Saturday Step x Step - Gift Card Holders

Hello and welcome to Saturday and another step x step for you.  It is Cec here and today I am going to share three very different gift card holders all made using Graphic 45 papers.

The first one will take the longest to make but it is not difficult.  I started with a mitten template that I found years ago online and adjusted it so the cuff was a foldover to hide the card.

I have created a photo of the adjusted template for you.  Just click on the photo and when the larger version comes up, right click on it and save it to your computer.  To get the right size for printing, open your word processing program, create a new letter sized document with 1/4" margins in portrait orientation and insert this picture.  It should be the right size automatically but if it doesn't look right, click on the picture and adjust the size to at least 9.76" high and 7.89" wide.  If it is slightly larger that is no problem.  Make sure you print it on card stock.

After the template was printed I fussy cut both images.  Don't worry at this point if it is perfect.  I scored the front of the mitten where indicated and then turned it over and trimmed the cuff so both the front and back were identical.  When I added the cuff foldover part on the template I just added a rounded rectangle so it isn't an exact match to the cuff that was there until you make it identical.

Next I added lines to define the area where the gift card will sit.  On the printed side of the piece with no foldover, I cut 1/2" off the top and then positioned the gift card so it hang over that cut edge by 3/8".  I drew a line around the gift card, removed the gift card and drew lines down the outside of each vertical line at least 1/16" away from the previous line - 1/8" would have been better but I didn't have enough space.

Then I added 1/4" double sided tape on the outside of all three outside lines.  This will give you a little ease for the gift card to go in and out.

The next step was to cover the pieces with patterned paper and of course I got started and once everything was glued together I realized I forgot to take photos of each step but here is the order that you want to add your paper.  For this mitten I used papers from the Christmas Carol collection.

First I added paper to the inside of the foldover cuff making sure that it ended below where the other mitten piece was going to be attached.  I just glued a piece of paper that was slightly larger than the area and once it is dry, turned it over and trimmed away the excess.

Next I covered the mitten piece with the tape on the unprinted side in the same manner and then set it aside.

Next I covered the back side of the mitten (gold paper) and finally the whole cuff, including the part that folds over to the front (striped paper).

Then I attached the mitten pieces together.  I added liquid glue to the taped side of the mitten piece without the foldover making sure to go right to the edges but not to get any glue inside the taped area.  I removed the backing from the tape and joined the two mitten pieces together starting at the bottom and moving upwards.  Once the double sided tape hits the other part of the mitten it will be stuck so you want to work slowly to ensure you get the edges aligned before that happens.  If it isn't exact, don't worry because once it is dry, you are going to trim around the whole mitten where required to make sure the edges are even.

Once trimmed, I took a sanding block and went around all the edges just to ensure it looked even and then inked all the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The next step was to add a Velcro closure.  I happened to find 3/8" clear self adhesive Velcro dots at Michaels that I thought would be perfect but as it turns out only the loop side is clear so I just inked the other side with some Vintage Photo DI.  At this point I also decided to add some second and third generation script stamping on the gold patterned paper using Jet Black Archival Ink and a stamp from Recollections.

Now it was time to decorate.  I cut one of the graphics from the paper pad and mounted it on some of the patterned paper.  Next I die cut a little poinsettia using a couple more papers and added gold gems to the centre.  This was mounted on top of some gold mesh and then I added a few more gems.

If you want to hang this on your tree, you will have to add a little ribbon hanger on the back of the cuff - I would add it on the side at the top.

Next I made a really simple pop-up gift card holder using black card stock and paper from the Mon Amour collection.

Using the measurements above, I cut black card stock and scored on the long side where indicated at 3", 4", 5" and 8".  I made a slit on the 4" score line leaving 1/4" intact on each edge.  This is where your gift card will be inserted.  I used a corner rounder punch on the outside corners. 

Then I cut patterned paper as follows:

For Inside

2 pieces 2 3/4" x 4"
1 piece 1 3/4" x 4"
2 pieces 3/4" x 4"

For Outside

2 pieces 2 3/4" x 4"
1 piece 1 3/4" x 4"

I didn't ink the edges of the patterned paper but you could before you adhere them to the card stock making sure to round any corners that will correspond with the rounded corners on the card stock.  Note: On the outside there will not be any patterned paper on the two sections of the card stock between the 3" score line and the 5" score line.

On the outside, I added a piece of double sided tape right along the edge where I have printed the words Score 3" (Remember there is no patterned paper here).  Next I folded the score lines - the 4" fold is a valley fold and the rest are mountain folds.

I removed the backing on the double sided tape and joined the two narrow sections together making sure they lined up on the edges.  This is the pop-up portion that will hold the gift card.  I added a couple of elements cut from from the paper collection for a bit of decoration.  Then I closed everything up, lifted the flap and add a Velcro closure - for this one I added a half of a black self adhesive dot.

Finally I made a little tag style holder using papers from A Ladies Diary collection.  I cut a tag from a scrap of card stock with a fancy die cut for the top.  I am not showing you exact measurements for this one because it depends on the size of your gift card.  Your tag should be long enough that 3/4" shows above the pocket and the gift card is completely hidden.

I used a self adhesive Reinforcement Label from Avery for the hole at the top.  It was white so I just inked it with Vintage Photo DI along with the edges of the tag and added some satin ribbon.  I placed the gift card on the tag, marked 1/4" on each side of two opposite corners and cut two slits to hold it in place.

Next I made a pocket from black card stock and have provided a basic pattern for you to follow.  I cut a piece of card stock that was twice as long as I wanted based on the length of my tag and as wide as my tag plus 1/4" for ease and another 1/2" on each side for flaps.  I scored on the dotted lines as shown, cut away the flap below the middle fold on each side and then cut the little angle piece away on the remaining flaps.  I used double sided tape on the flaps to adhere the pocket together.

Finally I covered both sides with patterned paper and then made a belly band with two more papers, added a chipboard element from the collection and some burlap string.

As gift cards become more and more popular, it is nice to have a lovely way to present them rather than just putting them inside a card so I hope I have inspired you to create some fun holders for gift cards you purchase for your loved ones.