Owl-Theme Cards

I love owls and so does my daughter.  So, this year, for her 7th birthday, we are having an owl-themed party.  While owls are quite popular these days, the owl-themed party supplies at our local store left a lot to be desired.  So, after going on Pinterest and seeing samples of many owl-themed cupcakes, cards and crafts, I decided we could make our own owl-themed invites.  Our invites came out so good - and this project was so easy - that I just had to write a tutorial for this blog.

To make one card, you will need:

Solid color card stock, in a color that you can write on so that your ink can be seen

Patterned card stock in colors complementary to your solid color card stock

White card stock

Black card stock
Orange, brown or deep yellow card stock
An oval cutting system (or oval template) that will make an oval at least 6" long
A circle punch (or circle template) that will make a circle the size of a half dollar
A circle punch (or circle template) that will make a circle the size of a dime
A square punch (or square template) that will make a small square (about 3/4" long on each side)
Glue or glue stick

Using your oval cutting system, cut one oval from the solid color card stock; this will be the owl's body.  Cut another oval from the patterned card stock.  Using your oval cutting system, cut out a small curved piece from the top (narrow end) of the solid colored oval body.  This will form the ears of the owl.  Also use your oval cutting system to cut out two long, narrow curved pieces from each long side of the patterned oval.  (See the photo.)  These long, narrow pieces will be the wings.  Paste the long, narrow, patterned wing pieces along each side of your solid color oval body. 

Punch two half-dollar sized circles out of your white card stock.  Punch two dime-sized circles out of your black card stock.  These will be used to form the eyes.  Paste the white circles side by side about a 1/2" below the top of your oval body, below the ears.  Paste one black circle on the top of each white circle, positioning the black circles where you like to get the desired "look".  Punch a square from your orange, brown or yellow card stock.  Cut the square in half to form two triangles.  We will use one triangle for the owl beak.  Paste the triangle upside down (point toward the bottom of the oval body), right below the eyes.   

Viola!  You are done.  In only a few short steps, you have a cute owl card that you can use for a variety of occasions.  We made ours for party invites, but these will also work well for thank you cards after the party.  If I'm in a crafting mood, maybe I'll make a few more for simple note cards. 

Now you probably think that this project is more DIY than upcycle.  But, this could easily become an upcycle project with a little imagination.  Try using book pages, gift wrap, gift bags or old school papers for a unique look.   Instead of cards, use these as bookmarks or in a child's mobile.  Instead of paper, try web-backed fabric for a fun t-shirt patch or blanket applique. The possibilities are endless.  I'm sure the rest of the owl-lovers are already dreaming up new ideas for this one.  Enjoy!