The New Year is around the corner and you may be planning a lot of ‘new things’ to buy for yourself or as gifts for your family and friends. One of the things that we always do is wish everyone a Happy New Year, on phone, through message or in person. How about saying the words with a handmade card for your loved ones?

You got it right! Let’s make a New Year card. Though it will take a couple of hours, and be a bit of gluey mess, the result is awesome!

Things you need:

1. Two-fold hard paper cut in A4 size. (choose any colour)

2. 6 or 7 papers of different colours

3. Glue

4. Scissors

5. Pencil

6. Thread or yarn of any colour

Directions:

1. Take the coloured papers and draw balloons of different sizes, maximum two inches and minimum one centimetre. Also draw confetti flags as in pic 2.

2. To make your pop up balloons, you need to cut paper strips about a centimetre wide and two inches in length.

3. Fold the strip inward and then outward, see pic 3 and 4. You can make these folded strips according to the number of balloons you want popped up from the card.

4. Now cut out the balloons and confetti flags, see pic 5.

5. Glue the centre of the folded paper strip and stick to the back of the balloon, as in pic 6.

6. Cut about 10-inch long thread strings for each balloon. As not all balloons are popped up, a few will be plain but we will glue strings to all the balloons as in Pic 7 and 8.

7. Wait for a few minutes for the glue to dry.

8. To make the ‘Happy New Year’ banner, you need about a 16-inch thread string. Then write each letter on the confetti flag then glue the wide part as in pic 9; and fold it over the thread string as in pic 10; complete the banner in the same way, see pic 11.

9. Glue the banner string on both corners of the card as in pic 12; to hide the glue part can paste any sticker on it.

10. Now glue the two folds of the folded paper strip and paste on the card, press it for a few seconds as in pic 13. You will notice the popped up look immediately as in pic 14.

11. Voila! Your card is ready.

Note: I made a box of surprise and used the remaining balloons on the front side of the card. You can draw or paste anything you like, use your imagination.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 24th, 2016