Easy to Make Cricut Card-Happy Birthday Bear

Making cards using a Cricut Personal Cutting Machine is not only easy but it is fun to create homemade cards using your imagination and creativity.  One reason I like making cards is that you can make homemade cards personalized, with the recipient in mind.  Card ideas come relatively easy when you are thinking about the person you want to give the card too. I have been making cards for all my loved ones, with their personal tastes and color preferences.  Finding just the right whimsical creature while making a card, knowing the recipient will love it, brings a smile to my face while I am making a card.

 

Birthday Cards Idea

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I have been so excited to make this card for my friend's birthday.  Birthday card ideas are usually very easy, using a Cricut cartridge such as Simply Charmed, you can find just about any birthday card idea subject. 

For this homemade card, I knew that my friend loves stuffed bears, she has them everywhere in her house.  I knew that making a card featuring a bear would be perfect for her birthday.

The Specifics

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• Cartridge: Heritage and Simply Charmed
• Pressure: High
• Blade Speed: 2
• Speed: Medium
• Cardstock Weight: Medium to Heavy

The card size is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I have been using pre-folded cardstock for making a card because I bought a box of multi-colored cards when I first started using my Cricut.

 

Step by Step

Step 1: I cut a piece of medium weight green printed cardstock to a 4 1/8" x 5 1/4" size for the background of the homemade card. 

Step 2: Bear Cutout- Heritage Cartridge, page 36, <Tddybear>,Size 3 1/2". Cut one White and one Brown using Shift & Bear Key. Cut one Tan using Shadow, Shift, and Bear Key. Adhere from bottom to top- Tan, White, Brown. 

Step 3: Balloons-Simply Charmed Cartridge, page 75, <Balloon>,Size 2". Cut four or five in coordinating colors using Balloon Key only. Cut four or five using Shadow, Balloon Key. Adhere the intricate balloons to the shadow versions. I started out with 4 balloons, then later cut one more set, which is not pictured.

Step 4: Adhere the complete <Bear> to the bottom right of the card background. I placed him there to make room for the balloons and sentiment stamp. The balloons are placed just to measure placement.   Then adhere the completed <Balloon> sets to the top left of the card. I placed the "strings" just under the brown bear cutout layer so make it look as though he is actually holding them.

Step 5: At the top right, I chose a Happy Birthday sentiment acrylic stamp, then with individual letters (not recommended as placement can be difficult) I stamped my friend's name. On the bottom left, I chose a simple flower acrylic stamp.

Optional: I had thought to place a small self-adhesive strawflower on the bear's chest as shown, but changed my mind in favor of buttons and a bow.

Step 6: Using a 3/8" wide green ribbon, I hand tied a small bow. Then adhered it to the bear's neck. I moved the strawflower to his hand.

Step 8: I chose 2 blue buttons for the bear's front. Done!

The embellishments as you can see are changeable according to how you would like your homemade cards to look. 

After finishing a Cricut homemade card, I find it is best to place a heavy object, such as a book, on top of the card for an hour or so. This allows your choice of adhesive to dry or to allow the card with the added weight to lay flat.