How To Make A Shaker Card In 4 Simple Steps!

Have you ever created a shaker card? If you haven’t, you’re in for a real treat today. I’m sharing a detailed tutorial for how to create one of these amazing and impressive, yet simple cards. They look complicated to create, but they really aren’t. Let’s get started with how to make a shaker card!

First I’ll talk quickly about what a shaker card actually is.

What Is A Shaker Card?

A shaker card is a card with a window in the front, which is popped up slightly to create a gap behind it to hold sequins, small beads, or other small items which can be shaken around inside. They have an interactive element with moving pieces that is especially exciting and impressive!

Next let’s talk about what you’ll need to make a shaker card.

Materials Needed

To create a shaker card, you’ll need the following supplies:

Card base
Overlay/frame piece with a shape cut out of the inside
Piece of acetate window sheet measuring the same size or just barely smaller than the overlay/frame piece
Foam adhesive strips
Glue or tape
Punches or die cuts to decorate
Shaker pieces – sequins, beads, or other small items

Let’s talk more about what you can use as the shakers in your card – there are so many options!

What Kinds Of Filler Can Be Used For A Shaker Card?

There are so many small items that can be used for shaker cards including sequins, beads, pearls, confetti, gilded leafing, baking sprinkles, google eyes, small pebbles or shells, sand, pompoms, and buttons. If it’s small and it shakes, you can probably use it!

Another important part of a shaker card is the frame laying over the front. Let’s talk about how to prepare this piece now.

How To Prepare The Overlay Piece

You can use any size paper as the overlay, as long as it isn’t larger than the card base itself. You’ll need to cut at least one opening in this piece, which can be done with a punch, die, or trimmer. Keep in mind you want to keep a border strip around the edge that is large enough to hide a piece of foam adhesive.

Below you can see how I prepared the frame for my sample card using the plaid paper at the bottom.

Here are several examples of pieces that would make good frames for a shaker card. The border on several of these is pretty narrow, but they would work if needed!

Favorite Dies For Shaker Cards

Here are a few of my favorite die sets for creating the frame piece on shaker cards: Deckled Rectangles, Stitched Rectangles, Stylish Shapes, and Layering Circles.

Sample Card Dimensions

Here are the cutting dimensions for the card I created:

Card base: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″, folded in half
Frame: 4″ x 5 1/4″, with a rectangle cut from the center
Window sheet: 4″ x 5 1/4″

Next let’s talk about how to assemble a shaker card!

How To Make A Shaker Card

Create a shaker card using these four simple steps:

1. Prepare the card base. Fold it, and decorate as desired. This is what will show through behind the shaker window.

2. Prepare the frame and attach window sheet to the back side with glue or tape.

3. With the back side face up, create a border behind the frame with foam adhesive strips. Keep the strips away from the edges (so they don’t show) and make sure there aren’t any gaps at the corners (so your shakers don’t leak out!).

Remove paper backing from the strips and set aside.

4. Lay sequins on top of the card base. Then carefully lower the frame and attach to the card.

It’s that easy to create a shaker card! Keep reading because I’ll share a few tips, more shaker card samples, and my video tutorial below!

Tips For Creating Shaker Cards

Start simple – use a basic shape to cut the center and keep decorations on the card base to a minimum.
When creating the frame, keep a nice wide border to make it easy to hide the foam strips.
Don’t add too much filler material! When too much is included, it won’t shake much and you won’t see the background.
Trim the acetate window sheet just a tiny bit smaller (maybe 1/16″) than the frame to make it easy to hide behind the frame.

More Shaker Card Examples

Here are a few shaker cards I’ve created in the past. Take a look at them using the links below!

Penguin Shaker Dome

Slimline Shaker Card

Gilded Leafing Shaker

Christmas Shaker Card

Butterfly Shaker

A Stepped Up Shaker Card With Liquid!

See even more shaker card ideas here!

Featured Stamps – Petal Park

The stamp and punch bundle I used to create my shaker card is called Petal Park, and I love that it allows me to stamp two colors for realistic looking flowers and leaves – and then punch three flowers at one time!