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How to Make Pop up Cards

make your own pop up cards

Do you like to make your own cards? Today I’m sharing how to make pop-up cards with kids. These are easy, fun, and once kids get the hang of it it’s hard to stop making them.

Every now and then I’ll find myself in Target’s card aisle, lured in by my wide-eyed kids who ogle at the colorful greeting ideas. I love it too, but we’re rarely suckered in when it’s so easy, fun, and frankly more meaningful to make our own cards.

I know, making your own cards can takes heap-loaps of time, and the truth is that we don’t always have it. On the other hand, creative projects like this have some big benefits: they give my kids something constructive to work on and offer them lots of time to think about the recipient of their card (building lots of gratitude and love along the way).

My five-year old was getting ready for a couple of birthday parties, and she worked diligently on these pop-up cards. They can be as complicated or simple as you like. Since making these cards, this has become her favorite card-making method, and most recently she made a princess card with a pop-up crown for a friend’s dress-up party.

Make your own Easy Pop Up Card

POP-UP CARD SUPPLIES

  • Card Stock or other heavy-weight paper
  • Colorful construction paper
  • White Glue
  • Scissors
  • Crayons
  • Envelope

HOW TO MAKE A POP-UP CARD

Simple DIY Pop Up Cards Instructions 1

CUT THE CARD STOCK FOR THE POP-UP CARD

Cut a piece of card stock to the desired size.

Next, fold the card stock in half. Cut two parallel slits on the folded side of the paper, about one inch apart and about one inch long. I’d encourage you to play around with the length of these cuts.

Simple DIY Pop Up Cards Instructions 2

Next, fold the tab up and crease it.

Simple DIY Pop Up Cards Instructions 2-2

Open up your card.

Simple DIY Pop Up Cards Instructions 3

And then pop the paper toward the inside of the card.

Make Easy DIY Pop Up Cards

INVITE YOUR CHILD TO CREATE A POP-UP CARD

Cut a piece of colorful construction paper, the same size or slightly bigger than the card stock. Glue the card stock to the construction paper. Be sure that you don’t glue the “pop-up” section down.

Set up the blank pop-up card and a bucket of crayons as an invitation for your child to create.

MAKE THE POP-UP DESIGN FOR YOUR CARD

Ask your child to think of what he or she would like to pop off of the card. My five-year old made two cards: one had a space theme and the other had a garden theme. She decided that she wanted a rocket to pop off the space card and a flower to pop off the garden card. I helped her figure out how tall to make these objects.

Note: If the pop-up objects are too tall, they’ll poke out of the card when it closes

Decorate the cards with crayons, markers, or colored pencils. When the card is done, glue the pop-up piece in place and let it dry for about an hour.

Simple DIY Pop Up Cards for Kids

MORE CREATIVE CARDS FOR KIDS

Check back tomorrow for a GIANT collection of open-ended and process-based cards that kids can make. Until then, here are a few more ideas to keep you busy…

FREE template for a pop-up paper giraffe and elephant

The Chocolate Muffin Tree shares the same technique shared here, with some additional ideas on what to add to the pop-up area: How to make a simple pop-up.

Similar to pop-up cards, try making a peek-a-boo card.

If you like handprint cards, this handprint card from Willowday is really unique.

Simple DIY Pop Up Cards

28 Comments

    • You’re so welcome, Gina! I’m glad that I found your site and your adorable handprint cards. xo

  3. Thanks for the idea. We had fun making a few thank you cards for those who made meals for our family after brining home baby #3. The pop up cards were a hit and I’m glad I know how to make them now.

  4. Excellent!!! Sounds like a great creative way for us to make the kids Christmas cards this year!!!! Christmas trees, sleighs, present pop ups oh the inspiration goes on and on and ….. THANK u

  8. Beautiful card ideas.. my daughter made a same rocket card for her friend.. thank you

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  12. That’s so good! I really like! I will definitely do it!

  13. A really simple but effective idea. Thank you. It inspired us to add pressed flowers to our card 😍 for a special Grandma xx

  21. Thank you so much for this super easy tutorial! My little has been wanting to make pop-up cards as now it’s a cinch.

  23. Thank yuh for this idea. I’m a school librarian, and I’ve been using your idea for years to make spooky Halloween cards. Realized I should thank you!

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