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DIY Cardstock Crafts

Cool craft projects don’t only have to happen in art class. We’re not all in highschool anymore, and who has the time to sign up for a local art class at the community center? No need to worry. There are many DIY cardstock crafts that you can do from the comfort and safety of your own home.

At Fine Card Stock, you can choose to have whichever cardstock you need delivered straight to your door, allowing you to get started on a plethora of DIY cardstock crafts. So whether you would like to create homemade ornaments, gift boxes, cardstock flowers, or pinwheels, we’ve got you covered.

Hanging Decorations

Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, a graduation, or any other special occasion, DIY cardstock decorations can really help achieve the level of celebration you desire. One popular hanging decoration you can make are cardstock ornaments. Those dusty ornaments sitting in a box in the attic do hold lots of memories, but you can start creating even more memories by making DIY ornaments with your family.

To begin, make sure you have cardstock paper in a variety of colors. For the Christmas ornaments, I prefer mixing metallic cardstock with red cardstock to create a festive vibe. However, the sky’s the limit and you can really mix and match whichever colors you prefer. Once you have selected your cardstock, it’s time to begin:

  1. With a scalloped edged scissor, cut seven equal-sized circles out of the various colors of cardstock chosen for the project.
  2. Once you have cut seven circles, fold each circle in half, making sure to fold into the colored side.
  3. With double sided tape, attach each outer side of the circle to one another. Do so with six of the seven circles while leaving the seventh one on the side.
  4. Take a sewing needle and thread a looped piece of yarn or twine through a decorative bead of your choice. Triple knot the thread below the bead so that it stays in place.
  5. Now, apply double sided tape to the seventh circle and place the twine down the center of the circle, with the bead protruding from the top center.
  6. Stick the last circle to the remaining open sides of the six circles you have already taped together. This will finish the ball-shaped ornament to create a perfect 3D circle.
  7. Hang your completed ornament using the looped top.

Cardstock Flowers

Ornaments are not the only things you can make with cardstock. With spring upon us, how about creating some cardstock paper flowers to brighten up your living space? They don’t need to be watered and will never die. For this project, I prefer to use pastel-colored cardstock to promote the springtime vibe. Once you have selected the 8.5” x 11” paper with the color of your choice, you can begin making paper flowers with cardstock:

  1. Begin by making a grid on your paper. With a pencil and a ruler, draw out 2-inch squares across the entire paper.
  2. Once you have finished drawing the grid, take a scissor and cut out all the squares. You should have 20 squares from the one sheet of paper.
  3. Take each square and fold it in half.
  4. With a scissor, take each folded square (the fold should be on your left side) and cut off the top open side to create a curved tapered look. These will be the petals of the flower.
  5. Once all of your petals have tapered edges, you can roll each one to give it a more lifelike 3D look. Placer each square under a pen or pencil and use a rolling motion to help you achieve the rolled look.
  6. After all the petals have been rolled, take one petal, unroll it a drop and use a glue gun to place a drop of glue in the bottom corner. Then roll it back up to create the center of your flower.
  7. One by one, take each petal, place a dab of glue on the bottom and wrap it around the base of the center petal. Continue doing so until you have used up all of your petals. Don’t worry about exact evenness. Most real-life flowers are not perfectly symmetrical.

Cardstock Gift Bags

Another fun DIY cardstock craft is making your own gift bags. Why run to your local pharmacy to buy some overpriced generic gift bag? I prefer to use white linen cardstock to achieve a subtle elegant look. Once you have your selected cardstock, you can begin to construct your gift bag:

  1. Download a printable gift bag template. They are easily searchable online.
  2. Print the template on your selected cardstock paper.
  3. Cut along the solid lines as shown and fold along the dotted lines. Scoring the cardstock before folding will ensure a cleaner, more precise look.
  4. Use clear tape to attach the edges.
  5. Fill your handmade gift box with whatever heartfelt gifts or treats you’d like to give.

Cardstock Pinwheels

If gift bags aren’t your thing, cardstock pinwheels are another cardstock craft idea. We can’t all have Martha Stewart worthy gardens. Depending on your outdoor space and the amount of time you have available in your day, it can be hard to create a cute outdoor area. Cardstock pinwheels are an easy way to decorate the space. Begin by selecting your cardstock. I like to use a mix of pastel-colored cardstock and bright-colored cardstock. Mix and match any colors you like, and you are ready to begin:

  1. Cut out 4-inch squares from your two colors of selected cardstock paper.
  2. Take one square of each color and glue them to each other to create one square that has a different color on each side. Allow to dry.
  3. Fold the square on the diagonal in both directions to create an “X” pattern on the paper.
  4. With a scissor, cut into each folded line until you are approximately one inch away from the center of the square.
  5. Take every other corner and fold it in towards the center. Use a hot glue gun to secure each fold.
  6. Punch a hole in the center of your pinwheel. You can do this using a safety pin, a knife tip, or anything with a sharp pointy edge. Make sure the hole is large enough to allow the pinwheel to spin freely without getting stuck. However, don’t make the hole too large or it won’t hang nicely.
  7. Take a pushpin and place it thru the hole at the center of the pinwheel and into the eraser at the top of a pencil.
  8. Create as many pinwheels as you like and stick the bottom end of the pencils into your soil.

When it comes to DIY cardstock crafts, the sky is really the limit in terms of what you can create. All it takes is a good supply of cardstock paper and a nice imagination. And if creativity isn’t your strong suit, simply follow the instructions listed above and no one will ever doubt your creativity again. Get crafting and make sure to enjoy the creative outlet it provides, as well as the quality family bonding time!