Welcome to our simple Christmas Card tutorial for 2024. As always, our tutorials are available via step-by-step photographs, a full length video tutorial and a short video.
Don’t forget to share your finished makes with us!
You Will Need
- A blank card – any size.
- Ribbon. Aim to use thin and fine ribbon. We tried this with thick glittery ribbon and it didn’t quite look as good.
- Something to make a hole with. We will go over the below methods, which can be used depending on the maker’s age, dexterity and tools available.
- Blue tack and pencil.
- Craft knife.
- ‘Screw and Go‘ hole maker.
- Scissors.
- Something to make a star e.g. patterned tape, gold marker pen, stickers, glitter.
- And finally something sticky, such as double sided tape, white glue, glue dot.
Step 1
Choose your hole making method. Here are examples of the finished outcome using the methods Blu Tack and pencil (right), Screw and Go (centre) and craft knife (left).
We used the central option. This tool is like a hole punch, but holes can be made anywhere and unrestricted by the width of the card.
The method on the right – place Blu Tack (or similar) underneath your card. Push a pencil into the card and subsequent Blu Tack. This technique is probably the safest for children, as well as using materials you possibly have lying around the home.
Step 2
Make holes in your card to the shape of a triangle. Plan ahead a little first, noting how big your card is and how far apart you might want the rows to be.
This make really can be freehand and creative, for a rustic and playful aesthetic. However, if you like precision, then feel free to plot things out with a ruler and pencil.
Working in rows, make a hole at opposite ends (two holes per row). Start at the bottom of the card and on the next row, bring the holes slightly inwards. Continue to move the holes inwards until you reach near the top.
Don’t forget to leave space for your star.
Our top advice is to keep the gradient for the holes quite narrow, rather than taking big leaps. Otherwise, you will run out of card before the apex of the tree is completed.
Step 3
Now to thread the ribbon. All ribbons are different and some may fray quicker than others. Our advice is to cut the start of ribbon at a 45 degree angle; the narrower end is easier to thread through the holes. If your ribbon frays too much to pull through the next hole, then cut again to make a fresh angle ready for threading.
Begin by threading the ribbon from the back of the card to the front via the bottom left hole. Next, thread ribbon from the front to the back of the card via the opposite hole, on the same row.
To not waste ribbon, we will now travel into the hole above, then to the hole opposite.
Continue threading the ribbon to the hole above on the next row and opposite.
Shimmy your ribbon along to release more, if you run out.
Best idea: Keep the natural twists in the ribbon to create a textured and interesting look. If your ribbon has a pattern or ‘right side’, then you can gently persuade into place, but do consider keeping in some of the twists.
Step 4
Cut the ribbon at the start and finish, leaving a short length.
Affix this to the card. We used double-sided sticky tape.
If you don’t like the ribbon workings on the inside of the card, you could place over a piece of paper or card, cut to size. Affix this with a glue stick or double sided sticky tape.
Step 5
Add a bright shining star.
Step 6
Add any other embellishments. We added some self-stick gems to represent baubles and fill the gap between rows.
Ta da! A quick and easy festive make that looks good every time.
Little Miss Drop Stitch 