How to Make a Pop Up Birthday Card

Cutting the Shape

Print out a pop-up template. Run a quick search online for “pop-up card templates” to find a template you want to use for your card. There are many different kinds of templates available, so you’ll have plenty of options. Try to find a template that is not too difficult to cut and glue correctly. For the purposes of this tutorial, follow along with the steps using the birthday cake template linked here (PDF).

Cut and fold the template. Cut out the cupcake section of the template and fold it along the center dashed line. This will serve as the base of the pop-up part of the card. Make sure you’re cutting out the full, symmetrical portion of the template. The individual parts will be cut out later to decorate the pop-up shape. Some pop-up card templates will be a single shape, while others will include duplicates of certain shapes that can be cut out in different colors and superimposed over the pop-up shape to allow you to use different designs.

Cut a piece of cardstock for the template. Choose a piece of thick cardstock in a color you want to use for the bottom of the cupcake. Place the template over this piece of cardstock and cut it slightly larger than the template. Once the cardstock is cut, fold it in half along the center as well. Use 65lb cardstock. This is thicker than paper, but not too thick to fold and open neatly. You can buy 65lb cardstock at any craft or office supply store.

Attach the template to the cardstock. Double-back a piece of tape to secure the template to the cut card stock. You’ll be cutting the cardstock to match the shape of the template, so make sure the two layers don't slide around while you're cutting or you might make a mistake and have to start over. Tape the back of the template on either end since you’ll be cutting in the middle, then fold both template and cardstock in half together. Double-back tape by folding a piece approximately two inches long back on itself and sticking the adhesive side of one end onto the top side of the other, making a small loop with the adhesive side outward.

Cut out the designated lines of the template. Follow the lines on the template to cut the cardstock for the pop-up shape. Cut the vertical lines at the bottom first, then move on to the outline of the shape. Be precise: this is the shape that’s going to be displayed when you open up the card. Make sure to cut through both halves of the folded cardstock. Make sure the scissors you’re using are sharp and the blades are thin enough to handle fine line work. You may want to pick up some specialty crafting scissors, just in case, as conventional kitchen scissors may be too wide to neatly cut out small details.

Attaching the Completed Shape to Your Card

Fold the cupcake shape in half along the bottom. Find the dotted lines on the template that indicate where to fold along the bottom and use them to fold the cardstock shape you just cut. Accuracy is important while folding these lines. If the fold is messy or crooked, the card may not open or shut properly. There should be two folded edges when you’re done, along with the original crease you made when you folded the template. The first crease created by folding the template and cardstock down the middle is where the pop-up design will fit into the fold of the card.

Select a piece of cardstock for the base of the card. Pick another piece of cardstock to serve as the body of the card. This piece can be in a different color, or you might find a certain pattern you like that will make the pop-up portion stand out. Cut this piece of cardstock so that it is roughly 4.5”x11”, then fold it in half. The folded card will fit a standard 4”x6” invitation envelope.

Glue along the folded edge on the bottom of the cupcake. Dab a small dot of glue on the flat surfaces where you folded the bottom of your shape. Place this side of the shape downwards and attach it to the backing card (the creases in the center of both pieces of cardstock should fit together, as this is where the card will open). After the glue dries, the shape will be secured and the other side will be able to move freely once you open the card. Only glue one side of the shape, and do not glue above the folded lines. A hot glue gun might work best for this task, or you might find a craft glue with a strong hold. Ordinary Elmer’s glue will suffice but may eventually come unglued after drying.

Glue the top halves of the shape together. Use another blot of glue to put together the candles on the top half of the cupcake. Close the card and press firmly to make sure that the glue sticks properly. Keep the card closed until the glue is dry, then open it to make sure both halves of the top of the pop-up shape are in alignment. Remember to connect only the top halves of the cupcake; the bottom section should remain unglued to allow it to "puff up" when the card is opened.

Layer Other Pieces

Cut out the other individual shapes from the template. Return to the template sheet and cut out the remaining shapes. There should be two or more of each shape on the template, including outlines for the frosting and candles. You'll be using these template shapes to cut them of colored cardstock, like you did with the original pop-up piece, and layer them onto the pop-up portion of the card. Leftover pieces can be saved or else used to make your own embellishments to the pop-up designs (i.e. adding more candles).

Cut the shape from the chosen cardstock. After you’ve cut out the individual template shapes, choose what color cardstock you want to use for each on the finished card. Attach these shapes to the selected cardstock and cut them out. If you desire, you can fold these pieces of cardstock in half before gluing and cutting; this way you can cut out two pieces at once.

Glue the different shapes to the pop-up section of the card. Once you’ve got all the individual pieces of cardstock cut and ready, glue them in the appropriate places on both sides of the pop-up piece already in your card. For this template, the candle will be placed at the top above the frosting shape, and the frosting in turn should overlap the first pop-up piece you cut which serves as the base of the cupcake. Press these pieces flat inside the closed card and give them ample time to dry.

Try out your card. Open up the card and see how it works. If you’ve cut, folded and glued the base shape correctly, it should pull a little on the outer edge where it’s been glued to cause it to stand up when the card is opened while still lying flat once it’s shut. It’s alright if the pieces aren’t perfectly aligned or the shape doesn’t quite stand up on your first attempt. Try again until you have a neat, colorful handmade pop-up card. Decorate the card with markers, glitter, stickers or paint, then give it to a friend and watch their face light up! If your pop-up shape doesn't stand up correctly, it most likely means a slight mistake was made cutting the cupcake shape or gluing it down. Give it another attempt, making sure to cut the pop-up shape as precisely as possible and gluing only the folded edge of the underside to the base cardstock. Misaligning the candles at the top of the cupcake can make the pop-up shape look crooked and may prevent it from lying flat when the card is closed. Both candle halves should be perfectly superimposed before you glue them. It might be helpful to print out multiple copies of the original template in case you need a practice run or two.