Make A Pop-up Card
Make a pop-up greeting card using paper, scissors, glue, and simple folds, decorate it creatively, and personalize it for someone special.
Step-by-step guide to make a pop-up card
How to MAKE a POP UP CARD!! - (Easy for Kids!)
Step 1
Choose one special person to make the card for.
Step 2
Pick a sheet of paper for the card.
Step 3
Fold the paper in half to make a card.
Step 4
With the card folded, use the ruler and pencil to draw two parallel horizontal lines about 5 cm long and 2 cm apart near the center fold for the pop-up cuts.
Step 5
Cut along the pencil lines with scissors while the card is still folded to make the pop-up tab.
Step 6
Open the card so the inside lies flat.
Step 7
Push the cut tab inward so it forms a pop-up rectangle.
Step 8
Crease the new folds flat so the pop-up stands neatly when the card opens.
Step 9
Cut a small shape from scrap paper to be your pop-up character or object.
Step 10
Decorate the pop-up shape with coloring materials and stickers.
Step 11
Glue the bottom of the pop-up shape onto the front of the pop-up tab inside the card.
Step 12
Decorate the outside and the rest of the inside of the card with coloring materials and stickers.
Step 13
Write a short personal message inside for the person you chose.
Step 14
Share your finished pop-up card on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a ruler, pencil, scissors, or glue if we don't have them?
Use a book edge or credit card as a ruler, a pen or marker to draw the two parallel horizontal lines near the center fold, child-safe scissors or carefully torn paper to make the pop-up cuts, and a glue stick or double-sided tape to attach the scrap-paper pop-up shape.
What should I do if the pop-up tab won't fold correctly or the card tears when I make the cuts?
Check that you only cut the two 5 cm lines while the card is folded, push the cut tab inward and firmly re-crease the new folds flat so the pop-up rectangle sits neatly, and shorten or reinforce the tab edge with scrap paper if the card begins to tear before gluing the pop-up shape.
How can I change the activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children (3–5) have an adult pre-fold the card and pre-cut a larger pop-up tab and use big stickers and crayons to decorate, for 6–8 let kids measure and cut the 5 cm lines with supervision, and for 9+ challenge them to add multiple pop-up tabs and detailed decorations using rulers and colored paper.
How can we make the pop-up card more special or more complex?
Add extra pop-up tabs by repeating the two parallel cuts in other places, layer several scrap-paper shapes onto each tab, use patterned paper, stickers, or small photos for decoration, write a longer personal message, or make a movable element with a paper brad before sharing the finished card on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to make a pop-up card
Easy Pop Up Card Tutorial for Beginners
4 Videos
Easy Pop Up Card Tutorial for Beginners
Easy Pop up cards Step Fold Technique
Easy Pop-Up Card Tutorial For ANY SIZE CARD
You Want to Full Tutorial? | DIY Pop Up Card Making Step by Step | Easy & Creative #papercraft
Facts about paper crafts for kids
✂️ Pop-up cards use "paper engineering"—clever folds, cuts, and tabs—to turn flat paper into surprising 3D scenes.
❤️ Handmade cards feel extra special—personalized decorations and messages make them keepsakes many people treasure.
🧩 Kirigami (cut paper) and origami (folding) are paper-art cousins—kirigami’s cuts make many pop-up shapes possible.
💡 Simple pop-up mechanisms like the V-fold, box pop-up, and sliding tab are beginner-friendly but deliver big "wow" moments.
🎉 Victorian England helped popularize decorated greeting cards, turning card-sending into a festive social tradition.
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