One Sheet Wonder - Homemade "Boxed" Cards

Want to give out homemade holiday cards but don't have enough time to make 50 different cards?  What if you can easily make them 12 at a time?  You can do so by using the One Sheet Wonder (OSW) technique.  This makes 10 - 12 or more cards (depending on the template you use) that look like a boxed set of cards, only they are homemade!
There are many templates on the web that you can use, however the one provided is on that I made myself.

This is a template for a 12"X12" paper, and works best if the paper is double sided.

This ible will describe how to make homemade "boxed" cards using a OSW template with a BONUS of how to make a template yourself.

Materials (To make the Cards (12)):
One Sheet Wonder Template Provided
12" X 12" pattern paper (preferably double sided) - 1 sheet
12" X 12" paper cutter
  Or ruler and exact-o knife
Sketches to reference (However feel free to be creative)
8 1/2" X 11" Coordinating card stock - 6 or 7 sheets
Scorer
Adhesive
Stamp (for saying on inside) and ink 
  Or you can print a saying on the card stock before cutting the card stock 
  Or you can print the saying on a separate piece of card stock and adhere it on (You're choosing how to do the inside)


Materials (To Make the Template):
Excel or Graphing paper
Pencil


** I should also note that this technique leaves very little scraps which is great because you can spend a little extra on the pattern paper and not feel bad that it would be going to waste.  Nearly all of the patterned paper (or all depending on the template) is used.  My template has a small  .75" X 1.5" square and the edges of a circle that are not used in the sketches.  However these could be coordinated into one more card if wanted.  As a matter of fact, let me go make that sketch for you now. **

Step 1: Make the Card Bases

Materials for this Step:
Coordinating card stock (6 or 7) - Each card stock will make 2 bases.
12" X 12" paper cutter or ruler and exact-o knife
Scorer


To make the Card Bases:
Take one of the 8 1/2" X 11" pieces of card stock and cut in half on the long edge so that you now have two sheets that measure 8 1/2" X 5 1/2"
Score each of these pieces of card stock in half on the 8 1/2" edge so that the score is at 4 1/4."
This will make the card A2 size, or 4 1/4" X 5 1/2."

Do these for as many cards as you will be making.
When I use this template, I may just get rid of the small scraps so as to not have an extra unused card base.  It would depend on if I am planning to do one set of the OSW or two.

Step 2: Cut the Patterned Paper

Materials for this Step:
One Sheet Wonder Template Provided
12" X 12" pattern paper (preferably double sided) - 1 sheet
12" X 12" paper cutter or ruler and exact-o knife

You will need to cut the patterened paper following the OSW template.  Look at your template.  You should notice that there are straight lines that go across the page, but spanning several cuts.  This is another positive of using a OSW.  After you cut a piece, it is good practice to write the letter of the piece on the back.  Once all the pieces are cut out, it is hard to tell which is which so that you can adhere them to your card stock.  I suggest writing these letters very small and in pencil in case you decide to use the other side of the patterned paper when it comes to putting your card together.

Guidelines for cutting the template provided:  ** When I say full sheet I mean the sheet you started with **

Cut vertically at 4 1/4" from the LEFT side.
On the piece just cut, cut horizontally from the TOP at  5 1/2," and 11".  This gives three pieces of sizes (2) 4 1/4" X 5 1/5", (1) 4 1/4" X 1".
Take one 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" and cut on the diagonal, making two right triangles with one leg 4 1/4" and the other 5 1/2."  Label these A and B.
Take the other 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" and cut a squiggle line in the middle making two squiggle pieces of approximate size 2" X 5 1/2."  Label these pieces C and D.
Label the 4 1/4" X 1" piece E.

Cut horizontally at 3" from the TOP (of the full sheet again.)
On the piece just cut, cut vertically from the RIGHT at 4", and 5 3/4".  This gives three pieces of sizes (2) 1 3/4" X 3" and (1) 4" X 3."
Label the (2) 1 3/4" X 3" pieces G.
Label the 4" X 3" piece F.

Cut horizontally at 1" from the BOTTOM (of the full sheet again.)
On the piece just cut, cut vertically from the RIGHT at 3 1/2".  This gives two pieces of size 3 1/2" X 1" and 4 1/4" X 1".
Label both of these pieces E.

Cut vertically at 2" from the RIGHT (of the full sheet again.)
On the piece just cut, cut horizontally from the TOP at  2", and 4".  This gives three pieces of sizes (2) 4" X 2", (1) 4" X 4".
On each 4" X 2" piece, cut this vertically at 2" giving (2) 2" X 2" pieces, or (4) total.
Label the (4) 2" X 2" pieces I.
Label the 4" X 4" piece H.

Cut horizontally at 1 1/2" from the BOTTOM (of the full sheet again.) **Remember the "full sheet" is the piece you started with**
On the piece just cut, cut vertically from the  RIGHT at 3".  This gives two pieces of sizes 3" X 1 1/2" and 3/4" X 1 1/2".
Label the 3" X 1 1/2" piece J.
Label the 3/4" X 1 1/2" piece M (Or Discard.)

Cut horizontally at 6" from the TOP (of the full sheet again.)
The piece cut should be size 3 3/4" X 1/2".
Label this piece L.

Cut vertically at 1 1/2" from the RIGHT (of the full sheet again.)
On the pice just cut, cut horizontally at 1 1/2".  This gives two pieces of size 1 1/2" X 3".
Label the (2) 1 1/2" X 3" pieces J.

The remainder of the full sheet should be 2 1/4" X 6".
Cut the full sheet horizontally from the TOP at 2 1/2" and 4 1/2".  This gives three pieces of size (2) 2 1/4" X 2 1/4" and (1) 2 1/4" X 1 1/2".
On one of the 2 1/4" X 2 1/4" pieces, cut a circle getting close to the edges as shown.
Label the circle K.
Label the 2 1/4" X 2 1/4" piece K.
Label the 2 1/4" X 1 1/2" piece L.
Label the (4) Corner pieces M (Or discard.)

All the pieces are now cut.  If you used a different template, try to look at it first to see where the straight lines are.  They may not always be easy to see.

Step 3: Adhere the Cards Together

Materials for this step:
Sketches to reference (However feel free to be creative)
Adhesive
Pre-cut Card Stock
Pre-cut OSW pieces

Adhere the OSW pieces to the pre-cut card stock from step one according to the sketches.  You can be creative if you would like.  The sketch is made to account for the double sided paper where one color would be side A and the other side B.  You can of course use whichever side you want for whichever card you want.  The only card that really matters as to which side you use is K, in that if both the circle and the square use the same side the circle would get lost.

Step 4: Stamp the Sentiment

Materials for this step:
Put together cards
Stamp and ink or printer
Sentiment

Stamp the sentiment on the inside of the card, or print it on if you did not have a stamp and ink pad to use.

You can get sentiments at www.quotegarden.com

My cards do not have sentiments at this time.  I wait until I know what they will be used for before I do the sentiment, a technique I started due to having cards with sentiments on them causing them to be unavailable for use when needed.  Now, I wait until I know what the cards will be fore and stamp or print the sentiment and glue it on the inside on a mat.

Step 5: Enjoy!

As you can see, I used some creativity  compared to my sketches for the placement of the pieces.  Since I ripped the paper trying to get it out I had a jagged edge that you can see in the back I made into a bow.  I also made both pieces of K into circles and used the little M piece and made it look like a division sign since I will use these as a sample at a class of mostly engineering students.

You now have 12 or 13 homemade "boxed" cards if you used my template.  These are A2 sized and fit in standard card envelopes.  I got my card envelopes off eBay.  It was a box of 500 envelopes.  I forget how much it was, I think $25, but it worked out to be way cheaper than Michaels or AC Moore, and I have had them for a while. 

When I say "boxed" I mean like when you go to the store and all the cards are similar.  You will notice they all look similar but slightly different.  I have done other One Sheet Wonders, which can be found at my blog www.funtimescrapping.com. 

The direct links are:
http://funtimescrapping.com/world-card-making-day-2012-ii/ - World Card Making Day (Winter OSW cards)

http://funtimescrapping.com/one-sheet-wonder/ - My first go at One Sheet Wonder (Butterflies)

http://funtimescrapping.com/one-sheet-wonder-christmas-cards/ - One Sheet Wonder Christmas Cards

Step 6: Bonus: Make Your Own OSW

OSW templates are designed not only to minimize the scraps used, but also to make the cuts easy.  The cuts are made easy by following lines and matching as best as you can. 

Materials to make your Own One Sheet Wonder:
Excel (I made each cell 13 pixels X 13 pixels) or graph paper
Pencil (If using paper)
Pen (if using paper)

**Keep in Mind ***
Common card mats are as follows:
1" X 5 1/2"            1 1/2" X 5 1 1/2"            2" X 5 1/2"           1" X 3"           1 1/4" X 3"          1 1/2" X 3"          2" X 3"          3" X 4"          3" X 5"

An A2 card will have a front that is 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" (or 5 1/2" X 4 1/4" if you want to fold the opposite way.)

On your graph paper, or excel sheet turned graph paper you would need to determine where the 1" marks are.  When I did excel I choose 13 pixels by 13 pixels because I was able to get 4 cells per inch (each cell representing 1/4" then) on the screen (and printing on 1 sheet).  If you have regular graph paper, you may only be able to make each inch 2 squares X 2 squares (or 1/2" per square).  I marked each inch mark with the light border.  On paper, I mark these with pen so that they do not erase if I want to change something.

Once I did that, I started with the biggest pieces, the triangle and the squiggle.  I knew I wanted these to span across the whole card making them 5 1/2" X 4 1/4". On the excel sheet I made a darkened border around 22 boxes down and 17 boxes across.  Then I drew in the lines.  This left the 1" X 4 1/4" rectangle at the bottom, which I sectioned off for its own card.  I continued filling in.  I knew I wanted to make inchies (One inch squares), a circle, and the three rectangle pattern.  As I was adding the other shapes I fit in these so that the lines would add up.  I filled in with boxes that are close to the sizes of the common card mats, although at times I did not have the space.  When I didn't have the space, I checked how much space I had and sketched on scrap paper how that would look on a card front and whether it needed something else with it.  After I made each sectioned off part, I added the letter it represented right away just as when you are cutting the pieces out.