Mother's Day Pop-Up Card

If you're feeling creative and want to make your Mom her Mother's Day card this year, I saw this Spring Bouquet  Pop-Up Card on Martha Stewart's website.  Below are instructions to make this card which only requires paper, permanent adhesive (or glue) and an hour of your time.

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom !!

Materials:

• Text weight paper (not heavy cover weight or construction paper)
• One card stock (8-1/2 x 11" to cut down to desired card size)
• Scissors
• Permanent Adhesive (I used double-sided tape)

CREATING FLOWERS:

 1)  You need 7 squares of paper cut into 4"x4" size

Photo below shows first 5 steps of folding the paper, clockwise from left.

2) Fold paper in half to achieve 2"x4" folded sheet

3) Fold in quarters to achieve 2"x2" sqaure

4) Fold each half diagonally, away from the center to form a triangle on top; turn over and fold bottom flap back to form complete triangle (dark pink sample above)

5) You need a petal template like the orange shape above to cut out the flower from this triangle fold. ( There is a video instruction on Martha Stewart's website if needed). Trace the petal template onto the triangle, and cut out.

6) Unfold, and cut 1 petal (#8 below) from flower; close gap by overlapping and adhering petal #1 over petal #7 to form a cup. Repeat with other squares.

NOTE #1: Key to assembly is to use permanent/strong adhesive AND to place small adhesive strips (dab of glue) to backside "top" of each petal. Having adhesive at the top end allows the petals to pop up as they adhere to the other petals tips as well.

NOTE #2: If my assembly instructions get confusing below, this Extreme Cards blog has wonderful instructions I initially used to make my first card.



ASSEMBLY:

1) Lay out your flowers in the pattern you choose

2)  First assemble the top 3 flowers, adhering the tops of the left (orange) & right (dark pink) on the top pink flower's left and right petals  (see second photo for results)

Like this ...

3)  Place adhesive on the backside of the three yellow flower's petals and adhere to one petal each of the orange, light pink and dark pink petals  (see next photo for results)

Like this ...

4) Now adhere two petals on back of second dark pink flower (pictured lower left) - adhere to both top left yellow flower petal and middle left orange flower.  Repeat on opposite side with second orange flower (pictured lower right) - adhere to both top right yellow flower petals and middle petal of bottom dark pink flower.

Like this ...



5) Adhere final 7th flower petals on top adhering the 3 back petals (light pink) to one each of dark pink, yellow and orange flower petals underneath.  Like this ....

6) Put something heavy on top of this assembled floral bloom, lying flat, to allow the adhesive or glue to set.  Don't open too soon or it will fall apart.  That's why it's key to use strong adhesive and not heavy card stock.



7) Fold one large card stock in half. (Make any size to match any envelope it will fit into).  Place flattened floral bunch against the inside crease of the card. Adhere the finished bloom into a card ONLY adhering one double sided tape (glue dot) to outside middle petal (light pink).  Close the card and flip it over, re-open the card and repeat small adhesive on the other side of the card.  Placement looks like this...

You can add some cut out green leaves to spruce up your final result.   Voila  !