Christmas Side Edge Cards: Easy Cricut Holiday Card Designs!

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE SHAPED EDGE CARDS DESIGNS

First, download my Shaped Edge Cards designs from my free library – look for Design #598. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.

In the SVG folder, you’ll find three designs: A flower card, a tree card, and a whale card. Each design has a no-score version that uses dashed cut lines to create the foldable creases, and a score version that uses a scoring tool to create the creases.

There is also a folder for Joy users that contains Cricut Joy-sized versions of each of the three designs, with dashed cut lines to create the foldable creases. Also, there is a DXF folder with cut files, and a PDF folder with versions you can print and cut by hand.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to prepare and assemble the full-size no-score version of the Flowers card with a Cricut Maker 3, and the Joy-size version of the Tree card using a Cricut Joy.

If you want to make the score version of the designs, follow the steps from my score tool tutorial to adjust your file.

OPTION 1: FULL-SIZE SHAPED EDGE CARD

STEP 2: PREPARE AND CUT YOUR FULL-SIZE SHAPED EDGE CARD DESIGN

1. Open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project.”
2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse.”
4. Select the SVG file of your choice. I’ll use the Flower SVG with “noscore” in the name from the main SVG folder.
   
   TIP: If you’re not sure how to upload, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to unzip and upload SVG files.
5. On the Prepare to Upload screen, it will say “Cut Image” with the design preview.
6. Click “Upload.”
7. Find the design in Recent Uploads and add it to the Canvas. This is what the Flower Shaped Edge Card design looks like on the Canvas.
   
   
   
8. Ungroup the design.
   
   
   
9. If you’d like to change the color of the pieces to match your cardstock, ungroup them and do that now.
10. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.
11. Click “Make.”
12. If prompted, click “On Mat,” choose your mat size, and click “Confirm.”
13. On the Prepare screen, make sure the correct Material Size is selected for your materials.
    
    
    
14. Select the first mat again and click “Continue.”
15. On the Make screen, your mats will be in rainbow order. Set the Base Material for your mats. I used the following settings:
    
    “Medium Cardstock - 80 lb (216 gsm)” setting with “More” Pressure for the 65 lb cardstock pieces
    
    
    
    “Medium Cardstock - 80 lb (216 gsm)” setting with “More” Pressure for the shimmer cardstock pieces, two passes
    
    “Glitter Cardstock” setting with “More” Pressure for the glitter cardstock pieces
    
    
16. Check that your Premium Fine-Point Blade is clean and in the correct clamp.
17. Place your first mat’s cardstock pretty side up on a green StandardGrip machine mat.
    
    
    
18. Use a brayer to make sure it’s fully adhered.
19. Press the flashing “Load/Unload” button to load the prepared mat into your Cricut.
20. Press the flashing “Go” button to begin cutting.
21. When it has finished cutting, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the material.
    
    
    
    TIP: Use a spatula to carefully remove any intricate parts and a weeding tool to pop out any small pieces. If you have trouble with any of your cuts, check out my Cricut Tips & Tricks for Cleaner Cuts.
    
    
    
22. Repeat steps 17-21 for each additional mat.
    
    

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR FULL-SIZE SHAPED EDGE CARD

I’ll demonstrate with a full-size Flower card design, but these instructions are similar for the other two full-size designs. I’ll use the no-score version of the design, but if you want to make the score version, follow the steps from my score tool tutorial to adjust your file.

1. Gather your Flower Card pieces. There is one large base card piece and one smaller liner piece.
   
   
   
2. Place the base on your work surface, pretty side down if you’re using one-sided cardstock, with the flower shapes on the left.
3. Fold the flower side over at the crease.
4. Use a scraper tool to sharpen the crease.
   
   
   
5. Curl each large petal around a pen or marker to make the flowers pop off the card.
   
   
   
6. Use a weeding tool to bend or curl the smaller cut petals upward on the three larger flowers, as well as on the small individual flowers.
   
   
   
7. Open the card so the cut out flowers are on the left.
8. Grab your liner piece and match up its edges with the edges of the base card’s right side. Check that all of the flower outlines match up. If they don’t, flip it over and try the other way.
   
   
   
9. Apply craft glue to the inside of the card base on the side with the cut out flowers. Be sure to apply glue all around the flower edges and in the center of each flower, but don’t apply any to the petals.
   
   
   
10. Push the liner squarely into the crease and carefully close the card to adhere the front to the liner.
    
    
    
11. Make sure the edges are flush along the top, bottom, and side and adjust the liner if needed before the glue dries.
12. Press the layers together between the curled petals to adhere the liner to the card.
    
    
    
13. If any excess glue seeps out from inside the flowers, use a paper towel to dab it away.
14. Open the card to make sure no excess glue seeped out onto the bottom layer.
15. This is what my finished Flower Card looks like!
    
    

OPTION 2: JOY-SIZE SHAPED EDGE CARD

STEP 2: PREPARE AND CUT YOUR JOY-SIZE SHAPED EDGE CARD DESIGN

1. Open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project.”
2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse.”
4. Select the SVG file of your choice from the “For Joy Users” folder. I’ll use the Tree SVG.
   
   TIP: If you’re not sure how to upload, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to unzip and upload SVG files.
   
5. On the Prepare to Upload screen, it will say “Cut Image” with the design preview.
6. Click “Upload.”
7. Find the design in Recent Uploads and add it to the Canvas. This is what the Joy-size Tree Shaped Edge Card design looks like on the Canvas.
   
   
   
8. Ungroup the design. There is a solid back base piece, a front base piece with cutouts, and two colored liners that layer inside to make the tree.
   
   
   
9. If you’d like to change the color of the pieces to match your cardstock, ungroup them and do that now.
10. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.
11. Click “Make.”
12. If prompted, click “On Mat,” choose your mat size, and click “Confirm.”
13. On the Prepare screen, make sure the correct Material Size is selected for your materials.
    
    
    
14. Select the first mat again and click “Continue.”
15. On the Make screen, your mats will be in rainbow order. Set the Base Material for your mats. I used the following settings:
    
    “Medium Cardstock - 80 lb (216 gsm)” setting with “More” Pressure for the 65 lb cardstock pieces
    
    
    
    “Medium Cardstock - 80 lb (216 gsm)” setting with “More” Pressure for the shimmer cardstock pieces, two passes
    
    “Glitter Cardstock” setting with “More” Pressure for the glitter cardstock pieces
    
    
16. Check that your Premium Fine-Point Blade is clean and in the correct clamp.
17. Place your first mat’s cardstock face up on a green StandardGrip machine mat.
    
    
    
18. Use a brayer to make sure it’s fully adhered.
19. When the light is flashing, load your mat.
    
    
    
20. Click the “Go” button to begin cutting.
    
    
    
21. When it has finished cutting, click “Unload” to unload the mat.
    
    
    
22. Flip the mat over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the cardstock.
    
    
    
    TIP: Use a spatula to carefully remove any intricate parts and a weeding tool to pop out any small pieces. If you have trouble with any of your cuts, check out my Cricut Tips & Tricks for Cleaner Cuts.
    
    
    
23. Repeat steps 17-22 for each additional mat.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR JOY-SIZE SHAPED EDGE CARD

I’ll demonstrate with a Joy-size Tree card design, but these instructions are similar for the other two Joy-size designs.

1. Gather your Joy-size Tree Card pieces. The base pieces are the same color – one is a solid back piece, and one is a front piece with the full tree cutout. There is also one solid colored liner piece, and one liner piece with leaf cutouts.
   
   
   
2. Place the base piece with the tree cutout on your work surface with the leaves pointing to the left – or pretty side down if you’re using one-sided cardstock.
3. Apply craft glue to the back of the cutout base piece, but avoid the tab along the right side. Be sure to apply glue along the edges and between most of the leaves.
   
   
   
4. Grab the liner piece with leaf cutouts, and hold it over the glued base piece. Line up the edges and cutouts.
   
   NOTE: The cutout liner is slightly smaller than the base layer, so there will be a thin edge of the base layer showing around the liner when the layers are correctly aligned.
   
5. With the two layers aligned, press them together to adhere them.
   
   
   
6. Slide the liner to make any adjustments if needed before the glue dries.
7. Use a paper towel to dab away any glue that may have seeped out onto the back of the card, the work surface, or the front of the card.
8. Set the assembled layers face down on the work surface.
9. Apply craft glue to the back of the cutout liner piece, still avoiding the base layer’s tab along the right side. Be sure to apply glue along the edges and between most of the leaves.
   
   
   
10. Grab the solid liner piece, and hold it over the other two assembled pieces. Line up the edges and cutouts.
    
    NOTE: This liner is slightly smaller than the base layer, too – so there will be a thin edge of the base layer showing around the liner when the layers are correctly aligned.
    
11. With the layers aligned, press them together to adhere them.
    
    
    
12. Slide the liner to make any adjustments if needed before the glue dries.
13. Use a paper towel to dab away any glue that may have seeped out onto the back of the card, the work surface, or the front of the card.
14. Place the assembled pieces face down on your work surface.
15. When the assembled layers are fully dry, fold the tab up along the crease line.
16. Use your scraper to get a sharp crease.
    
    
    
17. Apply glue to the outside of the tab.
    
    
    
18. Place the back base piece on your work surface, face down, with the long straight edge on the left.
19. Slide the straight side of the back base piece up against the crease on the front base piece.
    
    
    
20. Press the glued tab down onto the back base piece.
    
    
    
    TIP: To cover the tab, duplicate the solid liner piece in Cricut Design Space, cut it out, then glue it inside.
    

STEP 4: SHOW IT OFF

Here are what my finished shaped edge cards look like!



Prepare, cut, and assemble your own envelope, then mail or gift it to someone special!

Be sure to make the right sized envelope for your card! The larger 5” x 7” card will best fit into a size A7 envelope, and the 4” x 6” Joy-sized card works best with a size A6 envelope.