How to Make a Christmas Concertina Card

The Bearded Housewife November 17, 2021
62 Comments

LEARN HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS NATIVITY CONCERTINA CARD USING YOUR CRICUT CUTTING MACHINE

A few years ago, my Grandma sent us a beautiful Christmas card featuring The Nativity. It was a beautiful card. One of my favorites from that year.

It really stuck with me and when I sat down to start designing Christmas cards this year, I knew I wanted to create something with some of the features in that card.

This card features a concertina, or zig-zag, fold. When the card is in the envelope, it all folds into a 5×7 card size. When you take it out, you can open the card up featuring this beautiful Nativity scene and sweet holiday sentiment.

In this tutorial, I’ll give you my step by step instructions and tell you what materials I think work best when making this project.

This free file can be found in the Free File Library for Free Members.

Basic and Premium Members can download the SVG cut file for this project in the File Library.

Not a Member? Click here or the link at the bottom of the page to join!

This post contains some affiliate links (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you). Read my full disclosure policy here.

NATIVITY CONCERTINA CARD – MATERIALS LIST

Christmas Nativity Concertina Card

Christmas Nativity Concertina Card

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

This tutorial will show you how to make a beautiful Christmas Nativity concertina card.

Materials

  • My Christmas Nativity Concertina Card SVG Cut File
  • Cardstock
  • Glue or adhesive

Tools

  • A way to cut out your cardstock. I am using my FABULOUS Cricut Maker!
  • Cricut LightGrip Cutting Mat (blue) or StandardGrip Cutting Mat (green)
  • Cricut Scoring Wheel or Stylus
  • Cricut Brayer
  • Cricut Scraper
  • Cricut Tweezers (optional but so helpful!)

Instructions

STEP 1 - DOWNLOAD THE SVG CUT FILE

Download the SVG Cut file for the Christmas Nativity Concertina Card (#102) from the File Library. Free members can download the cut file from the Free Library. Not a member? Click here to join.

STEP 2 - UPLOAD THE SVG FILE TO CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

If you aren't familiar with uploading SVG files into Design Space, take a look at my quick and easy tutorial here. Using your smartphone? Click here for my step-by-step guide on uploading SVG files with the Cricut App.

STEP 3 - UNGROUP CARD LAYERS

The file will upload into Cricut Design Space grouped together. You will want to hit the UNGROUP button to separate the layers.

ungroup the design

STEP 4 - CONVERT FOLD LINES TO SCORE LINES

Scroll down the list in the LAYERS panel and find the envelope. Click the fold line.

select the score line of the envelope

Change the fold lines to score lines by changing the OPERATION from BASIC CUT to SCORE.

change the linetype to score under the operation menu

Attach the score line and the envelope by highlighting the GROUP and selecting the ATTACH option in lower right hand corner.

highlight the group and select attach in the layers panel

Repeat step 4 for all layers with score lines.

Click the GREEN Make It Button.

click the green make it button

STEP 5 - MAKE YOUR MATERIAL SELECTIONS AND PREPARE YOUR MATS

You will see the six mats for this card in the mat preview.

Click the CONTINUE button.

click continue

For this tutorial, I am using Medium Cardstock. Select your materials accordingly.

make your material selections

Attach your cardstock to the Cricut StandardGrip Mat using the Cricut Brayer.

STEP 6 - LOADING YOUR MATS AND CUTTING YOUR MATERIALS

To load the mat into the machine, press the double arrows button. Do make sure that the mat is positioned under the mat guides.

to load your mat, press the flashing arrow button

You will know the machine is ready to cut your material when you see the flashing "C" button. Press that to start the cut.

to begin the cut, press the flashing "C" button

Follow Design Space prompts to change out the scoring wheel and fine point cutting blade.

Once the cut is complete, make sure to peel the mat away from the cardstock rather than the cardstock from the mat. This will prevent any curling of your design.

Repeat Step 6 for until all layers have been cut.

STEP 7 - ASSEMBLE YOUR CARD

Now that everything is cut, we can start to assemble the card.

time to assemble

Begin by folding the main card along the score line as a mountain fold.

fold the main card from left to right

Next, fold the tab on the second card piece as a mountain fold.

fold the tab away from you

FInally, fold the other fold line on the second card piece as a mountain fold.

fold the other score line away from you

When standing up, the card should look something like this.

when all together, your card should look like this

Add glue to the tab.

add glue to the tab

Line the tab up with the back edge of the main card making sure the bottom edge is also lined up.

line up the tab with the back edge of the main card base and adhere

Add glue to the back of the sentiment pieces and attach where you wish.

add glue to the sentiment

attach to the manger layer

Apply glue to the back of the manger layer and attach to the blue sky layer making sure to line up the bottom edge.

flip the manger layer over and add glueplace on the blue sky layer and adhere

Now, apply glue to the back of the sky layer and attach to the main card.

add glue to the back of the sky layerattach to the main card

STEP 8 - FORM THE ENVELOPE

To make the envelope, begin by folding along the score lines and press the folds with your scraper.

fold along the score lines of the envelopeburnish the folds with my scraper

Add glue to the outside edge of the inlay piece as well as around the cutout on the envelope.

add glue along the outside edge of the inlay layeralso around the cutout in the envelope

Place the inlay onto the envelope.

place the inlay on the envelope flap

Add glue to the bottom of the side flaps.

add glue along the bottom edge of the side flaps

Bring the bottom flap up to form the envelope.

bring the bottom flap up to form the envelope

Your card is done.

© The Bearded Housewife
Project Type: Cards / Category: Card Making

This card is a showstopper and I hope you make it!

Post a photo in the comment section or tag your projects on social media @thebeardedhousewife using the hashtag #beardedhousewife! I’d love to see how yours turn out!!

Happy Holidays!

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Categories: Card Making, Christmas & Hannukah, Concertina Cards, December Favorites, Free FIles, Layered Cards, Paper Crafts, Winter
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Responses

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          1. The Bearded Housewife November 22, 2021

            Laura,

            Have you used a brayer to attach your cardstock? Also, make sure your blade is clean and sharp. Changing the blade may be necessary. Cardstock dulls the blades quickly.

  5. Krista G November 17, 2021

    Another beautiful card. The reason for the season!!!
    This has been so much fun. Every day I am wowed by your talent. Thanks so much for sharing. 😊

  6. Carol Jenne November 17, 2021

    My eyes 👀 opened wide when I saw this card!! Beautiful. Can’t wait to give it a go. With it being so intricate, is it difficult to cut? Any other special instructions for that? Love your work.

  9. Brenda November 17, 2021

    This is a gorgeous card Nick! I love that it focuses on the true meaning of Christmas. I also love your soothing voice in your video’s. You have such a calming way about you which makes these video’s and all your video’s so nice to watch. Thanks for the file once again! Hugs, Brenda

  10. MaryLou November 17, 2021

    This is another awesome card! I almost didn’t make it because the machine keeps tearing up the little intricate parts. It took 8 tries to get the long large piece cut so it was usable but I refuse to give up. I am cutting the blue part right now. I just hope the text will cut properly.
    You mentioned a sharp blade in another post. Could that be my problem? I don’t know how long a blade lasts.
    Thanks for a timely and beautiful tutorial.

      1. Jean Maxon December 16, 2021

        I love this card and have made a few. You make it so easy to follow. Since I posted my cards on your Facebook page. People are wanting to know how to get the svg. It’s not in the library now. Just the demonstration. How can they get it?
        Thanks and Merry Christmas!

  11. Marie November 17, 2021

    Lovely cards so far and I don´t think the coming is going to make anyone
    disappointed. Thank´s for sharing and making easy to understand videos.

  12. Andrea November 18, 2021

    I have been away from my Cricut for almost a month. This card will be one of the first projects when I get home,,,truly beautiful!

  16. Ir November 20, 2021

    I just wanted to tell you.. “Thank You”, so very much for posting your designs!!
    I do appreciate your hard work not only making the svg and other files but also the very intuitive instruction. They were very easy to understand.
    Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a even better New Year!!

  17. Gloria Humphrey November 21, 2021

    I love this card but I am struggling after you score and attach the envelope. I can’t figure out which parts you need to score after that. The video goes so fast and I have replayed it several times and scrolled down in the examples to see if I could figure it out and I am not having any luck at all. You have that with all the layers with score lines repeat step 4, but I am having a hard time figuring this out. Can you please show where you have to put the score lines in the card?
    Thank-you!

    1. The Bearded Housewife November 21, 2021

      Hi, Gloria,

      There are two card pieces that require you to change the basic cut line to score lines. After you have attached the envelope and score line together, scroll down the layers panel to find the two groups. If you click on them, they will have a box around them in the canvas. I hope that helps. If you need further help, email me at hello@thebeardedhousewife.com.

  18. Deanne November 22, 2021

    All of your cards are so beautiful and I really appreciate the step by step instructions as well as the YouTube tutorials. I’m struggling with my glue skills. Seems like I either use too much and it’s super wet and looks odd or not enough and stuff doesn’t stick. Looking for suggestions on the type of glue you use and where you purchased it at.

  19. Cynthia November 22, 2021

    YOU ROCK Nick!!!! I love this! Just found you this weekend through the Holiday Showcase and I”m so glad!! I just made this – and you made it so easy! THANK YOU so much for your creation, and for sharing it. I have more designs picked out and I’ll be making them soon!

  20. Carol November 23, 2021

    Please help! I am relatively new to my cricut machine and would love to make some of your gorgeous cards. Your directions say to download the SVG files at the bottom of your post but I cannot find anywhere to click to do that. (I have subscribed to your free resource library- such beautiful projects!) Thanks for your help!

    1. The Bearded Housewife November 23, 2021

      Since you are already a subscriber to my email newsletter, you have the password to my file library. Use the password to enter the library and search for the svg by name. Click the hyperlink and download to your computer.

      That message directing you to the bottom of the blog post is for new members to sign up. 😀

  21. Janet November 25, 2021

    Hi Nick,

    WOWOWOWOW! I made this card and it is beautiful. I have question as to how to make it the 5×7 you reference in your video. Mine is 3 1/2 X 2 3/4. Even when I made your lovely church it is pint size. I am thinking I need to do something after I bring it on to my canvas?

    Thanks so much!

  22. Gail Loski November 27, 2021

    I just got my cricut and found you and attempted the Nativity card. I messed up as I didn’t have enough paper for the Bethlehem part, but I figured out how to maneuver it to be by itself. And had success. I didn’t get score lines on the camel portion but I’m very pleased and will be making these for my family. And looking at what else you have. Thank you for sharing.

  23. Sandy December 16, 2021

    I fell in love with this card. I bought 65lb card stock paper. I made sure my blade was sharp, put it on the more setting and I still can’t get it to cut right. It doesn’t cut all the way through and ends up tearing when I try to take it apart. Do you have any other suggestions on how to get this card to come out right? Thank you.

  24. Taimara Valdez December 17, 2021

    Hello Nick, Thank you sooooo much!!!
    I love every bit of this card, it reminds me all what christmas it’s about. I enjoy making it thanks to you.
    Merry Christmas.
    Feliz Navidad!!
    Taimara

  26. Deb February 20, 2022

    I made a few of these cards and I have never had so many compliments on a card. Thank you for this beautiful card.

  32. Tobi Sanderford December 14, 2023

    Thank you! First try came out nice – I like it. I think I want to use a heavier cardstock so it will stand and unfold better! Going to try it and see which is best! Love your designs!

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