Pine Cone Holiday Card

Back to Christmas in July

By Tracy Sisson
PHOTO

Completed card's front.
PHOTO

Completed card's interior.
Glitter and sparkles are always fun, but this year find inspiration in the outdoorsy charm of natural elements. The materials are just outside your door–pine cones, twigs and rosemary–just to name a few possibilities. Consider spelling cheerful words, creating festive shapes or simply attaching a single sprig of holly to each card. The warmth of these handmade cards will be sure to bring a smile to family and friends.

Materials:

two small pine cones
small garden snips
8-1/2" x 11" crimson red card stock
8-1/2" x 11" moss green card stock
8-1/2" x 11" tan card stock
paper cutter
craft knife
craft glue
pencil

Steps:

1. Fold the red card stock in half.

2. Sketch a 5-1/2" x 3-1/2" oval onto one half of the red card stock. Cut out with the craft knife, this will be the front of your card.

3. Trim green cardstock to 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" with a paper cutter. Place behind card's front and trace the existing oval shape, next sketch an oval inside this one which is 1/16" smaller.

PHOTO

Figure A
4. Cut out the smaller oval and glue green card stock inside the card's front to create a green border within the red oval (figure A).

5. Trim tan card stock to 8-1/2" x 4-1/4," center and glue to the inside of the card. Next, trim two green 8-1/2" x 5/16" strips, glue these to the card's inside, overlapping the tan card stock.

PHOTO

Figure B
6. Using small snips, clip the scales of the pine cones (figure B).

7. Close the card and sketch the word JOY inside the oval. Overlap and glue down pine cone scales to create each letter.