Autumn Blooms: Paper Piecing a Bold Fall Card

Hello everyone; this is Sweta from Table in the Attic. I am so excited to share my latest project with you today! As the seasons change, I love bringing the rich, cozy tones of autumn straight onto my card designs. For this bold fall card, I decided to lean fully into warm fall colors using an intricate paper-piecing technique. By inlaying contrasting shades into a dark textured outline, you create a bold, stained-glass floral effect that instantly catches the eye.

When you take on detailed paper piecing, having cardstock that die-cuts with razor-sharp edges is absolutely essential. Consequently, I pulled a gorgeous palette of autumn cardstocks directly from CutCardStock to assemble this design. I selected Canvas Vanilla Bean Brown to serve as the intricate, textured floral frame. Next, I brought in Astrobright Solar Yellow, DCS Textured Adobo Orange, and DCS Red Pepper to piece together the warm petals. To complete the card, I used shimmering CCS Gold Glitter Cardstock for the flower centers, all assembled on a crisp base of Classic Crest Smooth Solar White 130 lb.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Die Cutting the Outline Frame and Colored Pieces

To begin, I cut the full Crafty Meraki Lenten Rose Die from Canvas Vanilla Bean Brown cardstock. This intricate die-cut outline serves as the dark skeleton for our entire card front. Next, I ran the same die through my machine using Astrobright Solar Yellow, DCS Textured Adobo Orange, and DCS Red Pepper cardstock to create all the colorful puzzle pieces. Furthermore, I cut the die from CCS Gold Glitter Cardstock to gather all the tiny floral centers. Tip: Cut 1×1 inch pieces of Gold Cardstock to put right underneath the flower centers for die-cutting to save your cardstock.

2. Preparing the Base for Paper Piecing

Before piecing the petals together, I cut a backing panel from Classic Crest Smooth Solar White cardstock to match the size of the brown die-cut frame. I applied a thin layer of liquid adhesive across the back of the brown frame and adhered it directly onto the white panel. This creates a recessed grid where every colored piece can sit snugly in place.

3. Paper Piecing the Autumn Petals

Next, I began the paper-piecing process for this bold fall card. Using fine-tip tweezers and liquid glue, I inlaid the vibrant yellow petals into the top flower. Afterward, I aldded the rich Adobo Orange and DCS Red Pepper cardstock pieces to fill in the lower two blooms. The linen-like texture on the brown cardstock beautifully frames each brightly colored petal.

4. Adding the Glitter Flower Centers

The center dots of each flower are quite tiny and can be time-consuming to place. However, they are completely worth the extra effort for that subtle hint of metallic shine! I carefully inlaid the tiny CCS Gold Glitter pieces into the core of each bloom. The glitter catches the light instantly and gives the flowers an elegant, sparkling focal point.

5. Final Assembly

For the last step, I trimmed any excess edges from the panel and mounted it onto a mini slimline card base made from heavy-duty Classic Crest Smooth Solar White 130 lb. To finish the design quickly, I selected a pre-foiled and die-cut “Thinking Of You” sentiment from my craft stash and adhered it across the lower corner with Foam Tape.

Thank you all for stopping by today to craft this bold fall card! I hope these warm autumn blooms inspire you to try out paper piecing with your favorite dies. Before you head to your craft room, make sure to join the CutCardStock Facebook Group! It is the perfect place to find daily inspiration, connect with fellow makers, and share your own gorgeous creations. I can’t wait to see you there!

Until next time, stay crafty!

Sweta

Supply List

Cardstock:

• Canvas Brown 12×12 Discount Cardstock (Vanilla Bean Brown Outline Frame)
• Astrobright Solar Yellow Cardstock (Yellow Petals)
• DCS Textured Adobo Orange Discount Cardstock (Orange Petals)
• DCS Red Discount 12×12 Cardstock (Red Petals)
• CCS Gold Discount Cardstock (Glitter Flower Centers)
• Classic Crest Smooth Solar White 130lb (Card Base & Sturdy Backing Panel)

Dies: Crafty Meraki Lenten Rose Die.

Embellishments & Adhesives: Pre-foiled “Thinking Of You” sentiment, Bearly Art Liquid Glue, Foam tape, fine-tip tweezers.