Pick a place to start
Your first card
Size the paper, fold it, decorate the front and write inside. The whole process in seven steps.
Six simple folds
Half, quarter, tent, gatefold, letter and accordion folds, each with a diagram.
Pop-up cards
The box step and the talking beak: two cuts and a few creases that make a card move.
Crafts by age
What toddlers, preschoolers and school-age kids can usually do, and how to help.
How our fold diagrams work
Every fold on this site comes with a small diagram of the open sheet. The lines tell you what to do with the paper. Blue dashes mean a valley fold, red dash-dots mean a mountain fold, solid black means cut, and gray dots mean crease it both ways. Numbers show the order.
- Valley fold folds toward you, like a V
- Mountain fold folds away from you, like a peak
- Cut an adult or older child cuts here
- Crease fold both ways, then open again
The everyday card. Works for any size of paper.
Two doors open from the middle for a surprise inside.
A step that pops forward when the card opens. Stick a picture on its front.
The full set is on the card folds page, with the two pop-up mechanisms on the pop-up page and a glue-free envelope on the envelope page.
A basic kit
You do not need a craft store trip to make good cards. Most homes and classrooms already have enough for an afternoon:
- Plain paper for practice and thicker paper or light card for finished cards.
- Crayons, washable markers or colored pencils.
- A glue stick, which is the least messy choice for young children.
- Child-size scissors with blunt tips, plus an adult pair for the hard cuts.
- A ruler and a pencil for marking folds.
- Scrap boxes: old magazines, wrapping paper, envelopes, fabric bits and ribbon.
The materials guide explains paper weights, which glue suits which job and what to keep for adults only.
Why make cards with children?
A handmade card packs several skills into one small project. Children plan a picture, practice cutting and folding, write or dictate a message, and then see someone react to what they made. It is also a gentle way to practice thinking about another person: who is this for, and what would they like?
The finished card does not need to look tidy. Grandparents tend to keep the wobbly ones. Let the child make the choices about color, picture and words, and step in only for the parts that need adult hands.
New to crafting with a group of young kids? Read the scissors and glue safety page first. It covers blunt-tip scissors, small parts and choking risks, hot glue, and what to do if glue ends up in an eye or a mouth.
Common questions
What age can kids start making cards?
Toddlers can make a card from about age two with stickers, crayons and torn paper on a card an adult has already folded. Cutting and folding come later. The crafts by age page has a rough guide.
Do you sell templates or card kits?
No. KiddiCards sells nothing. Every project here is made from plain paper and common supplies, and the diagrams show you how to mark the folds yourself.
Can a handmade card go in the mail?
Usually, if it fits a standard envelope and lies flat. Very small cards, square envelopes and lumpy decorations can need extra postage or may not be accepted, so check with your postal service first.