How to Make a Reindeer Christmas Card

Download the free reindeer template from the link in Matthew's video description. Print page one, the base card, on a pale sheet of cardstock. Print page two, the reindeer head and antlers, on brown cardstock. Any colour works, so a white or grey reindeer is fine too. Check that your printer is set to actual size, not fit to page, so the tabs match the glue spots later.

Every black dotted line on both pages is a fold. Lay a metal ruler along each one and rub the edge of a paper clip down the line, pressing firmly. That dents the cardstock so it folds clean instead of cracking. Do this before you cut anything, while the sheets are still flat and easy to hold. A bone folder or an empty ballpoint pen works the same way.

Solid black lines are cut lines. Cut out the reindeer head and the antler piece, and trim the base card to its outline. The antlers have lots of little points, so go slowly. Keep the scissors still and turn the paper into the blade instead. It gives smoother curves and fewer nicks. Small sharp scissors make the tight spots between the antler tips much easier.

Fold along every scored line now, before any glue goes on. Fold the antler piece in half down its center, then fold the little tabs. Do the same with the head and body piece. Fold each line forward and back once. Pre-folding shows you which way each piece moves, and it makes the pop-up open and close smoothly on its hinges.

Find the small tab up by the reindeer's head. Paint a thin layer of white craft glue on the grey spot that matches it and press the tab into place. This closes up the head so it stands out in 3D instead of lying flat. Hold it for a few seconds until it grabs. A little glue goes a long way here.

Look for the two small grey spaces near the top of the base card. Paint a little glue on each, not too much, or the paper gets sticky and warps. Set the antlers in place so the center fold of the antler piece sits right on the center fold of the base card. That line-up is what makes the pop-up work. Let the glue set for a minute.

The body has two tabs at the bottom, and their shapes match the grey spaces on the base card. Paint glue on the left grey space and press the left tab down, keeping the head's center fold on the card's center fold. Then do the right side the same way. Hold each tab firmly for a few seconds and let the whole card dry.

Once the glue is dry, close the card slowly and open it again. The reindeer should fold down flat inside, then stand up with its antlers spread as the card opens. Turn the card and look at it from the sides too. If something catches or bends the wrong way, find the fold that is fighting and crease it again in the right direction.

Now the fun part. Add little white dots down the reindeer's body with a white gel pen or paint pen, and draw fur marks and ear details with a fine black marker. Crayons and coloured pencils work too. Keep the card flat on the table while you draw so the pop-up does not wobble under the pen.

Stick on two googly eyes and a red nose if you want Rudolph. Then dot glue in a gentle swag across the card and press on gold sequins, so it looks like a string of Christmas lights. Matthew's idea of lights draped on the antlers is fun too. Finish with a short message, like "for my deer", and sign it.