Swinging Card Tutorial

Swinging Card

      Dear friends this interactive swinging card is my Guest DT post for  Digital Delights  for winning the Petal Power challenge with my Mother’s Day Card.

         Delightful challenges holds a very special place in my heart as I won my first Guest DT post ever [back in 2011] with  this Quilled Sunflower Girl…I was so nervous when I used their digital image [ first time I worked with digis ]  in a Side step pop up card which was my first guest DT post and that card in turn won me a Guest DT at  Crafty JC ! 

        I have done numerous Guest DT posts since then for various websites and craft shops but believe me I still get super nervous as to how a Guest Post will be received!I hope you guys enjoy this Easy to make Swinging card and tutorial

Swinging Card

         I used the super cute digital image "Relax Barnaby" from Digital Delights, 3D decoupaged him and suspended his hammock from palm trees in this tropical paradise themed swinging interactive card.

Swinging Card

       My daughter is forever searching for her eraser and pencil sharpener during homework time and I had been intending to make a  tray to hold her stationary...so I placed my interactive tent card on a cardboard box lid dressed up with glitter foam grass and handmade flowers.

Handmade flowers

What is paradise without some flowers so added some quilled flowers and stamped leaves to my tent card.

Handmade flowers

I always make my own flowers and the large red flower is also handmade and here is the tutorial link : Easy Flower tutorial 

Sharing How to make a Swinging Card

Material required

Cardstock - any size will do but I used an A 4 and a 6 x 8 inch piece of card stock

Glue- I used Fevicol MR 

Scissors

Something to cut an aperture

To punch holes- single hole punch  or crop a dile

Twine, thread or ribbon to suspend your image

Optional - Scoring board, Eyelets and eyelet setter / crop a dile

Swinging Card Tutorial

         On the folded edge of an A 4 card mark a semicircle  using a template [ use anything you have like a plate, lid, circle die,or even a  foam tape like I used here]-- just make sure you leave 1 1/2 - 2 inches on either side so that your card remains sturdy! 

         Cut out a semi circle ,oval, square or rectangle aperture [ the aperture can be any shape you fancy!] on the folded edge cutting through both halves of your A 4 card

Swinging Card Tutorial

            As an interactive card is going to be played with quite a bit  you need a good sturdy base so that it doesn't topple over! I chose a 6 x 8 inch card [ you can play with measurements] and  folded it in half [ center mountain fold] and then folded up [valley fold]1 inch on either side to get an accordion fold in the shape of a  " W ".

If you have a scoring board :score on the 6 inch side at  1 , 3 and  5 inch marks.

Swinging Card Tutorial

        The 1 inch folded parts of your accordion folded " W "are your gluing tabs.Apply glue to one gluing tab of the " w " as shown and stick it inside the tent card you had already made.Apply enough glue and pressure as its important to get a good adhesion here.

Swinging Card Tutorial

          Fold your " W " accordion and apply glue on the other gluing tab and firmly stick the other flap of your tent card onto it. The tent card on which your swinging element is going to be hung is ready!

Swinging Card Tutorial

           On either side of  your aperture ,add decorative elements such as trees, vines ,lattices or whatever element fits in with the theme of your card.You can allow it to jut above the folded edge of your card just dont embellish the top of  your tent card heavily

3 D Decoupaged image

          As a swinging element I 3 D decoupaged the cute honey bee by cutting him and layering using foam dots. Can you see the shiny flower centers and shiny nose and cheeks of the cute bee ? [ courtesy glossy accents] You can choose any swinging style image like a child on a swing  or a  hammock , a bird on a branch etc.Punch holes on either side and attach to the tent card with twine, thread or ribbon. 

Swinging card

       You can actually make the image fit right inside the aperture so that it swings freely to and fro . Since  both my clinic and home printers were acting crazy I had to depend on a printing shop to print  my digital image and I couldn't get my image size a perfect fit but my little bee still swings happily !

Swinging card

Another tip : Do heavily embellish the base of the card like I have done with flowers galore or whatever  you fancy and keep the top relatively simple as otherwise your card will topple over!
You can also decorate both sides of your swinging card like I did in Spinning card tutorial 1 and Spinning card tutorial 2

I hope you like this interactive card which actually doesn't require any fancy tools to make.

Supplies : Spellbinder Classic Leaf ,Spellbinder Rose creations,Cheery Lynn Butterfly,Memory Box fringe, Cheery Lynn Grass,

Linking to  Deep Ocean Challenge Fav 2014 Card
Edited : This card came top 3 in Digi Sketch In the garden theme

Top 3

This swinging card also came Top 3 at BGC Kiddish theme