Make a few of these gorgeous cards whenever the mood strikes and stockpile them for the holiday season. You won’t regret having a couple of extras to send to your friends and family members.
Supplies
- White mechanical pencil
- Black card folded in half to make a card measuring around 13x18cm (5x7in)
- Ruler Pen holder and nibs of your choice (such as a Brause EF66 nib for the flourishes and a Nikko G nib for the gold stars)
- White ink
- Gold watercolour paint
- Paintbrush
- Craft knife
- Cutting mat (optional)
- Black eraser
Step 1
Using the white pencil, draw a vertical line down the centre of your card. Add two horizontal lines: the first one 1.25cm (1/2in) from the top, and the second one 1.25cm (1/2in) from the bottom of the card. Draw two marks 5mm (1/4in) below the top horizontal line and above the bottom horizontal line. Sketch the left half of a pine tree outline, as shown. The trunk should end at the lower 5mm (1/4in) mark. Use a ruler to lightly draw horizontal lines extending from each tier’s tip on the left side over to the right side of the card. Mark these distances on the corresponding tier lines on the right side. This will help you sketch the right side of the tree symmetrically.
Step 2
Use the horizontal lines and distances you just marked to complete the right-hand side of the tree. The trunk for this side should go all the way to the bottom horizontal guideline, but the top should only go up to the little mark below the top horizontal guideline.
Step 3
Connect each tier of the tree at the points where they jut furthest inwards just above the horizontal guidelines.
Step 4
Use your pointed pen and white ink to fill in each tier of the tree with flourishes that look like a series of connected cursive “S”s.
Step 5
Rotate your card anticlockwise until it’s nearly horizontal, then fill the trunk with additional “S” flourishes.
Step 6
Once the white ink has dried, use gold watercolour paint to add stars around the tree. To reduce smudging, start at the top and work your way down.
Step 7
Open your card and lay it flat (tree side up) on a cutting mat or a sturdy piece of cardboard. Then, use a craft knife to cut the tree out along its outline. Do not cut along the guidelines that are highlighted in red. Otherwise, your tree will fall out of the card!
Step 8
Take your black eraser and use a light touch to get rid of your white pencil guidelines. Then, carefully twist the left side of the tree behind the card and the right side of the tree towards you. Twist to the point where the tree has a pleasing dimensional effect while taking care not to rip the flaps that keep the tree connected to its card.
Master modern calligraphy with The Calligraphy Book
Create stunning invitations, artworks, and labels with this essential guide from Lindsey Bugbee, the creator of The Postman’s Knock, the world’s number one calligraphy website.
The Calligraphy Book
View BookRead next
A step by step guide to making paper ornaments for Christmas
Try this festive project perfect for beginner calligraphers