how to make gelli print collage christmas cards

I love making and sending handmade cards at Christmas.

I obviously love receiving all kinds of cards but there is something really special about opening an envelope and finding a handmade card that someone has spent time and effort creating - just for you!

It’s lovely to spend hours making gorgeous personal cards for special loved ones but if you like to send a lot of Christmas cards you are probably looking for ideas that can be made fairly quickly.

This gelli print collage Christmas tree card idea is perfect for that. Each card will be slightly different and unique but the are quick to mass produce. You can get all the cutting done first, then get a nice little production line going.

Making simple collages like this Christmas tree is also a great way to use all your less successful gelli plate prints. I’d consider myself a gelli plate novice. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I have a lot of fun. There is something about the texture and mottledness (is that a real word?) of gelli prints that makes them perfect for collage.

About a month ago I spent a very enjoyable afternoon attempting botanical prints on my gelli plate. I managed a few that I was really pleased with and lots that were, quite frankly, pretty poor.

What to do with all these slightly rubbish prints, mostly in shades of green - Christmas trees of course!

botanical gelli print fails — my botanical gelli print rejects

If you don’t have gelli prints you can use:

scrapbook paper
wrapping paper
old magazines
wallpaper off cuts

What you need to make Gelli Print Collage Christmas Tree Cards

Blank cards and envelopes - mine are 5” squares
Gelli prints
Scissors
Paper glue - I used both a stick glue and a pva with a fine nozzle but you can use whatever you have
Hole punch
Star punch - in the photo you can see smaller punches too but I didn’t end up using them
Black Permanent marker
Gold pen - optional
Christmas tree template

You can use my template “Christmas Tree Template” or create your own template if you’d like a tree that is a different shape. If your greeting card blanks are tall and thin for example you might want to make your trees tall and thin.

Prepare the Christmas tree collage pieces

Start by preparing all your Christmas tree pieces. Make a nice big heap if you are making a lot of cards, it really speeds things up.

For each card you’ll need:

A green triangle
A pot shape - a trapezoid (I confess I had to look that up! It’s a long time since I was at school)
A little heart
A star
Lots of dots made with a hole punch

You can really use up the tiniest of scraps of paper to punch the dots with your hole punch. The little bits left in between other punched shapes are ideal.

I cut my heart shapes by hand. You can draw your hearts on the back of the paper using the template and then cut then out if you find that easier. For speed I usually just cut a teardrop shape then remove a little v from the wide end. It’s much easier to get a nice shape this way - in 2 steps - than if you just try and cut a heart in one go.

Inking the edges

This is completely optional but if you like a bit of an outline on your collage shapes to give a little definition then now is the time to ink the edges.

You can do that with an ink pad or as I did here with a sharpie.

You just place the paper shape onto scrap paper and drag the sharpie along the edge, half on and half off. I find this method quicker and easier than using an ink pad, plus I’m less likely to get ink all over my fingers.

inking the edges of a green paper triangle with a sharpie

I also inked the edges of my stars with a gold pen. I’m not sure that added a great deal to the finished cards to be perfectly honest. It gives a tiny bit of shimmer in real life, but you could easily miss out that step if you prefer.

The main tip for this edging technique is to not tickle about with it; be bold and draw the lines quickly. Also consider doubling up your scrap paper because these permanent marker pens can go right through the paper and onto your table or desk below.

Assembling your Christmas tree cards

Now let’s put your trees together.

Start with the green triangle, position that centrally.

Add the pot at the bottom and a star at the top.

Decorate the pot with a heart.

I used a stick glue for all this, Pritt is my favourite brand.

Finish the tree with the colourful dots that you punched out with your hole punch. I find it easier to glue these on with a fine nozzle on my bottle of pva glue. I tend to use Art Glitter Glue but you can fit a fine nozzle to other types of PVA, Anita’s Tacky glue and Hi Tack are both good adhesives.

You can glue tiny dots using a glue stick but it can be fiddly and a bit messy.

That’s it, your gelli print Christmas tree card is finished.

easy christmas tree paper collage made from gelli prints

heap of brown kraft christmas cards with a simple collage christmas tree design

If you have lots of cards to make you can really set up a production line with this one. Glue all the triangles, then all the pots and stars etc. You can get a whole heap of cards made in a hour or so.

If you have any paper shapes left over you could add them to the envelopes, a little added star or heart would be cute.

I know at the beginning I said I didn’t use the two tiny paper punches in my “what you need” photo but I did punch a few snowflakes so I added them to a couple of the cards I made.

You could use other tiny paper punches if you have them, little stars or hearts would be sweet as tree ornaments too.

If you want to learn more about gelli plate printing (it’s a LOT of fun) then my creative friend Vicky from Vicky Myers Creations has lots of information to help you get started. My only top tip is to get a good quality gelli plate, mine is one of these: Gel Press. The cheaper ones are much more difficult to get good results from. If you are on facebook then you might want to join this Gelli Printing for Newbies group too, it’s a wonderful place to get help, advice and inspiration.