Tutorial - Latch Cards

Okay, these cards are so easy to make that if you blink, you'll miss it!

Basically, it's a standard card with the front cut slightly shorter so you can add a little piece of card stock to act as a "latch" to keep it closed. That's really all there is to it... easy right?

1. Start with a card blank. The size really doesn't matter, but for those who are interested I used a piece of A5 folded in half, which makes a card that's about 6" x 4" when closed.

2. Cut a vertical strip 1" wide from the right hand side of the card front. Again, the size of the piece you remove doesn't really matter, you can adjust it for the particular design you'd like to make.

3. Place the card vertically on your score pad with the fold against the left hand side.

4. Score 3 or 4 lines on the back piece of the card, starting as close as you can to the front edge that you just cut. (See the photos below.) The score lines are to give the card some flexibility - DO NOT FOLD ALONG THE SCORE LINES.

5. Now decorate the card front however you like. I used some patterned paper, rhinestones and an image.

6. Now it's time to create your "latch". I find a circle shape works best, but you can really do just about any shape you like. Maybe a little fussy cut flower or a cute animal image? I kept it simple by printing a sentiment and cutting it out with a circle punch.

7. The "latch" attaches with a piece of foam tape to the back of the card. Place the tape to the right of the score lines and then secure the "latch" over the top.

8. As you can see, the score lines give the card stock enough flexibility to bend when opening and closing the card, plus there's the added benefit of being visible from both the front and the inside of the card!

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