Hello! I’m delighted to be guest posting here at The Paper today. If you love card stock as much as I do, you’ll be happy to know that many varieties are available from The Paper Mill Store. In fact, I used three types to make this dimensional card that’s pretty enough to frame as a holiday decoration.
Supplies
- Card stock – matte white, glossy white, red shimmer
- Paper trimmer with cutting and scoring blades or craft knife/cutting mat/metal ruler
- Double-stick tape or glue stick (to adhere card layers)
- Polystyron bead string – 3mm gold metallic fused, 20 inches long. Can be found at craft stores in the wedding notions department or online. Silver/pearl are also available.
- Ornament cord – gold, silver
- Quilling paper – 1/8″ standard width in red (you can substitute red text-weight paper and cut your own strips)
- Quilling tool – slotted (substitute stiff wire or muffin tester)
- Detail scissors
- Tweezers
- Paper piercing tool or cocktail stick (to apply glue to quilled coils)
- Craft gel adhesive
- Straight pin with ball head
- Ruler
- Plastic lid or waxed paper (to use as glue palette)
- Damp cloth (to keep fingers free of glue)
Instructions
- Cut a 10″ x 5″ piece of matte white card stock. Score at midpoint to make a top or side fold card. If you are left handed, you’ll find it is easiest to write a message inside a top fold card as your hand won’t be pressing against the wreath back.
- Cut a 3.5″ x 3.5″ piece of shimmer red card stock. Cut a second square the same size and trim off each corner to obtain four triangles. Each should have a 5/8″ depth and a widest side that measures 1.25″.
- Cut a 2.75″ x 2.75″ piece of white glossy card stock.
- Use double-stick tape or glue stick to adhere the red square to center of card front, then adhere the glossy white square to center of red square. Adhere a triangle to each corner of the glossy white square as pictured.
- Shape a 20″ gold bead string into a triple overlapping circle that measures about 2.25″ in diameter. Apply a small amount of craft gel to string ends with a paper piercing tool or cocktail stick, hiding ends on the underside. Apply dots of craft gel to several more places around the circle so wreath holds its shape. Set aside to dry.
- Glue together 9″lengths of silver and gold ornament cords by applying a coating of craft gel with your fingers. Tape one end of glued cord to the edge of your work station so it can hang freely while drying. When the cord is completely dry, tie it into a small bow and trim the ends. Apply craft gel to underside of the bow knot and place the bow on your wreath.
- Make eleven red beads, also called “quilled domed tight coils”. In this case, they will be holly berries.
To make each bead:
Cut a two-inch strip of quilling paper in half lengthwise
Slide one end of strip into quilling tool slot and rotate tool to fully roll strip.
Apply a tiny amount of craft gel to strip end and slide coil off tool. Tip: A torn strip end blends more smoothly than a cut end.
Press against one side of coil with the ball head of a pin to create a dome. Tip: You may find it’s easiest to handle these tiny coils with tweezers.
Apply a tiny amount of craft gel inside dome with the tip of a paper piercing tool or cocktail stick. The glue will preserve the rounded shape.
Continue with your card:
- Spread a shallow puddle of craft gel on your plastic lid. Use tweezers to touch the bottom of each holly berry to the glue puddle, then place on wreath, spacing the berries evenly.
- When berries have dried in place, adhere wreath to card with craft gel.
Mail your card in a sturdy shallow box or place a layer or two of bubble wrap over the wreath and slide card into an envelope. The extra thickness will require a bit of additional postage.
Thanks to The Paper Mill Store for allowing me to share my love of card making and quilling. You’ll find many more paper craft tutorials on my website, All Things Paper.
