Shimmering Shaker Card for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Technique Challenge

This week’s 52 Christmas Card Throwdown technique challenge is all about creating a shaker card, and I couldn’t resist making something delicate and frosty with soft pastel tones and shimmering silver details. Shaker cards always add a touch of interactive fun to Christmas designs, and I love the way the floating sequins and glitter catch the light as you move the card.

For this design, I chose a cool winter palette of soft pinks and blues, pairing it with a classic square shape and a beautifully layered frame. Let’s take a look at how it all came together!

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Card Overview

This design features:

• A 6-inch square base card in Basic White cardstock.

• A shaker window framed with delicate patterned paper.

• Silver shaker elements for a frosty, snow-like effect.

• A layered sentiment in crisp black ink.

• Tiny die-cut snowflakes for a final wintry embellishment.

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Materials Used

• Basic White Cardstock – for the base card.

• Patterned Paper (DSP) by Prima – in soft pinks and blues for the shaker frame and background.

• Acetate – to create the shaker window.

• Silver Shaker Elements – sequins, microbeads, and glitter.

• Spellbinders Sending Sentiments Stamp Set – for part of the greeting.

• Mama Elephant Jolly and Merry Stamp Set – for the second part of the greeting.

• Tim Holtz Stamping Platform – for precision stamping.

• Black Ink – for the sentiment.

• Matching Dies – to cut out the sentiment.

• 3 Small Snowflake Die-Cuts – to embellish the shaker window.

• Foam Tape – to create the raised frame for the shaker elements.

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Step 1: Creating the Shaker Frame

I started with a 6-inch square card base in Basic White cardstock, keeping the design clean and simple to let the shaker element shine.

Next, I selected a soft pink and blue patterned paper from Prima and fussy cut the centre out, leaving a delicate frame. This frame was then adhered to a square piece of acetate, creating a see-through shaker window.

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Step 2: Building the Shaker Element

To create the shaker background, I adhered a co-ordinating patterned paper directly onto the base card. This would serve as the backdrop for the floating silver shaker elements.

I then built up the shaker compartment using strips of foam tape, ensuring there were no gaps for the sequins and glitter to escape. Once the silver shaker mix was placed in the centre, I carefully sealed the acetate frame over the top, creating the interactive shaker feature.

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Step 3: Stamping & Die-Cutting the Sentiment

For the sentiment, I combined two different stamp sets:

• “Sending” from the Spellbinders Sending Sentiments set.

• “Jolly & Merry” from the Mama Elephant Jolly and Merry set.

Using my Tim Holtz stamping platform, I stamped the sentiment in black ink onto white cardstock, ensuring a crisp, clean impression. The matching dies were then used to cut out the words, creating a layered, dimensional look.

These die-cut words were adhered directly to the acetate, floating beautifully over the shaker elements inside.

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Step 4: Adding Snowflake Embellishments

For a final wintry touch, I used three tiny snowflakes and adhered them around the sentiment on the acetate window. This small detail helped balance the design and enhanced the frosty, festive feel of the card.

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Final Look & Customisation Ideas

This shaker card is delicate, elegant, and interactive, making it perfect for a special Christmas greeting. I love how the silver shaker mix adds a touch of frosty sparkle, and the sentiment stands out beautifully against the soft pastel tones.

Want to customise this design? Try:

• A more traditional Christmas look – swap the pastels for rich reds and greens.

• A bold modern twist – use black, gold, and white with metallic shaker elements.

• A snowy scene – replace the frame with a die-cut Christmas village or tree silhouette.

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Final Thoughts

I had so much fun making this shaker card for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Technique Challenge! Shaker cards always add an extra element of surprise and joy, and I love the delicate shimmer and movement in this design.

Are you taking part in this week’s challenge? Let me know how you interpret the shaker card technique—I’d love to see your creations!

Happy crafting!