For most of us, holiday cards are made assembly-line style: You create (or copy!) a card design, gather the supplies, then cut, glue, trim and personalize until you have a card for everyone on your list. And yes, some of us plan and schedule our cardmaking, while others of us wait until the last possible minute, then pull an all-night session. Whatever your style, whatever your timeline, let designer Susan Cobb inspire you with this card and matching tag!

Susan, the talented designer and author of Paper Engineering Secrets says, “I designed this card and tag to be fast, easy and inexpensive, so you can make several at once. They’re also pretty versatile, and you can also make them for just about anyone on your list—kids and adults.”

Christmas Card

Susan’s tip: This card may look complicated, but it’s quick and easy to make! I think the Santa is so cute, and I love how the jingle bells on Santa’s hats add such a fun look.

Supplies:

• Paper Flair™ White Cards & Envelopes
• Santa Plaid Paper
• solid paper: white, dark blue
• brass jingle bells: Westrim
• Mounting Squares: Therm O Web
• computer font: Uncle Stinky by Macintosh
• X-acto® knife, cutting mat

Instructions:

1. Score the front center of the card with the dull edge of an X-acto® knife and fold it backward to create an S-fold. Cut the Santa border from the sheet of paper, trimming around the large gold stars. Trim the width of the strip to 2 5/16", and glue it to the S-fold panel of the left side of the card. Let the stars overlap the folded edge of the front panel.

2. Cut a 4 3/4"x6 1/2" piece of the remaining snowflakes on red plaid portion of the paper and glue to the center of the inside back. Glue jingle bells to the Santa hats as shown.

3. Computer print “Have a holly jolly Christmas!” on white paper and trim to a 1 7/8" square. Mat on dark blue paper, trimming to a thin border. Glue to the inside back as shown. Cut out an additional gold star and add to the top right corner of the message plaque.

Holly Jolly Christmas Tag

Susan’s tip: I used the remaining Santa plaid paper left from the Holly Jolly Christmas Card plus the Tags Template to create a matching gift tag.

Susan used these additional supplies to make the tag:

• Paper Flair™ template Part not in database (may have been discontinued): #7301
• 6" of 5/8" wide olive green sheer ribbon

Instructions:

1. Use the second largest shipping tag shape on the template to cut a tag from red plaid portion of the paper. Mat the tag on white, trimming edges to a thin border.

2. Use the third largest shipping tag shape on the template to cut a tag from the Santa and stars portion of the paper, with the Santa centered. If you want to put a name on the tag as Susan did, cut the tag to be 2 1/4" tall. Mat on dark blue paper, trimming the edges to a thin border.

3. Glue to the center of the larger red plaid tag. Glue the jingle bell to the top of Santa’s hat. Computer print the name on white paper, then trim and mat on dark blue paper, trimming edges to a thin border. Adhere to the bottom of the tag.

4. Fold a 6" length of ribbon in half and place it so the loop shows about 1 1/4" above the top of the tag. Glue the ends to the back. Tie a bow with remaining ribbon and adhere it to the top of the tag.

Love Susan’s quick and easy designs? Then check out her book, Paper Engineering Secrets! And for a monthly dose of cardmaking designs and ideas, visit Your Creative Spirit online paper crafting magazine at www.yourcreativespirit.com.