Party Hat Card Tutorial: Create Three Colorful Inlay Cards

Carrianne Banul

3 weeks ago

In this party hat inlay card tutorial, I’m sharing how to create three colorful birthday cards using one die set and simple cardstock layering techniques. This design is a fun way to stretch your supplies and create a coordinated set of handmade cards with bold, playful color combinations.

Carrianne here! I’m excited to share how I created three party hat themed cards using colorful cardstock and a simple inlay technique. By mixing and matching pink, purple, yellow, and teal, I was able to create a coordinated set that feels fun, bright, and perfect for any celebration.

Supplies & Materials

CutCardstock

DCS Raspberry Ice Pink
DCS Yellow Jacket
DCS Caribbean Blue
Pop-Tone Grape Jelly
Classic Crest Solar White (for sentiment)

Other

Concord & 9th – Party Hats Inlay Die
Altenew – Timeless Sentiments Stamp Set (Celebrate)
Pixie Dust Designs – Birthday Sentiments Dies
Bearly Art Glue

Step 1: Die Cut Your Panels

First, begin this party hat inlay card tutorial by die cutting the party hats cover die from each of your cardstock colors:

This will give you multiple panels along with all the individual hat pieces for inlaying.

All cardstock colors and the party hats cover die ready to start creating.

Step 2: Choose Your Background Panels

Next, select three panels to use as your card fronts. For this project, I used:

DCS Raspberry Ice Pink
Pop-Tone Grape Jelly
DCS Caribbean Blue

Set aside the remaining colored pieces to use as inlay accents, which will be used to fill in and complete the coordinating designs across all panels.

*Teal panel adhered to a white card base with the inlay pieces ready to be placed.*

Step 3: Inlay the Hat Pieces

Then, begin filling each panel with contrasting colors:

Raspberry Ice Pink panel: Grape Jelly, Yellow Jacket, and Caribbean Blue pieces
Grape Jelly panel: Raspberry Ice Pink, Yellow Jacket, and Caribbean Blue pieces
Caribbean Blue panel: Raspberry Ice Pink, Yellow Jacket, and Grape Jelly pieces

Tip: Scatter the colors evenly across each panel for a balanced and playful look.

*Close-up of the inlay process with colorful pieces being placed into the teal panel.*

Step 4: Complete Panels

After that, repeat the inlay process for the remaining panels.

Next, fill each one with a mix of coordinating colors so each card develops its own personality while still working as a cohesive set.

Then, once all the pieces are in place, gently press each one down so the inlays sit flush and secure.

Finally, take a moment to check each panel and make sure everything is evenly placed and adhered.

Three colorful panels completed—pink, purple, and teal—each with its own playful combination of inlay pieces and ready for the next step!

Step 5: Add Sentiments

Next, add the sentiments to each card, mixing techniques for visual variety:

Caribbean Blue panel: Raspberry Ice Pink shadow with a white word die on top
Raspberry Ice Pink panel: Grape Jelly shadow with a Yellow Jacket sentiment for contrast
Grape Jelly panel: Heat-embossed sentiment on a coordinating strip placed at the top center

Each design balances color and placement differently for a cohesive but varied set.

All the cardstock and word dies laid out for each panel—mixing shadows and die colors adds fun, playful variety to the set.

Step 6: Finishing Touches

To finish, I kept the embellishments simple to let the designs shine:

Added sequins only to the Caribbean Blue panel for sparkle and dimension.
Left the Raspberry Ice Pink and Grape Jelly cards clean for a more minimal finish.

Close-up of the teal panel card with embellishments.

Close-up of the Raspberry Ice Pink panel card, left clean and simple to highlight the inlay design.

A closer look at the Grape Jelly panel card with a simple, unembellished finish that highlights the design.

This party hat inlay card tutorial is a fun way to stretch your dies and explore bold color combinations using a simple inlay technique. By mixing and matching cardstock, you can create multiple coordinating cards that each have their own personality.

I hope this inspires you to try your own colorful combinations and create a playful set of handmade cards!