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Storyboarding Your Life: Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting–Build Your Own Mickey Snowman Cards

by Fran Cassano

Hi Everyone! We all find little ways to let the people we care about know we are thinking about them, especially during the holidays. And since “Christmas in July” is in full swing at WDW Radio, I thought I would share one of my personal favorite cards to make: Build Your Own Mickey Snowman Cards. The contents of this card will allow the recipient to build a Mickey (or Minnie) Snowman Ornament. So, let’s get started, together!

Per card, you will need the following:

  • 1 piece 4″x6″ vellum or plastic sleeve for cards
  • 1 piece of 12×12 Disney or other patterned scrapbook paper
  • 1 medium card envelope (5  3/4″ x 4 3/8″)
  • Glue Lines, tape runner (or similar permanent adhesive)
  • 1 piece 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock in color of your choice (or which coordinates with patterned scrapbook paper)
  • 1 Mickey Ears Snowman Template (courtesy of Disney)
  • 1 piece 8 1/2 x 11 white cardstock
  • Scrap pieces of cardstock in orange (for carrot nose) and light brown or kraft (for stick arms)
  • Black cardstock for Mickey Ears
  • Strip of red felt (for Mickey) or Polka Dotted Ribbon (for Minnie) to use as a scarf
  • 2 small round yellow buttons (for Mickey) or same Polka Dotted Ribbon above folded into a small bow (for Minnie)
  • String

Instructions:

Let’s start by crafting our own envelope. I have a ton of scrapbook paper I never know what to do with. I like to take the random 12×12 paper I know I won’t otherwise use and make it into an envelope for a card. To make one, pull apart a medium card envelope and use it as a template. Draw your new envelope on the scrapbook paper. Fold this into a new envelope using your template as a guide for where to fold. Secure side flaps with Glue Lines. You will also seal the top flap with Glue Lines once you enclose your completed card.

You can only make one envelope per 12×12 paper, however it is an excellent way to use papers you don’t know what else to do with. If there is a particular part of the design you want to keep on the new envelope, put your template over the design and draw around it. But, if you want to keep a certain part of the design yourself, draw your template around other portions of it, because you will have a nice strip of the paper leftover. (If you are anything like I am, I use my excess strips of paper with a decoration I like for other purposes more than I do an entire 12×12 with decorations I could go either way with).

I usually pick the neutral or blank side for the addressing and the decorative side for the inside, to act as a faux liner. It’s an unexpected touch for the recipient. Here, I chose these Mickeys because they remind me so much of the ornaments at Disney’s Days of Christmas at DTD and Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom. You can decide which side you would like to use.

Next, let’s make the card base. To make a standard fold over card, slice your 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock (on the 11 inch side) at the 5 1/2 mark. (For those of you who don’t have a slicer, fold your cardstock directly in half on the 11 inch side and cut the fold.) If using a dark cardstock, you can opt to add an insert of white paper to make writing your message a little easier to see. Cut the insert to 5 1/4 x 4. Then secure it to the right, inside of your card keeping a 1/4 of an inch border all the way around. If you don’t want to do this, it’s OK. I don’t always do it either. I often write my message using a darker ink in a coordinating color.

Now, here is the most fun of all~the contents for your recipient to make their Mickey (or Minnie) Snowman! Outline your Snowman and Mickey Ears on the respective cardstocks. When cutting your Snowman template, if your paper is thin enough, you can try to line up the outlines so you can stack the papers together while cutting. Cut your Mickey Ears. Pre decorate your Snowman with “charcoal” eyes and mouth using marker. Cut brown or kraft scrap paper into “stick” arms and orange into a “carrot” nose. Snip felt scrap into a scarf (for the Minnie version you can use a polka dotted ribbon and use the same ribbon to fashion a small bow, too).

Take the vellum or plastic sleeve and enclose your Snowman, your Mickey Ears, “carrot” nose, “stick” arms, string (to hang the ornament); felt scarf and small yellow buttons for pants for Mickey or dotted ribbon scarf and bow for Minnie. Make sure all the pieces are in the bottom half, Seal and fold over the excess. Take a Glue Line to stick the excess to the side of the pouch you won’t see, then take more Glue Lines to secure pouch to card, smooth side with contents showing facing out, leaving a border around the card front. I took a scrap piece of white card stock and stamped “Build Me” on my card, but coming up with your own greeting is a lot of fun. (I had some leftover sticky Mickey brads, so I used one as an embellishment).

Your recipient is going to love this card with a little Disney extra. It’s as much fun to make as it is to give. Happy Holidays (in July) and Happy Crafting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craft Time: 3 hours for prep and 10 minutes per assembled card

Fran’s Notes:

  • I always make myself a Mickey Snowman for my scrapbook and my Christmas tree.
  • If you want your recipient to play with the look of their Mickey Snowman, consider adding more items of your choice for details (like small embellishment stickers or excess scrap paper for them to create their own as they “build” him).
  • I have one dedicated pair of scissors for paper cutting and one pair dedicated for fabric cutting. Paper scissor will dull over time and can cause pulls in fabric (like felt or ribbon) if used on it. I have a cute ribbon tied to the handle of my fabric scissor to remind me which is which.

Do you make any of your own Disney holiday crafts?  Tell us about them in the comments below!!

Like so many of us, Fran Cassano’s life is sprinkled with Mickeys. From collecting Park brochures as a child, to creating ideas for her own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Storyboarding your Life: Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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