Make pretty greeting cards for all occasions by weaving strips of colourful paper.

Whilst we were on holiday a few weeks ago, staying with friends, I got the chance to try out some gelli plate printing. What a fun art technique! I definitely want to get my own gelli plate sometime soon and create more prints.

In the meantime I got home from our holiday with my gelli prints and wanted to do something with them so I tried some paper weaving.

This paper weaving technique will work with any paper, not just gelli prints of course so you could create paper woven cards with strips of any paper you have.

To make woven paper greeting cards you will need:

Card blanks and envelopes

Paper to cut into strips (I used my gelli prints)

Washi or masking tape

Paper glue - I used a craft tacky glue

A paper guillotine or trimmer is handy and make it easy but you could just use scissors

Optional extras - metallic threads and twine, embellishments

Prepare your paper strips

Start my cutting your paper into strips. They can be all the same width or you can mix them up and make some a little wider than others. Mine vary from approx half a centimetre to 1.5cm.

Trim 13 or 14 strips to the size you want by tearing them.

Weaving the paper

Position 6 or 7 strips on your cutting mat or table horizontally next to each other with no gaps. Secure them on one edge using a strip of washi or masking tape.

Take another strip of paper and weave it vertically over and under the horizontal strips, then push it right over to the tape. To weave you go under the strips you went over last time, and over the strips you went under, the photo shows it best.

Continue weaving strips of paper until you’ve made a square.

Secure the paper weave

Remove the washi tape and then lift the end of each strip and apply a teeny tiny dab of glue to secure it.

Flip it over and repeat, carefully lifting all the loose ends and applying a tiny dab of glue to secure them.

Now your weaving is ready to glue onto a card blank. It will make a lovely card just as it is or you can use the paper weave as a textured background.

Adding threads

You can add some gold thread if want to give your paper weave a little extra pizzazz.

Thread a blunt needle with gold thread, doubled up if it’s very thin like mine, and sew it through the holes in your paper weave. Secure it on the back with a little glue or tape.

You could add thread in between all the paper strips or just a few here and there.

Or how about adding some fine twine? Perhaps a bow too.

More paper weave greeting cards ideas

Here I covered the card with a piece of burlap (hessian) first then added the paper weave. I topped it off with a stamped sentiment and a butterfly button from my craft stash. I think this butterfly had been rescued from something else by a friend at some point and given to me in a “can you use this?” kind of way.

For this card I glued down the woven paper piece and added a sentiment and paper flower.

For this aperture card I glued the paper weave inside so it just shows through the hole. I might add a sentiment to this one too at some point, maybe personalise it with a friend’s name.

Have I inspired you to try a little paper weaving and make a unique card to send to a special friend?

Julie
I’ll be sharing this paper craft idea at some of these link ups