Tutorial - Spinner Cards

Get ready for a bit of interactive fun with these great spinner cards that topple and slide as you tilt the card to the right or left. They are sure to be a hit with whoever receives them and can be easily personalised by choosing a spinner that appeals to your recipient.

Requirements: Coloured card blank folded in half Piece of white cardstock 5 3/4" x 4" Two small coins (eg: Australian 5c piece or U.S. penny) Small coloured and cut out image (I used a little bee) Pencil, ruler, eraser, black pen Craft knife, scissors Double sided tape Foam tape or large foam dots 1/2" circle punch or craft knife and scissors Narrow (less than 1/2" tall) sentiment stamp Stamp pad Assorted flowers and brads

1. On the piece of white cardstock, measure down 3/4" from the top and draw a line across the cardstock. Draw another line 1/2" below the first. Measure 3/4" from each side edge and draw lines. You will end up with a 1/2" wide box across the top of the cardstock that is 3/4" from each edge as in the photo below.

2. If you have a 1/2" circle punch, punch out two circles on either end of the box. Don't worry if you can't reach all the way to the box, just put the punch as far over as it will go. For those of us who don't have a punch, simply round the ends of the box using a circle template, a large pen lid, a bottle top - anything circular.

3. Use a craft knife and/or scissors to cut out the box with the rounded ends.

4. Lay the white cardstock centred over your card blank and lightly trace around the edges of the box.

5. Use a narrow stamp to add a sentiment inside the window you created by tracing the shape of the box. I just used a pen to write the words I wanted.

6. You can add some more stamps or penwork to the white cardstock. I dotted a whimsical border with a black pen.

7. Choose an assortment of flowers or embellishments for the front of your card. Alternatively you could stamp and colour images of your choice or use some appropriate patterned papers.

8. To make the spinner, add a large circular piece of foam tape to one of the coins. The foam tape needs to be big enough to hold the two coins together, but not so big that it takes up the entire surface of the coin. If you don't have circular foam tape, simple cut off the corners of a square piece and roughly round it out like I did.

9. Add the other coin on top to make a "sandwich".

10. Use nice strong double sided tape to adhere the coins to the back of your small coloured image.

11. Place the bottom of the back coin over the bottom of the slot you cut into the white cardstock.

12. Bend the top of the white cardstock slightly until you can get the top of the coin to pop through as well. You should now have a coin on either side of the window with the foam tape forming a channel for the spinner to slide along.

Front view:

13. Use foam tape to attach the white cardstock to the card blank. You will need quite a lot of foam tape around the window to ensure there is enough support for the coins, which are actually quite heavy. Make sure you place your foam tape far enough away from the window for the spinner to move freely.

14. Centre the white card over the card blank and press together firmly.

15. Tilt the card from side to side and watch the bee spin back and forth!