Nov 225 min read

Festive Holiday Cards Tutorial: Inspired by The Disney - Grand Californian Christmas Scrapbook Layout!

Holiday magic in card form! Inspired by my Disney-themed scrapbook layout,

Crafting is one of the best ways to capture the magic of the holiday season. Inspired by my Disney-Garand Californian scrapbook layout featuring the Grand Californian’s stunning 35-foot Christmas tree, I’ve created these festive 4.25” x 5.5” horizontal holiday cards. These cards carry over the rich colors, elegant layers, and embellishment clusters of the layout while being perfect for sharing seasonal cheer with loved ones. Whether you’re a scrapbooker or card maker, these designs will inspire you to add a little handmade magic to your holiday projects.

Create Festive Holiday Cards with Disney Grand Californian Christmas Scrapbook Layout Inspiration

Holiday elegance meets Disney magic! This scrapbook layout featuring the Grand Californian’s Christmas tree inspired the festive embellishment clusters used in the holiday cards. Click here to explore the full layout and blog post

While the original scrapbook layout included Disney-themed elements like Mickey silhouettes, these cards focus on holiday elegance. The design features a combination of Stampin’ Up! Nature’s Sweetness DSP, Gold Foil Specialty Paper, and beautiful embellishment clusters. To keep the festive theme cohesive, I recreated the pinecones, lanterns, and poinsettias from the layout while leaving room for a holiday sentiment.

Pro Tip: If you’re sending these cards to a Disney lover, you can easily add Mickey silhouettes back into the embellishment clusters for a magical touch!

Materials Used:

• Card Base Patterns: Stampin’ Up! Nature’s Sweetness Speciality DSP (cut diagonally)

• Accent Strips: Stampin’ Up! Gold Foil Sheets (1/4” diagonal strips)

• Cardstock:

CTMH Toffee or Stampin' Up! Pecan Pie 8-1/2"x11' Cardstock Mat (4” x 3.25”)

& Pine Cones

CTMH Mocha or Stampin' Up! Early Espresso 8-1/2"x11" Cardstock

CTMH White Daisy or Stampin' Up! White Willow 12x12 Cardstock Mat (3.75” x 3”) & For Stamping Embellishments

CTMH Pine or Stampin' Up! Shaded Spruce 8-1/2"x11" Cardstock

Stampin' Up! BASIC WHITE 8-1/2" X 11" THICK CARDSTOCK for card base

• Stamp Pads:

CTMH Toffee Ink or Pecan Pie Classic Stampin' Pad (for mat edges)

CTMH Pine Ink or Shaded Spruce Classic Stampin' Pad (for white mat edges and sentiment)

Pebbled Path Classic Stampin' Pad (to stamp lanterns)

• Stampin' Up! Stampin' Blends Combo Packs - Markers (to color Lantern light)

Lemon Lolly

Pecan Pie

• Stamp Sets & Bundles:

Stampin’ Up! Greetings of the Season Stamp Set

Stampin' Up! LIGHT THE YEAR BUNDLE (ENGLISH)

CTMH Everygreen Cardmaking Stamp & Dies

Stampin' Up! Poinsettia Petals Stamp & Die Bundle

• Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler & Clear Adhesive Backed Berries

• Tools: Paper Trimmer, Adhesive, Glue, Blending Brush. Sponger Dauber, Stampin' Cut & Emboss

💡 Shop the Products: Click here to shop all the products used in this project!

Step-by-Step Tutorial for Festive Holiday Cards

Step 1: Creating the card Base & Layers

The cards measure 4.25” x 5.5” and open horizontally.

If you do not have a premade card base, you can easily create one using Stampin’ Up! Basic White 8-1/2” x 11” Thick Cardstock. Here’s how:

1. Cut the cardstock in half to create a 5.5” x 8.5” piece.

2. Score the piece at 4.25” along the longer edge and fold to create your card base.

By cutting Nature’s Sweetness Specialty DSP diagonally, I created the top and bottom halves for two cards. A diagonal Gold Foil strip adds sparkle and separates the patterns beautifully.

For the card layers, I cut two pieces of Nature’s Sweetness Speciality DSP the same size as the cardstock base and then split them in half diagonally. This technique creates the top and bottom halves for two cards. To separate the patterns and add a little sparkle, I adhered a 1/4”x7” diagonal strip of Gold Foil across the card where the DSP pieces meet. Trim off any excess of the gold foil strip.

Step 2: Preparing the Mats

For the focal point, I cut a 4” x 3-1/2” Toffee Cardstock Mat and layered it with a 3.75” x 3.25” White Cardstock Mat. Before adhering them together:

• I inked the edges of the Toffee mat with CTMH Toffee Ink.

• I inked the edges of the White mat with CTMH Pine Ink for contrast.

Step 3: Stamping the Sentiment

Bringing the design to life! I used CTMH Pine Ink to stamp a festive holiday sentiment from the Stampin’ Up! Greetings of the Season Stamp Set

I stamped a festive holiday sentiment from the Greetings Of The Season Stamp Set in the upper-left corner of the white mat using CTMH Pine Ink.

To balance the design, I blended CTMH Toffee Ink along the right-hand side of the sentiment. Blending Toffee the Ink adds a cozy warmth, reminiscent of candlelight on a winter evening.

• Pro Tip: When blending Toffee Ink on the mat, start lightly and build color gradually for a natural gradient.

Step 4: Creating the Embellishments

The embellishments bring this holiday card to life with a mix of stamped, die-cut, and colored elements. Here’s how each piece came together:

Lanterns stamped with Stampin’ Up! Pebbled Path and brought to life with Stampin’ Blends in Lemon Lolly and Pecan Pie

• Lanterns: Using the Light the Year Bundle, I stamped the lanterns in Stampin’ Up! Pebbled Path Ink on White Willow Cardstock and die-cut them for a clean, precise finish.

• Bows: The bows were stamped in CTMH Toffee Ink and then die-cut for a soft, festive accent.

• Lantern Light: To create a warm glow inside the lanterns, I used Stampin’ Blends Combo Packs in Lemon Lolly and Pecan Pie, blending the shades for a realistic effect.

• Poinsettias: Using the Poinsettia Petals Dies, I cut the Poinsettia embellishments out of Nature’s Sweetness Specialty DSP.

I used a sponge dauber with Toffee Ink to softly ink the edges of the poinsettias, giving them a warm and dimensional finish

Using a sponge dauber, I very lightly inked up the edges of the poinsettias with Toffee Ink.

For added sparkle, I used the sprig die from the same set to cut small sprigs out of Gold Foil Sheets. The centers of the poinsettias were finished with clusters of Clear Berries for an elegant touch.

• Pine Branches:

I die-cut pine branches using the CTMH Evergreen Cardmaking Dies on Pine Cardstock, adding lush greenery to the design.

Using the CTMH Evergreen Dies, I created layered pinecones from Toffee and Mocha Cardstock, adding natural depth and texture to the holiday design

• Pinecones: To complete the festive look, I die-cut pinecones using CTMH Evergreen Dies on Toffee and Mocha Cardstock, creating a natural, layered effect.

These embellishments add depth, texture, and a touch of holiday magic to the card design.

Step 5: Assembling the Cards

Adding dimension and sparkle! The mats were adhered to the card base, and the embellishment cluster was secured in place. Clear adhesive dots provided the perfect finishing touch with a hint of festive shimmer

I adhered the mats to the center of the card base and arranged the embellishments. Once I was happy with their positioning, I secured them with glue. To finish the card, I added Clear Adhesive Berries from the Cherry Cobbler & Clear Adhesive Backed Berries set for a subtle sparkle.

And just like that, you have a stunning handmade holiday card ready to share with your loved ones! Want to mix it up? Try this design with different patterned papers or embellishments from your stash to create a unique look every time.

Explore More Holiday Projects:

Looking for more holiday card inspiration? Browse our collection of beautifully crafted Christmas cards featuring festive designs, vibrant embellishments, and heartfelt greetings. From elegant to whimsical, you’ll find plenty of ideas to make your holiday season bright!

Share Your Creations:

Have you created holiday cards or layouts inspired by scrapbook designs? I started the Members Gallery as a space for crafters like you to share your creativity, connect with others, and find inspiration. Whether you’ve recreated this card, using the same paper or stamp sets, or put your spin on the design, I’d love to see what you’ve made! Sharing your projects not only celebrates your work but also motivates and inspires fellow crafters in our community. Let’s keep the creativity flowing—upload your creations to the gallery today and join the fun!

Ready To Make These Beautiful Cards?

Ready to craft your own holiday magic? Recreate this festive card using Stampin’ Up! Products!

Recreate these holiday cards using Stampin’ Up! products! Click HERE for supplies needed to craft your seasonal magic.

Shop Other Stampin’ Up! Products here:

https://thischicklovespaper.stampinup.net

Crafting brings joy to both the maker and the recipient. Here’s to spreading holiday cheer, one handmade card at a time!

April – This Chick Loves Paper

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The content in this blog is the sole responsibility of April Raine - This Chick Loves Paper as a Stampin’ Up!® Independent Demonstrator. The use of and content of classes, services, or products offered is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up!®.