How to Make a Christmas Bauble & Snowglobe Shaker Card Tutorial

Tis the season for sparkles, snowflakes, and handmade cards! If you’re ready to create something truly magical this Christmas, then you’re in the right place. This tutorial shows you how to create both a bauble and a snowglobe shaker card using the same simple method.

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Shaker cards are such a special way to gift your loved ones. They will enjoy giving the card a shake, hearing the sequins move inside and watching the festive scene change each time! It’s a handmade card they will treasure, knowing you made it especially for them.

If you love shaker cards, you might also enjoy my Christmas Tree Shaker Card Tutorial. It’s another festive favourite alternative to this design! 🎄

For the bauble and snowglobe backgrounds, I used Christmas scrapbook paper in white/blue and green/gold colour schemes but feel free to choose your own festive palette.

For any cutting that will be visible, use a craft knife for a clean, professional finish. For hidden cuts, scissors are absolutely fine as it saves time and keeps your blade sharper for longer. Take your time with measuring and testing placements before sticking anything down, as precision helps.

If you’d like to make the snowglobe version, follow this bauble tutorial right to the end as the snowglobe finishing touches are shown there. The template is the same for both designs.

👉 Jump to the Snowglobe Version ↓

Let’s get started this is what you will need:

Step 1. Cut and Prepare Your Base Card

Fold an A4 sheet of kraft card in half (landscape view), then cut along the centre fold with scissors to make two pieces. Set one piece aside as this will form the card middle later. The remaining piece will be your card front.

Step 2. Mark and Cut the Bauble Window

With a pencil and ruler, mark the card front 14cm in width and 20cm in length. Draw a vertical centre line.

Measuring 4.2cm up from the bottom, create a 9.5cm diameter circle in the centre. For the circle, I used a plastic cup from my kitchen cupboard which was the perfect size to draw around. These measurements are precisely what I used, but feel free to round up or down for ease.

Using a craft knife, safety ruler, and cutting mat, carefully cut the two excess edges off. For the circle, I used the craft knife around the cup to keep things neat.

Step 3. Add the Acetate Window and Bauble String

To make the window of the card front, cut out a 13cm x 13cm square of acetate and use double-sided sticky tape to secure it to the back. You can use scissors for this as this will be concealed.

Whilst you are working on the back of the card front, cut a 12cm length of twine and tape the twine above the acetate using the centre line as a guide. This will secure your bauble string in a hidden and neat way.

Step 4. Stamp and Cut Your Christmas Message

Using the cut-out circle, stamp on your Christmas message. Create a neat box around the message with a pencil and ruler. Then cut it out using a craft knife, cutting mat and safety ruler. Try to cut on the inside of the lines and rub off any pencil marks. This will form your Christmas greeting on the front of the card.

Step 5. Attach the Message and Secure the Twine

Plan where you are going to stick the stamped Christmas greeting to the bottom of the card front. Use a ruler to find the middle and make light pencil marks as guides. If you can make guidelines which will be concealed this would be best, if not you can rub these out afterwards. Glue the Christmas greeting down with Pritt Stick glue.

Cut the twine to sit just above the circle window. Use a small amount of PVA glue to glue down the end part only of the twine to near the top of the bauble. Flatten down the end as much as possible as this is where the bows will attach onto later.

💡 Tip: You can use a stack of coins to hold down the twine whilst the glue is drying.

Step 6. Prepare the Background Layer

With the second piece of card which was set aside, measure and cut to 13cm width and 19cm length. Choose your scrapbook background and cut it into a 12cm x 12cm square.

Layer the background beneath the card front window and over the card middle to check placement before gluing. Try to aim for the card middle section to be as central as possible. Once you are happy, make some light pencil marks as guides and then attach your chosen background to the card middle with pritt stick glue smoothing out any lumps.

Step 7. Add Double Sided Tape to the Back

Flip the middle card section over and apply double sided sticky tape ready for assembly later. Doing this now whilst it is easy to do, prevents squashing the shaker front later.

Step 8. Add Glitter (Optional)

This is optional, but to add a little sparkle and friction in the shaker card use a glitter glue pen to highlight areas of the bauble background. For this card I used a small amount glitter glue on the trees, lake and fairy. Let it dry fully before continuing.

Step 9. Create Guidelines for Alignment

Line up your card middle and front again, checking placement through the acetate window. Try to make the card middle as central as it can be whilst also ensuring you are happy with where the bauble background is going to sit. Once happy, trace around the card middle on the back of the card front to make a guideline for where it will sit later.

Step 10. Add Foam Pads to Build the Shaker Frame

Turn the card front face down. Place 3mm thick sticky pads around the circle, a few mm away from the edge, whilst making sure the sticky pads are close enough together that no sequins escape.

Place more sticky pads within the guideline corners and at regular intervals within the guideline edge. Keep the backing on the pads for now. When the card front and middle are stuck together this will keep card spacing uniform throughout.

Step 11. Add Sequins

Sprinkle your chosen sequins and snowflakes onto the acetate window, matching your background colours for a cohesive look.

Step 12. Assemble the Front and Middle Sections

Using your guidelines from step 9, you will now know where to place your card middle.

Peel away the backing off your foam pads from the card front. Then with your card middle faced down, using your guideline carefully stick the card middle and card front sections together. You can see now that your shaker card is taking shape!

Step 13. Add Bows and Final Details

For the finishing touches, create a twine and ribbon bow and lightly glue (PVA) this on to the top of the bauble at the bottom of the twine. I placed a single twine bow on first then a double organza ribbon bow on top for mine. Once dry, your shaker front is secure and ready to attach.

💡 Tip: You can use a stack of coins to hold down the bows whilst the glue is drying.

Step 14. Mount the Shaker Front onto the Card Body

Fold another A4 piece of Kraft card in half from the landscape view. This will be main body of the card.

Before sticking on the shaker front, line it up on the card body and make very light guideline pencil marks at the four corners only. We will rub these off at the end, but this is important for lining up this last step.

Once you are happy, take off the double sided sticky tape backing from the shaker front. Carefully stick the shaker front to the body of the card and give it a gentle press down. Rub off any guideline marks by lifting gently the shaker front corners and using your rubber.

Give your card a shake and that is your Christmas bauble shaker card complete! I really hope you like your results.

❄️ Snowglobe Version

To make the snowglobe version, use the same measurements and technique, simply rotate the card front 180°. Add a ribbon to the top and a stand to the bottom.

For the stand, secure five rows of jute twine with double sided sticky tape at the back and a small amount hidden at centre front, then attach it to the card front using the 3mm thick sticky pads for a 3D effect. You can download the snowglobe stand template below to help. Print at 100% on A4 and cut with a craft knife for a neat, precise finish.

Finishing Touch: Matching Envelope for Your Christmas Shaker Card

Complete your handmade Christmas card with this matching kraft envelope. This envelope is slightly larger than the shaker card, giving it a comfortable fit and a beautiful finished look.

You could try different variations of this card by using coloured card such as Navy & Gold or Red & Silver. Try different types of ribbon such as wired ribbon which would hold its shape well. Instead of twine you could use metallic string.

Love this idea? Save it to Pinterest so you can find it again later! ⬇️

I’d love to see what you create, so please share this post, leave a comment with your results, or get in touch via my contact form if you have any questions.

If your looking for more Christmas shaker card inspiration take a look at this Christmas tree shaker card tutorial here.

🎄Happy Christmas shaker card making!🎄

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