This week’s theme challenge over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is animals, which opens up so many fun possibilities! I decided to keep things simple and let some lovely pre-designed elements do the work for me, using the Joyful Christmas Card Kit by Spellbinders.
It’s one of those cards that comes together quite easily but still feels full of charm and detail — perfect when you want something quick but effective.
Here’s how I made it.
What You’ll Need
- Cardstock: White, pink
- Designer Paper & Ephemera: Joyful Christmas Card Kit (Spellbinders)
- Dies: Essential Rectangle Deckle Frames (Craft Addiction UK), small snowflake dies
- Stamps: Christmas to Remember (Stampin’ Up)
- Ink: Black ink
- Embellishments: Tiny die-cut hearts
- Other: Foam adhesive, liquid glue
Step 1: Create the Card Base
Start with an A6 white card base.
Cut a piece of designer paper from the card kit to the same size as the card front and adhere it flat. This gives you an instant festive background with very little effort.
Step 2: Build the Centre Panel
Using the Essential Rectangle Deckle Frames dies, cut a white centre panel. The deckled edge adds a soft, slightly rustic feel that works beautifully with the festive theme.
To tie everything together, die cut two narrow strips of contrasting designer paper using the same die set and adhere them to the top and bottom of the panel.
Step 3: Add the Sentiment
Stamp your sentiment from the Christmas to Remember stamp set in black ink, positioning it neatly in the centre of the panel. I used a stamp positioner for this step, just to make sure everything was nicely aligned. Adhere the panel to the centre of the card using foam adhesive.
Step 4: Arrange the Animals
Now for the fun part — adding the animals!
Choose three animal ephemera pieces from the kit and arrange them around the panel:
- One on each bottom corner
- One towards the top right
This creates a balanced layout and draws the eye around the design.
Adhere them using a mix of foam adhesive and liquid glue to give a little dimension.
Step 5: Finishing Touches
To finish the card, I added:
- Three small white die-cut snowflakes, placed around the panel for a soft wintery feel
- Two teeny pink die-cut hearts, one above and one below the sentiment
The hearts are such a tiny detail, but they really help tie in the colours from the ephemera and echo the warmth of the sentiment.
Final Thoughts
I love how this card turned out — it’s sweet, festive, and full of personality thanks to those adorable animal elements. Using a kit like this makes it so easy to pull together a cohesive design, especially when you’re short on time.
If you’ve got any animal stamps, dies or ephemera in your stash, this is the perfect week to bring them out and have a play. Head over to 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and join in the challenge — I’d love to see what you create!
Happy crafting!
Lily-by-Gilly 