Lily and Orchid Card, Gift box and Tag

This coordinating set of card, gift box and gift tag are simply stunning to look at. They feature beads for some extra sparkle on all three designs. Some of the techniques described in this project are ideal for intermediate to advanced crafters looking for a fun challenge.

Materials and Tools

FotoFinesse toppers
Textured card (Lavender, Plum and White)
Silver metallic embroidery thread
Small glass bead candy tubes - pink and cream mix
Swarovski Crystal bicone beads, 4mm
Lilac favour box
Mini mounting pads
Double sided tape
Hi Tack Original All Purpose Glue

There are really 3 separate projects in one here, as we go though making each of the items in the set. We'll start with the "with love" greetings card. These projects were also featured in the July 2008 issue of Crafts Beautiful magazine. Lily 'With Love' Card

1. Cut out a rectangle of the Lavender card measuring 12.5cm by 25cm. Fold this in half to make your card blank.

2. Knot several beads onto the silver thread and lay these across the card diagonally, fastening the ends of the thread on the back of the card blank with adhesive tape. Where the thread meets the fold of the card, you can use a needle to thread it through onto the inside of the card and fix it in place, so it will be hidden along with the other ends.

Handy Hints
I used a ruler width to space the diagonal threads.
To make sure the threads don't move about on the card, you can make a small cut on the edge of the card with a craft knife and pull the thread into this small notch before taping it to the back of the card.

3. Cut out a FotoFinesse lily topper and stick it centrally onto a 7.3cm by 7.3cm square of the Plum card with double sided tape. Sew a crystal Swarovski bicone bead onto each corner of the purple card and then sew on clear bugle beads to form a corner frame.

4. Print off 'With Love', onto white textured card, in purple if possible, to match the frame and mount this onto a rectangle of the Plum card.

Alternatively, you could stamp a message in purple ink onto the white textured card.

5. Stick the flower and wording toppers onto the card using mini-mounting pads.

6. To hide the thread on the inside of the card, fix an insert into the card blank using double sided tape.

You can easily change the wording on this card, to make it suitable for lots of occasions. You could use crystal Swarovski flat backed gems and a glue pen as an alternative to sewing beads onto the corner of the topper.

Beaded Orchid Gift Tag

1. Cut out three tag shapes which increase in size, in textured Lavender, White and Plum card, with Lavender being the smallest and Plum the largest. Use double sided tape to layer them on top of each other and cut a hole in the tag.

2. Cut out one of the FotoFinesse orchid toppers and mount this onto a rectangle of the Plum card. Stick this topper down onto the tag using double sided tape.

3. Decide on the pattern you are going to use for the beaded string - a regular repeating pattern looks best. When your beaded string is about 18cm long, thread it through the hole in the tag and fasten the ends together.

4. Glue a line of beads onto the card below the topper, using the same pattern of beads as the tag tie. Glue a shorter line (with the same pattern) above the topper.

Handy Hints
To get the beads in a straight line, I threaded them onto a piece of cotton, dragged them through some glue and then positioned them on the tag. I removed the cotton once the glue had dried.

Beaded Orchid Gift Box

1. Cut out a FotoFinesse orchid topper and stick it down centrally onto the lid of the box using double sided tape.

2. Stick down alternating pink and white beads to form a beaded frame around the picture.

3. In each corner, glue one pink bead and a clear bead either side of the it, to give a corner detail.

Handy Hints
You can use a cocktail stick to pick up the beads and dab them in a blob of glue on a piece of card, then position them, as they are quite small and difficult to pick up by hand.

Related Products

American Crafts Textured Cardstock, 12" x 12", Lavender

A sheet of lavender coloured 12x12 card. Each sheet is a good heavy weight (216gsm/80lb) and has a linen weave texture on one side (smooth on the other side, to give you more variety in your projects). The card has a solid colour core, which means the colour remains the same all the way through the sheet. Acid and lignin free.

American Crafts Textured Cardstock, 12" x 12", Plum

A sheet of plum coloured 12x12 card. Each sheet is a good heavy weight (216gsm/80lb) and has a linen weave texture on one side (smooth on the other side, to give you more variety in your projects). The card has a solid colour core, which means the colour remains the same all the way through the sheet. Acid and lignin free.

American Crafts Textured Cardstock, 12" x 12", White

A sheet of White coloured 12x12 card. Each sheet is a good heavy weight (216gsm/80lb) and has a linen weave texture on one side (smooth on the other side, to give you more variety in your projects). The card has a solid colour core, which means the colour remains the same all the way through the sheet. Acid and lignin free.

Double Sided Tape, 6mm

A good quality strong double sided tape which is about 6mm wide. The tape is also acid free and heat resistant, making it ideal for photos and embossing. 10 metres per roll.

Foto Finesse Floral Toppers, Pink

A great collection of pink flowers, from soft and subtle pinks to vivid hot pinks. There are 15 toppers in total on each sheet, plus 3 wording toppers, so you'll have have the perfect image. There are all printed on 200gsm high gloss A4 card.

Hi-Tack Original All Purpose Glue

This is a very sticky glue that dries clear and flexible. Perfect for all fabrics, paper, wood and trimmings. Safe and non-toxic.