Our Padded Pumpkin Card is soft to the touch but just a little bit scary. Make it with paper craft and a simple quilting technique.

(click here for a larger Padded Pumpkin Card image)

Quilting is a traditional fabric craft that sandwiches padding between layers of fabric with stitching. Our Padded Pumpkin Card borrows the puffy look of quilting to create a three-dimensional feature both outside and inside the card!

For this card, you need to print the cover image both on card stock and on fabric. Paper-backed fabric sheets are available now at many craft, fabric and quilting stores - or you can buy direct from online suppliers like Joann Fabric and Crafts. See our Tips below for a link to a nice printable satin, made by Electric Quilt.

Materials

• Vintage images (FREE PDF download) printed twice: once on matte photo paper or card stock and once on printable fabric.
• Construction paper (black).
• Small (5" X 5") piece of cotton batting.
• Ultra fine glitter.
• Tacky craft glue (like Alene's).
• Bone folder.
• Small scissors or craft knife.  A paper cutter is useful for straight cuts.
• Self-healing cutting mat. 

Instructions for the Padded Pumpkin Card

1. On the first page of the printed vintage images, score along the left edge of the image with the bone folder.  Fold the paper on the score line.  Using a paper cutter or scissors, trim away the unfolded edges of the image.  You will now have an 8" X 6" piece of paper folded to a 4" x 6" card, with the image on the front.
   
   
2. With the card folded closed, carefully cut out the Jack O'Lantern head using a craft knife. Cut through both the face and the back of the card. Keep the face as an envelope seal!
   
   
3. From the fabric printout, cut out the Jack O'Lantern head, leaving a 1/2" margin around the image (Remember to remove the paper backing from the fabric!)
4. Cut a piece of card stock or photo paper to 4" X 6" for the back panel of the card.  Place the folded 4" X 6" card on top of the 4" X 6" panel, and using the Jack O'Lantern hole as a template, trace the opening shape onto the panel.
5. Cut two pieces of cotton batting to fit within the traced shape.  Glue them to the panel in two layers.
6. Spread a thin layer of glue in a 1/4" band around the cotton batting (not on it). Apply the glue right up to the traced line. Stretch the fabric over the batting, aligning the Jack O'Lantern head directly over the traced shape, and press it onto the glue around the batting. While the fabric glue is wet, place the folded card over the back panel to be sure that the Jack O'Lantern fabric is positioned correctly. If the Jack O'Lantern pops through the face of the card properly, quickly spread a thin layer of glue over the entire panel right up to the Jack O'Lantern head and glue it to the back of the folded card. Apply weights, like books, around the quilting until the glue is dry.
7. Time for the inside! Trace the cut out oval onto black construction paper, cut it out, and cut a decorative frame around it. Decorate it with a thin border of silver marker and glitter, and glue it around the Jack O'Lantern. Print your Halloween message on white paper, glue it to a black mat, and glue it below the pumpkin.
   
   
8. We applied a narrow border of glitter around the front of the Padded Pumpkin Card - your option. All finished - A grinning, bulging Jack O'Lantern with none of the mess of carving a pumpkin.
   
   

Tips

• There are several ways of printing images onto fabric. We chose the easy method: We bought paper-backed fabric sheets designed for inkjet printers. Joann's has a good satin version called Electric Quilt Printables - Inkjet Cotton Satin Fabric Sheets. You can also make your own fabric sheets for your inkjet printer, if you are so inclined!
• Use a 4.25" X 6.25" envelope or make your own custom envelope with your favorite decorative paper. Decorate it with a custom "seal" made from the cut-out Jack O'Lantern head, some glitter, and a black mat cut with decorative-edge scissors!