How to Make a Shaker Card (Tutorial)

Ready to step up your card-making game? Properly celebrate a loved one's next birthday with a fun handmade shaker card. Today we are going to learn how to make a fun and interactive shaker card that’s sure to be enjoyed. Believe it or not, shaker cards are surprisingly easy to make - just add some happy confetti, sequins, or other fun items into an envelope-style card base, and voila! We've put together this tutorial so that you can follow along and mix up your crafting routine with this exciting new technique.

• Time to Celebrate Clear Stamp Set
• Free Cricut File - Time to Celebrate
• Acrylic Stamp Block
• Colorful Pigment Ink Pads
• Confetti
• Cellophane Bag
• White Cardstock
• Craft Paper of Choice: Colors, Patterns, and Designs
• Glue
• Scissors or Cricut
• Envelope

• Cricut Machine
• Prismacolor Alcohol-Based Markers
• Glue Tape Runner
• Gelly Roll White Gel Pen
• 3-D Styrofoam Dots
• Pearl Embellishments
• Tweezers
• Bone Folder
• Address Stamp

To get started, gather all of your materials so you have them accessible.

If you have a Cricut machine, use this to cut stamp dies using the Time To Celebrate Cricut files. If you don't have a Cricut machine, place your white card stock onto a craft mat to protect your surface.

Use your Cricut to cut out the frame of the same size as your base card. We are working with a 4.25 x 4.25-inch square for our birthday shaker card.

There are a few materials you can use to craft your shaker card. You can use acetate sheets, vellum sheets, or re-purpose the cellophane packaging your stamp set comes in. You could also separately purchase cellophane bags to create a shaker card technique.

Using clear stamps is easy, simply peel your stamp from it backing sheet and place it onto an acrylic stamp block. The photopolymer is slightly tacky, so your stamp can easily stick and be removed from your stamp block.

To ink your stamp, take your ink pad and lightly pat it to coat your stamp with ink. Then place your stamp directly where you want your impression to appear. Use firm and even pressure while pressing the stamp down onto your surface.

If you are completing this project without a Cricut, stamp all the designs you want to use on the sheet of white card stock. Be sure to space out the stamped impressions so that you can cut around them.

Once you have stamped your images, it's time to color them! You can use any coloring medium of your choice. Our favorite medium is to use alcohol-based art markers. Art markers have rich colors, and dual-tip brushes, and blend better than low-cost materials.

Important notes for stamp coloring:

• Test your color on a part of the paper you are not using, like a top or bottom corner.
• Start with your base color or the main color of your object or animal.
• Use short strokes and light daubing for best results.

"When coloring with art markers, use short strokes or light daubing for best blending results."

Glue your acetate, vellum, or cellophane layer to the inside of your frame. With your frame flipped upside down, start placing your shaker elements on top of your shaker material. Add two layers of glue from your glue runner to the backside of your frame.

Tip: Add glue past the edges of your frame to avoid any gaps or holes where your confetti pieces could fall out.

Then, carefully and evenly place the backside of your card base over your frame, layered well with glue. Voila! You now have a shaker!

Now it's time to design your shaker card. Before you start gluing pieces down, place all of your elements loose on top to ensure the layout and look you want.

Design tip: Try layering your stamped images for a three-dimensional effect. Also, consider placing elements slightly off the card, as we did with the balloons.

Once you are happy with the placement, glue all your elements down. We recommend using a glue runner as it is quick, easy, and mess-free.

Now you're ready to celebrate with all your friends! Don't forget to follow our blog and socials for more card-making inspiration and tips! Share your designs with us using #StampWithUS.