O Christmas Tree!

Yesterday morning, I woke up to tree branches lightly dusted with snow, while more snowflakes fell softly to the ground. Although the snow has yet to cover the ground, it and the fact that it is now December, has got me in to a holiday mood.

One of my favourite holiday activities is heading up to the tree farm with my family to get our Christmas tree. Despite being born and raised farm girls, we would always insist that we go to the farm with the horses, even though there are numerous other tree farms around that are much closer to our family farm.

Picking out a tree was never a fast task. We’d all head out with the best intentions, clomping through the snow and looking for the tallest, most perfectly shaped tree. Then, the first of the snowballs would start to fly (usually instigated by my dad) and we’d spend the next half hour or so dodging between trees, throwing snowballs and tackling each other until we were all absolutely soaked. Only then would it be time to find the Christmas tree at last, a process that, in our wet and cold state, would only take an additional five minutes or so.

Today’s cards are born out of memories of those afternoons up on the tree farm. Made with green card stock, silver metallic paper, a silver metallic pen and a steady hand, these pretty and shiny cutout Christmas tree cards are well worth the effort put into making them.

Materials (makes two cards):

·      8 1/2” x 11” sheet of green card stock

·      8 1/2” x 11” sheet of silver text weight paper

·      Spare piece of card stock (colour doesn’t matter) measuring 2 1/8” x 5 1/2”

Equipment:

·      Paper trimmer

·      Bone folder

·      Pencil

·      Eraser

·      Metallic silver gel pen/marker

·      Scissors

·      Glue stick

·      Wax paper

Directions:

1.     Cut both sheets in half with the paper trimmer so that you have two pieces of each, measuring 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”. Cut the silver pieces of paper in half again so that you have four pieces, measuring 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”.

2.     Using the bone folder, fold the two pieces of green card stock in half (technique here) to make two cards measuring 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”.

3.     On the spare piece of card stock, draw half of a Christmas tree outline (see image below) that fills the entire height of the card. Cut out the outline to use as a tracer.  

4.     Trace the outline on to the right side of the front of each green card (hint: press lightly so that you can erase stray pencil marks later) and on to the right side of two of the silver pieces of paper.

5.     Cut out the tree outline on the green card stock. Carefully erase any stray pencil marks that remain.

6.     Cut the silver pieces of paper so that the negative space remains (see image below).

7.     Using the glue stick, spread glue on the silver cut outs (on the side with the pencil marks), then flip them over and glue them to the left side of the cards, finishing the tree outline.

8.     Take the remaining silver 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” pieces of paper and glue them to the inside right sides of the cards. Take a piece of wax paper and lay it over the closed cards. Put a couple of books on top of the wax paper covered cards and press them until they are dry. This will help prevent the silver paper from bubbling or peeling.

9.     Once dry, draw decorations on the trees with the silver metallic gel pen/marker to finish the cards.

Voila! Two cutout Christmas tree cards. Come back on Monday for a card inspired by a very cute post by Heinous Hats.