This is a guide to shaped christmas cards and pop-ups. All that is used in this is paper, scissors, a pen, pencil and colouring pencils.

I made this instructable for the Homemade Holidays contest so please vote for it.

Step 1: Shaped Christmas Cards

To make a shaped christmas card:

1. Fold a piece of paper in half. You should use different sizes of paper depending on how big you want the finished card to be.

2. Cut out your design. I have used a christmas tree for mine. Be sure to leave at least 3 cm on the folded side otherwise it will fall apart. If you're using bigger paper then you'll need to more space.

3. Draw and/or colour however you want depending on what your design is.

Step 2: Pop Up Cards

There are many types of pop ups (or is it supposed to be pop-up?). In the next steps I will be showing you some basic pop-ups that you can do.

Step 3: Layer Pop Up

This is one of the most basic pop-up cards.

1. Fold your paper in half.
2. Cut two lines from the folded side of the card. Cut them at 90 degrees to the edge of the card and make sure that they are the same length.
3. Fold the section that you now have up as far as it will go.
4. Now put it back to its original position.
5. Open it up like in the picture, push the flap through and close it, making sure that the flap is on the side of the card that will be visible when open.
6. Stick a picture on to the flap or write something on it.

tip - You might want to glue another piece of paper on the outside of the pop-up so that there isn't a big hole in the front of the card.

Step 4: V-fold (mouth)

This is another basic pop-up that is simple to make yet very effective.

1. Fold a piece of paper in half.
2. Cut a straight at 90 degrees to the folded edge of the paper. Cut it in roughly the center of the edge.
3. Fold the corner just above the cut along a diagonal line upwards.
4. Do the same with the bottom one except fold it downwards.
5. Put them back to their original position.
6. Open the card out and push the flaps through.
7. Shut the card making sure that the flaps are folded on the side of the card that will be visible when you open it.
8. You have your completed mouth.

tip - you could use the same technique but only do one flap if you wanted to make ... something.

Step 5: Christmas Tree Pop Up

Keeping the festive theme this one is a simple yet extremely effective pop-up that makes a cool little christmas tree.

1. Print out the christmas tree pop-up picture below.
2. Fold it in half on the central dotted line making sure that the printed side is on the outside.
3. Cut along the solid lines.
4. Fold each section along the dotted line.
5. Open out the card and push through all of the sections.
6. Close the card, making sure that all of the pop-up sections are on the side that will be visible when it is open.

tip - Colour it in, decorate it, stick glitter on. Make it look good.
tip - before you start cutting it out, go over the dotted lines with a paper clip out a pen that has no ink to make step 5 easier.

Step 6: Angel Pop Up

On this step I will show you how to make an angel pop-up.

1. Print out the first 2 pictures below.
2. Cut out both pieces of the angel.
3. On the piece that has the angel's head fold the bottom left flap along the dotted line and unfold it again.
4. Do the same with the bottom right flap on the other piece.
5. Slot the big slit on the one with the angel's head on to the slit on the other piece. Make sure that on both pieces the half with the wing is behind the other piece.
6. Take the second picture and fold it in half along the dotted line.
7. Put glue on the parts that say glue here and, lifting up the angel's dress a litte, pressing the tabs that you creased in steps 3 and 4 on to the glued areas.

tip - decorate the angel before you put it all together

Step 7: Have Fun!

I hope you have learnt something from this instructable. After all, that's what they're for!

Be sure to vote for me in the Homemade Holidays contest. Thanks in advance.

Find more pop-ups here.