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Coffee Cup Gift Card Holder Tutorial

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Perfect for Christmas mornings, birthday surprises, teacher appreciation, or just because, this handmade coffee cup card holder is more than just a gift—it’s a little bundle of joy. Designed to hold a coffee gift card or even a sachet of gourmet coffee, it’s a clever way to wrap up a thoughtful treat in something they can keep. Imagine the smile when they open it to find both a heartfelt greeting and the promise of their next favourite brew. Whether for a caffeine-loving friend, a busy mum who deserves a break, or a colleague who can’t start the day without their cup of joe, this crafty card holder turns a simple gift into a personal, memorable moment.

Supplies

  • Brown cardstock (for cup lid and back panel) 
  • Patterned scrapbook paper (plaid, gingham, or festive patterns for the cup front) 
  • Corrugated paper or textured cardstock (for the coffee sleeve) 
  • Red and cream cardstock (for layered heart embellishment) 
  • Craft glue or double-sided tape 
  • Pencil 
  • Scissors or craft knife 
  • Coffee cup template (front and back shape) 
  • Hole punch or small circle punch (for gift card slots) 
  • Ruler 
  • Optional: Brown ink pad or brown acrylic paint for dry brushing edges 

Instructions

Step 1 – Cut the Cup Pieces
 Using your coffee cup template, cut:

  • 2 full coffee cup shapes from brown cardstock (one will be the back, one the front) 
  • 1 cup lid from brown cardstock 
  • 1 cup body from patterned scrapbook paper 
  • 1 coffee sleeve from corrugated paper 

Step 2 – Create the Gift Card Slot
 On one of the brown cardstock coffee cups (the inside piece), mark a rectangle slightly smaller than a standard gift card in the center.
 Punch two small semicircles—one on each side—so the gift card can slide in and stay secure. You can use a hole punch and then cut straight lines to connect the holes, making a slot.

Step 3 – Assemble the Cup

  • Glue the patterned paper onto the front cup shape. 
  • Attach the lid on top. 
  • Glue the corrugated sleeve in the middle, hiding the seam between paper and cup. 

Step 4 – Turn it into a Card

  • Place the two cup shapes together (front with the sleeve, back with the gift card slot facing inside). 
  • Apply glue only along the outer edges—do not glue the top closed! This makes it a pocket card. 
  • Let dry fully. 

Step 5 – Add the Gift Card
 Slide your gift card into the slot inside.
 Write a message on the back or inside before gifting.

Step 6 – Rustic Touches
 Lightly dry brush the edges with brown paint or ink for a warm, aged look.
 Add your layered heart embellishment to the front sleeve for a sweet farmhouse style.

Have you read?

DIY Giant Eyeball Lanterns – Creepy Halloween Decoration

When it comes to Halloween, bigger is always better—and these giant eyeball lanterns prove it! With nothing more than plain white paper lanterns, a little paint, and some imagination, you can create huge, spooky eyes that look like they’ve popped right out of a monster movie.

They’re perfect for hanging from ceilings, displaying on porches, or grouping together in a corner for an eerie effect. Best of all, paper lanterns are super inexpensive (you can grab them on eBay, Amazon, or even your local dollar store), which makes this a great budget-friendly craft for big impact Halloween décor.

Supplies You’ll Need

  • Large round white paper lanterns (various sizes look best) 
  • Acrylic paints or craft paints in black, brown, green, red, orange, or blue (for irises) 
  • Wide paintbrush for background color 
  • Small paintbrush for details 
  • Black construction paper or cardstock (optional for spiky “lashes” or accents) 
  • Hot glue gun or strong craft glue 
  • String or fishing line (if you want to hang them) 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Lanterns

  1. Assemble your white paper lanterns according to the package directions. 
  2. Make sure they’re fully open and the wire insert is in place so the surface is taut for painting. 

Step 2: Paint the Iris

  1. Using a wide brush, paint a large circle in the center of the lantern to create the iris. 
  2. Choose spooky colors—green, red, orange, or blue work wonderfully. 
  3. Don’t worry about making it perfectly smooth; streaks and uneven textures add to the eerie, organic look. 

Step 3: Add the Pupil

  1. Once the iris paint is dry, use black paint to fill in the pupil at the very center. 
  2. Make it large enough to stand out against the iris. 

Step 4: Detail the Eye

  • Use a smaller brush to add darker or lighter streaks in the iris for a more realistic effect. 
  • You can even add thin vein lines in red around the iris to give it that bloodshot look. 

Step 5: Optional Spiky Lashes

  1. Cut long triangles from black construction paper or cardstock. 
  2. Glue them around one side of the lantern so they stick out like sharp monster eyelashes. 
  3. This makes the eyeballs look even more monstrous and stylized. 

Step 6: Display Your Giant Eyeballs

  • Hanging: Use string or fishing line to suspend them from ceilings, trees, or porch rafters so they look like floating eyeballs. 
  • Stacked: Place them in corners, along stairs, or even grouped on your lawn for a spooky display. 
  • Tabletop: Use them as oversized Halloween party props. 

Tips & Variations

  • Glowing Eyes: Insert battery-powered LED lights into the lanterns so they glow from the inside. 
  • Rainbow Eyes: Mix up the colors and make a whole rainbow of creepy eyes. 
  • Monster Cluster: Group multiple eyeballs together in different sizes for a scarier effect. 

This DIY Giant Eyeball Lantern craft is quick, cheap, and gives you maximum Halloween spook factor with minimal effort. Whether you make one or a whole creepy collection, your haunted house setup will definitely be eye-catching!