Scrap Cake Birthday Card

Create unique handmade birthday greetings with leftovers: Use scraps of wrapping paper, scrapbooking paper, or even recycle old birthday and greeting cards as your materials to build this fun and funky cake card.

Find paper scraps that are in the same color family but with variant patterns to make this card extra funky.

How to Make the Scrap Cake Birthday Card

Materials for front of card

• 1 large solid colored sheet of card stock (8 ½” x 11″)
• 1 handmade or store-bought envelope (5″ x 7″)—Click here for a handmade envelope tutorial at craftingmom.com.
• 1 sheet of decorative paper or card stock (5″ × 7″)
• 10 strips of paper or card stock (¼” wide and 3-5″ long)
• 1 scrap of yellow/orange/red paper or card stock (1″ x 1″)
• Craft glue, such as Tacky Glue
• Double-sided permanent adhesive mounting squares (optional)
• Paper cutter or scissors

Optional materials for inside card

• 1 sheet of decorative paper or card stock (5″ × 7″)
• 1 small scrap of paper (2″ x 3″)
• “Happy Birthday” stamp
• Ink pad
• Corner rounder

Directions for front of card

1. Fold the large sheet of card stock in half crosswise to create the base of your card—trim if necessary to fit in your envelope.



2. Cut the decorative sheet slightly smaller than half of folded card stock (about ⅛” smaller on each side looks best). This will be the front of your card.
3. To create the cake, arrange 9 of the 10 strips horizontally in the order you want them to appear on the card (these will become the cake layers). Set one strip aside for the candle.



4. Pick up the bottom layer of the cake. Holding it vertically, tear a thin piece off the top (as shown below). Then turn the strip horizontally, and tear the right and left sides off of the strip so that it measures about 4″ long. Continue working up the cake layers in this fashion, tearing off the tops of each strip. When tearing off the sides, each scrap should be slightly shorter than the strip below it.



5. Beginning with the bottom layer, glue each strip onto the decorative sheet.  (TIP: To create a stacked look, glue only the bottom edge of each strip so that the next piece can be tucked under the top of the previous layer.)



6. Cut the scrap you set aside for the candle to about 3″ long. Then, glue the scrap (vertically) onto the front of your card, as shown below.



7. Tear the scrap of yellow or orange paper into a flame shape. Glue to the top of the candle.



8. Using craft glue or double-sided adhesive, attach the decorative sheet to the front of your card.

Directions for inside card

1. Cut the decorative sheet slightly smaller than half of folded card stock (about ⅛” smaller on each side looks best). Using glue or double-sided adhesive, attach the sheet to the inside (right side).




2. Using your stamp and ink pad, stamp “Happy Birthday” on the 2″ x 3″ scrap of paper. Round the corners with the corner rounder and attach to the inside of the card using glue or double-sided adhesive.

Decorative Paper and Bead Ball Ornaments

Making these beautiful balls is so fun and fast using decorative paper punches! Every year I like to have a holiday party just for the girls, and what would a party be without a party favor? These are this year’s party favor!

You could use a bowl of the flower balls to match your home’s decor. I love them just in a large glass bowl! It’s a fun and inexpensive way to add color and texture to your coffee table.

Decorative Paper and Bead Ball Ornaments

Materials

• Acrylic paint for foam balls
• Smooth foam balls, your choice of size. (I’m using 2” and 3” balls.)
• Card stock paper
• Glass seed beads in coordinating colors
• Optional: for hanger, eye pins or wire; fishing line, ribbon, or string; Tacky glue

Tools

• Paint brush
• Toothpicks
• Foam sheet or cardboard box
• Decorative punch (I use a flower-shaped punch)

Directions

1. Start by choosing your paint colors, and paint foam balls. I find it’s easier and faster to stick a toothpick into the ball, paint the ball, and then stick it into foam sheet or cardboard box to dry (the toothpick hole will be covered with flowers). You do want a good coat of paint, but remember you will be covering it with flowers.

2. While the balls are drying, start punching your shapes from the card stock paper. I tried to count them when I was making this 3″ ball, and I had around 80 flowers. The number of shapes you punch will depend on how close together you want to put them. Since I was making about 75 covered balls, I just punched each of the colors I wanted to use, and put them in bags. When I ran out of a certain color, I just punched more.


Tip: I found velum paper works well—I used velum paper for the snowflake balls, shown below—and it’s a beautiful look. It comes in colors like red, gold, and silver.

Think about choosing different punch patterns: hearts, snowflakes, two different sizes of flowers. What shapes do you have?


3. Pick your bead color, slide one bead onto the pin, and stick it on a punch shape. Now, I just pushed it right into the ball, but you could dip the end of the pin in Tacky glue if you felt like it needed it. Since I was making so many, I found it easier to slide the bead and flower on, make a bowl full of them, and then put them on the balls.
   

   I found the sequin pins from Jo Ann Fabrics for 99 cents for 300, and of course I used a coupon. But any thin, straight pin will work. You just have to make sure the bead you use as your center will slide on and stay on. I also found that if the card stock was super thick (like some of the heavy glitter ones from Michael’s) it was too hard to punch and way too hard to push a pin through—just thought you should know!

   Remember, it’s up to you to choose how close together to put the flowers. It gives you a different look when the flowers are on top of each other. If you do not glue the pin into the ball, it’s no problem to move the flower pin around, which you might need to do when you are fitting in the last ones.

4. To make a hanger, I’m using an eye pin (which is used to make jewelry), but it works well for this project. You can also use wire. First, slide the seed bead on, then a flower. Dip the end of the pin in Tacky glue and push it into the ball. Tie fishing line or ribbon onto the pin, and hang your ornament!


Did you know you can get the foam in oval or egg shapes to use as Easter eggs? How much fun! How about making a topiary? Cover one or two large balls with flowers, wrap a wooden dowel rod to use as the stem, and place it in any vase or pot. Could be so pretty for a baby shower or a bridal shower center piece.

Click here for more holiday crafts.