I wanted to make a special birthday card for my daughter, and I had seen pretty cards like this design, but I didn’t know what they were called. After some sleuthing, I found out this card design is called a Bridge Card. With the new, beautiful Share What You Love Designer Series Paper, I was able to come up with this Bridge Card Technique For a Birthday Card. It’s very easy, really!
This card is really just half a sheet of cardstock, some scoring, and a strip that goes across the front. It even folds flat for mailing and fits in our Medium Envelopes. Amazing!
Start with a piece of cardstock for the card base that is 8″ x 4 1/4″. Score at 1 1/4″, 2 1/2″, 5 1/2″ and 6 3/4″ on the long size of the cardstock. Fold and crease the score lines so that the card would stand up as you see in the photo.
Cut strips of designer paper to fit each of the panels. I used the new Share What You Love Specialty Designer Series Paper. You’ll need four strips that are 1″ x 4″. They can all be the same pattern or two different ones as I did on this card. For the wider center panel, cut either a piece of Whisper White or Very Vanilla Cardstock or, as I did, designer paper at 2 3/4″ x 4″.
For the “bridge” part of the card, cut a strip 1 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ of cardstock. Add a strip of designer paper if you like, 1″ x 5 1/4″. Adhere all the designer paper on the panels and then get ready to do the bridge piece. You can adhere it so it is all the way at the bottom of the card or up a little higher. It just depends on the design you want. To assemble, adhere the left side of the bridge piece to the left edge of top folded panel. Then, if you open up the right side of the card, flat on the table, you can adhere the right end of the bridge piece to the right side edge of the card. Make sure you only have adhesive on the parts of the bridge piece that will cover the left front panel and the right front panel. Now you card should be able to open up and stand!
Embellish your card however you like. I added birthday greetings and some flowers that I cut out of the designer paper. I used the Happy Birthday Gorgeous Stamp Set for the greetings. If you would like an area to write a note or sign your name, make a panel to fit on the back side of the card and you will have plenty of room.
Once you try making one, you will easily see how it all goes together! It seems amazing that it folds flat for mailing. Speaking of mailing, if you want to decorate the envelope flap, cut a piece of designer paper that would completely cover the flap and adhere it to the flap. Then take your scissors and trim off the excess around the flap! Now it’s your turn to try the Bridge Card Technique for a Birthday Card!
Have wanted to learn this technique. You made it so easy. Thank you for sharing. I ? it.