Assemblage Greeting Cards

This project takes some advanced planning if you don't already have these items on hand, so your first step is to gather your materials. Here's a list of what you'll need:

1: an empty cereal box
2: dark colored tissue paper
3: a disassembled greeting card envelope
4: several matching colors of card stock or construction paper
5: scissors
6: glue sticks
7: ruler
8: standard size circle hole punch

The process:

Step one: Before you do anything else, decide on your theme and coordinate the colors of your tissue paper and your card stock or construction paper around that.

Step two: Using the disassembled greeting card envelope as a template, trace out the envelope on a piece of colored paper, cut it out and glue it together.

Step three: Determine the size of the card you're going to make based on the envelope you just created. Using a ruler, measure out the size of your card and trim the cardboard to size.

Step four: Fold the cardboard in half and, using the handles of the scissors, create a sharp crease.

Step five: Using the glue stick and the tissue paper, cover over the entire piece of cardboard on both sides. Hint: wrap it like a gift and glue it together. Don't worry about the folds or the creases showing because the embellishments will cover them over. Refold the card with that same sharp crease.

Step six: Leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edge of the card, cut a piece of card stock or construction paper to fit the front and back of the card and adhere it with the glue stick. If you choose, you can wrap the piece of paper so it's on both the front and the back of the card.

Step seven: Open your card up flat and cut a piece of paper to fit the inside of the card, reserving the same 1/4 inch border around the edge and adhere it to the card.

Step eight: Now it's time to make some tags. Take a piece of construction paper or card stock and cut it into two rectangles. Clip off the top corners and punch a hole in the center. (You can tie a piece of fiber to your handmade tag for extra flair.)

Step nine: On the front of your card, adhere the tag at an angle to the top right corner. On the inside of the card, adhere the second tag to the lower left hand corner.

Step ten: Take another piece of construction paper (or what was left over from making the tags) and make a library card style pocket slightly smaller than the paper affixed to the back of the card. Adhere the pocket to the back of the card.

Now you have the "base" completed for your card. How you embellish your card is entirely up to you and the theme you're creating. Embellishments to consider:

1: glitter glue
2: glitter gel pens
3: brads
4: eyelets
5: stickers
6: vellum over-lays
7: charms
8: gems
9: fibers
10: rubber stamps

There's a lot of opportunity for creativity during the embellishing process. Visit your local craft store or the craft section of a super center for ideas and inspiration.

Once your card is embellished, visit some quotations websites and write inspirational quotes on the tags you created. You may choose to print them out on your computer and adhere them to your tags.

What's the pocket in the back of the card for? Good question! Encourage your children to draw a picture for the recipient of the card and put it in the pocket. If you're working on this project without children, use the pocket to include photographs or a letter with your card.