How to Make Circle-Patterned Die-Cut Cards - Tips and Techniques Video

Hello Everyone! If you'd like to make cards like these you've come to the right place. Watch Julie's video tutorial (or read her step-by-step instructions) to learn how!

Last month, Allison made this lovely orange flower card using the Hello Hollyhocks stamps and dies. She also used the Bubbles on the Border die to make a gorgeous, die-cut background. Many of you asked us how she made it. So this month Julie made a card like it but she used the Lotus stamps and dies instead. We hope these cards inspire you to pick out your favorite flowers from our Greenhouse Society Collection and use the flowers along with the Bubbles on the Border die to make circle-patterned, die-cut background cards like these!

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Watch the Die-Cut, Circle-Patterned Background Video Tutorial!

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Step 1: Watercolor the stamped flower image.

Get out a piece of watercolor paper plus your watercolors, brushes, a paper towel and some water. Then put down a a light, water-wash over your stamped flower image. Then add color to your flower.

To make my lotus flower accent piece, I used the pale blue from my set of watercolors. I watered it down a tiny bit before putting it in around the top edges of the lotus petal tips. I was pretty loose about my color. Because it’s blue, I wasn't worried about making it look realistic. If I don’t like where the blue flowed, I simply wiped my brush on the paper towel to dry it out a little and then used the brush to move that wet color around. I also used the slightly drier brush to soak up a bit of color that went down too heavily. I kept going until the blue tint was in all parts of the image.

The next step is to add in some other colors. I used purple, green, and a little bit of yellow. I added just a hint of purple to the insides of the flower petals. I added some green to the leaf. And just a tiny bit of yellow too. I kept everything fairly loose and painterly.

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Step 2: Die-cut out your flower.

After you are finished coloring your flower image, give it time to dry. (Or use a heat tool to spead up the drying process.) Once your flower is completely dry, the next step is to cut it out and set it aside.

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Step 3: Create your cardbase and die-cut the first set of circles.

Now you need to some additional pieces of cardstock. Cut a piece of 5.5" by 8.5" paper to make your cardbase. (I used light-blue cardstock.) Score this piece and fold it in half to make your cardbase. While you have your paper trimmer out also cut two pieces of 4.25" x 5.5" of cardstock and set them aside. (I used white and light, greenish-blue cardstock for these pieces.)

The next step is to cut the first set of circles into your cardbase. To do that position the Bubbles on the Border die on your cardbase to look something like this. (I used low-tack removable tape to hold the die in place.)

Then run it through your die-cutting machine to create a piece that looks like this. (You might want to keep all those lovely circles. I poked them out and used them as embellishments on my card.)

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Step 4: Make a second panel of die-cut circles.

I forgot to take a picture before I did the second set of die-cut circles but hopefully this picture and this description will help.

Get out your 2 pieces of 4.25" x 5.5" cardstock. Slide one piece completely inside your folded cardbase. (For example, I folded over the light-blue cardbase and placed the white cardstock piece inside the cardbase.)

Then line up your metal die, all by itself, so that it is at an angle you like. You can position your die so that it overlaps the circles that are already cut into your cardbase. Or position it so that the die is completely to the right of the circles in your cardbase. You don't have to be super precise. Just position the die so that things look good enough.

For my card, I wanted some of the circles to overlap both at the top and at the bottom of the blue and the greenish-blue pieces. So I rotated the die around so that the largest bubble in the die was toward the bottom of the card and so that some of the bubbles in the die were overlapping the circles that I had already cut into the cardbase. Once I had the die postioned so that I liked the amount of overlapping circles, I slide the 4.25" x 5.5" greenish-blue cardstock panel under the die so that it completely covered the blue cardbase. I used the low-tack tape to temporarily adhere the die to the greenish-blue panel. I ran the die and the greenish-blue cardstock through the die-cutting machine. The picture shows what it looked like after I ran the greenish-blue panel through the die-cutting machine.

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Step 5: Adhere the die-cut circles to your cardbase.

Good news... now you can start putting your card together. Start by appling adhesive to the back of the die-cut flap of your cardbase. You'll probably want to apply some dry adhesive to the larger areas that are between the die-cut circles and the inside fold in your cardbase. And then also use some wet adhesive on the skinny areas around your die-cut circles.

If you look closely at the picture, you can see where I applied red, double-sided tape on the larger areas near the fold inside my cardbase. And you can also see how I traced around the thin circles using some On Point glue. (I really like the fine, no-clog tip that comes with the On Point glue for thin dies like this one!) I waited until the On Point glue was a little tacky, then removed the red tape covers, lined up the white 4.25" x 5.5" panel against the fold in my cardbase, and folded the die-cut flap of my cardbase down onto the white panel. I held it in place for a few seconds to make sure everything had time to adhere properly.

I used the same adhesives and simlar methods of application to adhere the greenish-blue panel to my card. This is how my project looked after adhering the blue cardbase, the white panel, and the greenish-blue panel together.

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Step 6: Add the flower, a sentiment and embellishments to finish your card.

Now that you have a cool, die-cut circle patterned background, it's time to wrap up your card! To finish my card, I used some foam adhesive to add dimension to my die-cut lotus flower accent. I stamped the "Hi There" sentiment (which is inclued in the Lotus stamp set) and cut it out. I added some raindrop embellishments. And don't forget those circles that were left over when you die cut your cardbase. Those left-over pieces make nice accents too. I added some of the left-over, blue circles on the greenish-blue die-cut panel. Here is another picture of my finished card featuring a die-cut, circle patterned background!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that these cards inspire you to make a die-cut circle background for your next project. If you liked my tutorial, please share it, save it, email it to a crafty friend, or print it for later!