The Advent season is approaching. We have prepared original ideas on how you can design your greeting cards. Who doesn't love finding a personal Christmas card in their mailbox? After we show you how to make wonderfulEmbroider cardsandDecorate creatively with different materialscan, we are now introducing you to a fun new Christmas card trend for 2021: the cool shaking cards (Shaker Cards in English), which delight young and old alike. Because no matter who takes the sweet card in their hand, they start shaking and having a lot of fun. Below you will find out how you can make these original Christmas cards yourself.
What is a Shake Card?
The shaker card is effectively a greeting card that features a “viewing window” (usually on the front). This “bag” made of two transparent layers of foil contains different types of materials such as sequins, beads, etc. When the card is shaken, these small materials move and roll back and forth, creating a beautiful effect. The shaker card window/opening can cover a small portion or the entire surface of the card depending on the design and what you want to put inside.
Shake cards can be designed and sent for various occasions, for example for the birthday of friends, colleagues or relatives or as a greeting card for the birth of a baby. A shaker card is a nice and personal gift, especially at Christmas. A winter landscape looks even more vivid when the viewing window of the shaker card is filled with white glitter powder.
How to design Christmas cards?
What shape can a shaker card window have?Essentially, card openings can be designed in any shape, provided you have the tools to make them. Depending on what theme the card should have, there are very different options: hearts, flowers, butterflies, clouds, sun, pumpkins, Easter eggs, trees, balloons, cupcakes, tea cups, etc. Even simple shapes such as circles, ovals, rectangles, Squares, diamonds and stars can be used to create beautiful works of art. The following variants are most often preferred for Christmas cards:Schneekugel, Christmas tree, Christmas tree ball and snow landscape.
If you want to make more complicated shapes, such as a reindeer, that obviously can't be cut out with scissors or a cutter (just like some of the ideas we're going to share with you), note that you should use a die cutting machine. It would be nice if you already have one or give yourself one before Christmas.
Christmas confetti is ideal as shaking material for Christmas cards. This also comes in different shapes such as snowflakes, holly leaves, candy canes and Christmas trees. Of course you can also improvise, because there are a variety of little things you can use to make a shaker card.
Here is a list of things that can be put into a shaker card:
- Sequins in all colors, shapes and sizes
- Confetti (including homemade with a cutter)
- Sugar pearls for cake decoration
- small buttons
- small pieces of colored ribbon
- Plastic or glass beads
- Strasssteine
- Metal or plastic tags
- Cardboard letters and numbers
- colored artificial sand
- Coffee and cocoa beans
- dried flowers
- Dekomoos
- Mini seashells and starfish
- dried herbs and spices (such as star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried mint leaves, etc.)
- Rice, lentils and other dry foods with a very long shelf life
- Bird food mixes
- Felt shapes of all kinds
- Himalayan salt
How to make a simple Christmas card with a shaker box
Materials required:
Shaking material in Christmas shapes
Blank postcards in the desired format
optional: Designer paper as a background
Punch or pencil, scissors and craft knife
Foam tape/adhesive spacer
elastic adhesive for paper and plastic film
Plastic film, clear sleeve or acetate sheets
Stickers and stickers to decorate the card
Directions:
Step 1– Decide on the shaker window design for your Christmas cards. We chose a star and a circle to best show off the Christmas confetti.
Step 2– Draw the shape you want to cut out on the front of the card. If you are unsure about drawing, you can use a stencil. Alternatively, you can use a die cutting machine to cut out the shaking window.
Optional: Cut a piece of cardstock about 1/2 inch per side smaller than the top card. This card would be the background that you will see through the shaking window. So you can also make it more interesting. Glue the colored cardstock onto the card.
Step 3– Cut out 2 pieces of acetate or use cling film slightly larger than the window. Cover the front part with transparent film from the back.
Step 4– Now stick the foam adhesive strips around the foil window so that it cannot be seen from the front and no shaking material can fall out. Also stick strips of double-sided tape along the sides.
Step 5 –Now place the confetti in the middle of the card and glue the card together.
Step 6 –Finally, decorate the front of your card with stickers or stamps andwrite down your wishes!
What you should pay attention to when crafting in brief:
- For a simple map you need 3 elements:
– 1 front part with the viewing window, which is decorated for Christmas
– 1 card made of designer paper or with a nice saying, which you can then see through the window
– 1 base card with the on the backWishes writtenor glued
- There should be enough space between the plastic wrap and the card for the shaking material to move easily. If you don't have foam tape ready, you can use 2 layers of double-sided tape to increase the distance to suit.
Everything else is up to your creativity!
And how does that work with a folding card?
If you want to make a folding card Christmassy, the principle for making the shaker box is basically the same. The only important thing to note is that the shaking window should be glued to the front of the card. If it stays inside, the card will not close well. When you open the card you will also see the shaker box from the back.
Here's a good example of what that would look like:
And here is the better version:
Now you know how to make a Christmas shake card! To give you inspiration for your own project, we have prepared many great ideas in our image gallery. Have fun crafting and shaking!
Christmas card with 3D decoration
Christmas card with a vintage feel
Scandinavian style gnome
Less is more
Shadow Box
Transparent sequins go well with almost all colors
Glitter powder as snow in the snow globe
Beads make more noise when shaken and are great fun for children
With a design like this, your congratulation takes center stage
Simple yet impressive design
A gradient is extremely popular for backgrounds of all kinds
Use rhinestones to give your card even more sparkle
You can find more interesting Christmas trends 2021in this article.
