I have some St Patricks Day shakers for you today. And I changed one of them a bit and managed to get more color and detail into it.
Shaker cards make such a satisfying sound. And they entertain whoever sees them. But the kits are expensive. I saw some on HSN for almost $29. You can make your own shaker cards for under a dollar with materials you can buy at Walmart.
You will first want to read my general hints and instructions. They can be found at this link.
What you will need:
- Acetate
- 2 mm craft foam
- Shaker parts for the inside (I use sequins or beads mostly)
- Cardstock
- Xyron Create a sticker machine or liquid glue
- Printer
- Download File
Cutting the Foam and Other Parts
In the download files, the blue parts are cut from foam, the black part from acetate and the pink parts from cardstock. Some of the shakers have other parts (the pot of gold has gold and the hat has a buckle). Cut these from cardstock. The leprechaun is a print/cut image. Print and cut it out before starting.
Cut one design at a time (leprechaun, hat or pot) and cut out all the parts before you try to assemble the shaker.
I suggest that you cut the foam from a color close to the cardstock color you use. I used green adhesive foam on these projects When cutting the foam on the maker, I have found you need a little more pressure than the craft foam setting. The Air cuts twice and does fine.
Assembling the St Patricks Day Shakers
Before you start assembling, run the pieces of foam through the Xyron Sticker Machine putting glue on the foam side without the paper. Leave the center piece inside the outline until after it is run through the Xyron. This makes cleaner glue edges. If you don’t have adhesive foam you will have to run the foam through the Xyron twice, flipping it over for the second pass.
I have found it easier to build from the bottom up, so first put down your solid back on the work surface. Then remove the paper from one of the pieces of foam and stick it to the base. The foam will flex slightly if you need it to. Then put the other piece of foam exactly on top over the first piece, building it up. Don’t put the acetate on yet.
Adding Shaker Parts
Next put your shaker parts (sequins, beads or whatever ) in the center carefully avoiding the glue on the edge. You can add a little or a lot. Your choice, but if you add too much it won’t shake well.
Lastly, put the acetate over the foam to seal the bead area. Be sure the chamber is sealed all the way around.
You can now put the cardstock outline over the acetate. Glue it with liquid glue. Finally, decorate it if necessary (attach the gold or the buckle).
The St Patricks Day Shakers are now ready to attach to your card or whatever you are making. Enjoy!
Here are some examples of cards I made.
