Tutorial - Gap Cards

Gap cards are great fun to make and can be created for practically any occasion.  The idea is to cut a section out of the front of your card, a gap, and then bridge that gap with letters that make up your sentiment... clever huh!?  And with the huge range of alphabet embellishments available on the market you don't need to have a die cutting machine nor do you have to spend hours fussing cutting with a pair of scissors.

 

 

1.  Start with a card blank and some letters.  Your card can fold horizontally or vertically depending on how many letters you wish to fit on the front.

2.  Determine how much of a gap you want to make.  You need to keep in mind that the gap should be less than the height of your shortest letter or else the word won't be able to span the distance.  As you can see in the photo below, my shortest letter is a little less than 1" in height, therefore I am going to make my gap about 3/4" wide.

3.  Cut out the section of card to create your gap.  I made the bottom piece 1" wide, which was a good size for decorating and for providing stability to the finished project.

4.  Make sure your letters fit nicely across the gap, then set them aside while you decorate the card base.

5.  I used some pretty patterned paper on the 1" strip at the bottom and also on the top part of the card.  I always like to cut my patterned paper slightly smaller than the area I'm adhering it to so that I get a nice little border.

6.  Use some low-tack tape to secure the 1" strip in place on your card.  Make sure it lines up perfectly with the sides and bottom of the card back.

7.  Use a pair of tweezers and some strong glue to adhere each letter across the gap.  Remember to only apply glue to the parts of the letters that are going to be stuck down or else you may end up gluing your card shut!  Now be patient and let the glue dry completely before you start to add your decorations... I know it's hard to resist, but it's important that the bond is nice and strong.

8.  Okay, now it's time to gussy things up with all those pretty embellishments and gorgeous images.  Have fun!