Fun Accordion Birthday Card
What a fun accordion card for a special birthday! I made this card for my husband’s 60th birthday and plan to do one for my mother-in-law’s 85th coming up in October. The card folds up to a regular card size and then pulls out to reveal your surprise. Delight the recipient by making candles – one for each year of their age! For my husband’s card, I made 60 candles. For my mother-in-law’s I plan to make 85 candles! My husband was completely delighted.
When the card is folded, it looks like a regular card. When you open it, you reveal all the candles. The more candles, the better the card.
To start, you need to connect pages to create the right number of panels. First figure out how many candles you can put on each page. I fit 15 candles on each page, so I needed four pages to fit 60 candles, plus a front and a back panel, for a total of 6 panels. To accomplish this, I cut Thick Basic White down the middle to create pages that were 11″ x 4.5″, and scored them in the middle. I scored one side at 1/4″ to create a tab. I then attached the tab to the next sheet using Tear and Tape adhesive for a strong bond.
Next I sponged two different colors starting at the bottom and going up using blending brushes. As always, start the brush first off the page, so that you don’t end up with a blob where you start. I used Real Red first, then layered on Crushed Curry. Make sure to go over the Real Red with the Crushed Curry a little so that they blend well together. Extend the ink above where you will end the candles so you can see it. For the front, I used an embossing folder for the top of the card and designer series paper for the lower part of the card. I ran a ribbon over the seam to hide it.
Cut the right number of candles. You can cut them with a trimmer, or use a die if you have one that would work as candles. I cut candles one-half inch wide and two inches tall using different designer series papers. I did not repeat any papers, and lined them up so that different designs and colors were side by side. I added the candles to the panels using Tombow glue (you can use your favorite adhesive). I colored the flames with the dark Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends. To finish the card, I decorated the front and back panels with the now-retired Party Puffins, but feel free to use whatever stamp set you prefer.
I would love to see your creations! If you make the card, please drop me a note with a picture.
It takes a little extra effort, but your friends and family would be so delighted to receive this card!
