3 D Pop Up Card Tutorial

3 D Pop Up card

       Dear friends designed this 3 D Window Pop up Card combining techniques from the Tunnel card tutorial and Interactive Window card tutorial featuring simple accordion folded steps as the pop  up mechanism.The 3 D window [but not the arch] can fold flat onto the snowy Christmas scene featuring Santa and his reindeers in this pop up card.

Pop Up Christmas card

        I added a rhinestone embellished foam Christmas tree and silver snowflakes on the steps in front of the windows.The snow was hand cut from felt and the roses are foam roses[Here are the tutorial links : Foam rose tutorial 1, Foam rose tutorial 2]

Foam Roses

3 D Window Pop up card tutorial 

Materials Required

2 A4 size thick Paper - One to make the windows and one to make the background and steps.Contrasting colors are better to enhance the 3 D effect
Glue and Scissors
To cut windows- cut your windows using a craft knife and a cutting mat/ kitchen cutting board or use dies if you have a die cutting machine
Optional : Scoring board

Pop up card tutorial 

Make the windows : I used an A 4 pattern paper with a silver brocade pattern. You can use cardstock/ ivory sheets /thick good quality pattern paper.You will need only half of an A 4 card plus 3/4 inches. Fold the A 4 card in half and keeping approx 3/4 inches from the fold line as a glue tab discard the rest as shown in the pictorial.

Pop up card tutorial 

Cut the windows : Use a craft knife and cutting board[ you can use a clean kitchen board if you don't have a craft mat] or your dies to cut out windows leaving at least a 3/4 inch border all around [anything less and your window front will not be stable and will buckle hopelessly !!]

Pop up card tutorial 

To make the background and steps: Fold the base A 4 card in half .Score half of this A4 card every 3/4 inches and accordion fold as shown in the pictorial. It doesnt really matter if you dont have a scoring board as I am sure we have all made paper fans in childhood and its pretty much the same kind of accordion folds and you don't have to be super accurate even!

Pop up card tutorial 

Glue the tab of your window panel onto the unfolded half of the "background  card" as shown.You can either glue in front or behind like I have done.

Pop up card tutorial 

Add scenic elements on your background card. I hand cut my snowy landscape from felt and my santa and reindeer are die cut from glitter foam.

Pop up card tutorial 

Glue your window panel on the 2nd mountain formed by the accordion folds as shown in the pictorial. If you wish you can even add some more pop up design elements on the accordion folds behind your window

Pop up card tutorial 

It can get a bit tricky to defy gravity on the steps in front of your pop up window.The picture shows how I made my Christmas tree stand upright by supporting it with additional foam glued to both slopes of the step.

Pop up card tutorial 

This pop up card design can fold absolutely flat to fit into an envelope.This particular Pop up christmas card however needs a box envelope courtesy the foam roses and the 3 D arches I added atop my windows

Pop up card tutorial 

I love making Pop up and  interactive cards as I have a very appreciative little girl at home and happy to tell you that this particular pop up card design received a thumbs up after thorough inspection by my 8 year old  [ though she did say she preferred Santa Claus to have eyes !]

Pop up card tutorial 

I hope you like this pop up mechanism.Do check out my Craft tutorials page for more tutorials including 24 Pop up card tutorials 

Supplies :Dies: Cheery Lynn Flourish Leaf strip  ,Cheery Lynn Windows A , Sizzix Santa sleigh with reindeer,Spellbinder Curved Borders 2 , Spellbinder Holiday tree ,Memory Box Frostyville borer 

Linking to : Create something catchy , One sweet challenge  July[red white blue],Christmas all round

Edited : This card came top 3 at Digi choosday theme Aperture

Top 3

And also came top 3 at Completely Christmas