STEAM: Pop-up Card

Shopping for a birthday card, graduation card or holiday-themed card can be fun. However, have you ever thought about creating your own card for your friend or family member?

Making cards can be a lot of fun and a fantastic way to express your creativity while giving someone a fun surprise. There are so many kinds of cards you can make but an especially fun option is the pop-up card. They look so cool when you open them, and some part of the inside jumps out, bounces around or even looks 3-D.

Now, you might think that sounds super hard, and how will you ever get it right? Don’t worry! There are many great websites that offer directions for making your very own pop-up card, and some even offer templates and suggestions for adding embellishments to your creation. After all, the "A" in STEAM stands for "Art," and in art, there is always room for imagination and invention.

Here are some ways to get started: 

• Try the Creativebug tutorial pictured above with your Canton Public Library card.
• The family blog, A Beautiful Mess, also has a tutorial showing detailed steps and photos for making your own pop-up cards. One suggestion this blog writer made was to use pictures or cutouts from books to add to your card, especially if you feel nervous drawing everything from scratch.
• YouTube is another great resource for learning how to make pop-up cards. The channel It’s Me, JD offers a video guide with step-by-step directions for creating pop-up cards. The video contains five easy-to-follow tutorials for making different types of cards.
• Red Ted Art not only offers photos and step-by-step directions for creating lots of cards, but it also offers easier printable pop-ups for the younger set, for whom the cutting and assembling may be more than they can handle.
• Tinkerlab offers ideas for making simple pop-up cards and shows lots of photos of each step. Great for our young crafters to follow! They also provide templates to get you started on your path to cardmaking.

Remember friends, these sites are just right for helping to get you started. Once you get the hang of making the cards, let your imagination go wild. Your family and friends will be surprised and delighted with their beautiful, handmade pop-up card created by you.

Now, get out there and get crafting!