for sample projects:

Michaels Crafts has a simple project showing how to turn stickers into design elements for a pop up card.
Robert Sabuda offers free tutorials showing how to make a wide range of pop up cards, some of which are quite advanced.
Cut Out and Keep has a whimsical card with a heart and lip design that's perfect for your significant other.
Dick Blick offers a tutorial to help you make a breathtaking water lily origami pop up card.
The Carol Duvall Show has a pop up card that could work well for Father's Day or a male birthday greeting.
Better Homes and Gardens uses a clothesline variation of the basic pop up technique to make a fun Valentine's Day card.
DIY Scrapbooking showcases a fun Halloween pop up card design.
Martha Stewart provides instructions for an adorable reindeer pop up card you can use to send Christmas greetings to friends and family.
Enchanted Learning has several pop up card designs that you can use when crafting with your children.