Do you remember the thrill of deciding which valentines you were going to give to your classmates in grade school? How about the even bigger thrill of opening them and wondering if a certain someone liked you or not? I sure remember those days! It’s quite possible that was the beginning of my love affair with paper crafts and card making. If making a decorated valentine box isn’t the very definition of a paper craft, I’ll eat my hat – or preferably a Snickers bar!
Today I’ve combined the love of paper crafting with a shaker box. Oh boy! Two of my most favorite things. It’s a simple card that let’s the cardstock and the die cuts do the work. No stamps or ink required on this one! So let’s get into how it’s constructed.
I designed this card entirely around the lacy and intricate heart die. It is Daisy Heart from CottageCutz. In the photo below, the black cardstock represents the rectangle I decided to cut out of a piece of Classic Linen Pearl card stock. This will become the shaker frame enclosing the heart and shaker bits. I measured the heart’s width and height and added 1/2″ to both dimensions. I cut the piece of scrap black cardstock and used it to trace the lines of the frame. Then I used my craft knife and cut the rectangle out of the cardstock. This made a frame that was perfectly sized for the heart.
I added a piece of acetate behind the window and then cut another piece of Classic Pearl cardstock 1/2″ wider and taller than the frame. I used another die from CottageCutz to cut three of the love you phrases and heart in Astrobright Pulsar Pink. I glued each layer on itself to make a chunky phrase and heart. I cut the heart out of Astrobright Re-Entry Red card stock. I didn’t cut multiple layers of this because the low profile allows the shaker bits to move around.
The shaker window well was made by installing double sided foam tape to the back of the frame. I prefer the foam tape sold at Dollar Tree in the Automotive section because it’s thicker than most foam tapes. It gives the shaker bits a little more room to move around.
I added a mix of shaker bits including gold Love sequin phrases to the mix. I also added heart sequins in various colors and a mix of seed beads and dark jewel tone sequins. It’s so pretty! Did I mention I love sparkly things? I peeled the backers off of the foam tape and applied it over the top of the heart and shaker bits. I was careful to take my time and make sure it was centered evenly around the heart.
Once complete, I glued the Love You sentiment and heart to the top of the frame and then the entire piece was mounted on a card base of Astrobright Retro Red.
I really enjoy the interesting shapes and colors in this shaker and the red, white and pink colors just can’t be more Valentine themed if it tried! There’s still time to pick up some great pink, red and white cards stocks at the store. As a bonus, Astrobright is on sale in January.
Thanks for joining me today for this fun shaker card tutorial. I’ll be back soon with another card tutorial!
