Mechanical Dog Cards

If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind greeting card, try these mechanical dog cards with clever moving parts that are sure to charm the recipient.

Tools and Materials

Templates: Top of card ("Hap-pee Birthday," head shaking, or blank), middle (mechanical) pieces, bottom of card

Assembly guide

Printer

Cardstock

Photo of dog (optional)

Scissors

Craft knife

Paste

Ruler

Bone folder

Screw punch

Double-sided tape

Paper fasteners

Regular (one-sided) tape

Dog Cards How-To

1. Print templates for each of the 3 layers of the card -- top of card, middle (mechanics), and bottom -- and assembly instructions on card stock. To make a card featuring your own dog, print out the blank template and cut out and paste a photo of your dog that's about the same size and pose.

2. Starting with the bottom of the card, use a ruler and a bone folder to score along the dotted lines. Cut out the full piece on the solid lines. Punch the hole marked by a black dot with a screw punch. Fold up along the dotted lines along both edges.

3. Cut out the middle (mechanical) pieces on solid black lines. Score on dotted lines where marked. Punch holes where marked with a screw punch.

4. Attach folded pink "stop" piece to bottom of card with double-sided tape, as shown in the template.

5. Use paper fasteners to attach the moving pieces to each other. Insert paper fasteners from back to front so "wings" open onto front of tabs.

•Attach the yellow tab arm to the pull tab at point "A."

•Attach the green tab arm to the yellow tab arm at point "B."

•Attach the green tab arm to the bottom card piece at point "C."

6. Fold up the pair of leg/head "flanges" along dotted lines.

7. Cut out the top piece for the card, and cut out circle as marked. Lay the assembled bottom piece flat, fold the two long flaps in over the pull tab, and put double-sided tape along the two long flaps.

8. Lay the top edge of the front of the card over the tape on the top flap of the bottom of the card; press in place. Pull the leg/head flanges through the hole in the front of the card.

9. Attach the bottom edge of the front of card to the bottom flap.

10. Place a piece of tape on the back of each of the leg/head flanges so that sticky side extends past the flanges, facing up. With the pull tab pushed in, position the leg/head over the flanges (leg should cover the word "peee"). Press down firmly so the tape holds leg/head in place. Cut off excess tape with a craft knife.

11. Attach stand to back of card with double-sided tape.

Resources

Paper fasteners are available at office-supply stores. All other tools and materials are available from Martha Stewart Crafts. Special thanks to popular children's book author, Matthew Van Fleet, for sharing this craft. For more information about Matthew, visit dragonflys.com. Special thanks to Simon and Schuster for giving copies of Matthew's book, "Alphabet," to our studio audience.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/mechanical-dog-cards?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/all-occasion-cards#slide_7