Skill Level: Moderate
What You Need
blue cardstock cut to 5 ½” x 8 1/2”
scrap of brown cardstock, about 3” x ½”
scraps of green cardstock
scraps of red and yellow cardstock, cut to ½” to 3/4”
white gel pen
black marker
piece of sandpaper 4 1/4” x about 2”
mini jewel stickers or glitter glue
adhesive such as double sided sticky tape, glue stick, liquid glue or mini glue dots scissors
What You Do
Fold blue cardstock in half.
Cut a curving line across the length of the sandpaper. Glue it to the blue cardstock.
Use your scissors to freehand cut a palm tree from the strip of brown cardstock, making the base slightly wider than the midsection and top.
Use your scissors to freehand cut 5 or 6 pointed ovals from the green cardstock. These are your palm leaves. Or, tear the edges to create a shaggy leaf look.
Glue the palm tree trunk to the center of the card, overlapping the sandpaper beach slightly.
Glue the palm leaves to the top of the trunk, overlapping slightly. Add mini jewel stickers to the leaves (these are Christmas lights and ornaments). Or, use small dots of glitter glue.
Cut a couple squares from the red and yellow cardstock scraps. Glue them on either side of the palm tree, overlapping slightly on the sandpaper beach. Use your marker or gel pen to draw bows.
On the inside of your card, write, stamp or print off a phrase like “Have Yourself a Beachy Little Christmas!”
Helpful Hints
It's difficult to make paper stick to the rough side of sandpaper. Experiment with scraps and different glues if you want to glue anything directly to the sandpaper.
Resist the temptation to add too much to this card. For example, don't use patterned paper for the gift boxes, as the card looks best with simple shapes and colors.
Check your local dollar store for paper scrapbooking stickers in a beach or gift box theme.
Sandpaper will eventually damage scissors, so use an inexpensive pair to cut it.
Quick switch: This card could easily be made into a Bon Voyage or birthday card by omitting the tree lights and possibly adding a beach ball or sunglasses, either scrapbook stickers or cutouts.
Find out more about card display, personalizing store-bought cards and creating one-of-a-kind photo cards.
Plus, don't miss our selection of handmade gift ideas in our Christmas activity guide and gift guide.
