Lever Card Tutorial

Hiya Crafters! Thanks for visiting. I hope everyone is doing well today. I had to clean my craft room before I could do anything else. It looked like I had a tornado come through. I just couldn't concentrate with the floor covered in supplies. And the cats are still a wee bit clingy since being back from the trip. Anyway, I have a large family, and it doubled when I married my husband. So I have birthdays almost every month of the year. Ben's paternal grandmother is having a birthday next month and I wanted to send her something she has never had before. I found a tutorial for a lever card that reminded me of a swing card, and a tunnel card all in one. I knew this is what I had to do for her.

Here's what you'll need to make this card:

• (2) pieces of cardstock cut to 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"
• Paper trimmer
• Score board and scoring tool
• Strong adhesive - recommending score tape
• Designer paper
• Stamping and die cutting tools to finish the card

Let's get started! On your first piece of cardstock score at 4 1/4 and set aside. Do not fold yet. This will be your cover card.

Take your other piece of 5 1/2 x 8 1/2" cardstock and score at 4 1/4" and 6 3/8". We will need to do a partial score at 2 1/8", only an inch long. Flip the cardstock over and repeat at 2 1/8" only an inch long.

Let's take your cover card to your trimmer. Mine is upside down - again. Line the card up at 7 1/2". Position your cutting blade at the 1" mark and cut to 4 1/2".

Rotate the card 180 degrees and line it up at the 3 1/4" mark and repeat cutting from 1" to 4 1/2".

Turn the card 90 degrees and line it up at the 4 1/2" mark and cut to connect the lines. Rotate again and line at 1" mark and repeat. You will do this to cut out the window.

Fold that in half and set aside. Take your other piece of cardstock with the multiple score lines. Line it up at 7 1/2", and line your cutting blade at 1" and cut to 4 1/2". 

Turn it 90 degrees and line it up at 4 1/2" mark and line the cutting blade at 1" and cut to the 2 1/8" score line. Flip the card over and repeat.

Fold all the score lines in a mountain valley fold.

Then you'll want to sort of fold it back on itself in order to tape it. The reason why I recommend score tape is because things get sticky quick before you'd be ready to adhere it together.

With just peeling the left side of the tape off first, slide your "lever" through the window on your cover card with the peak pointing towards you. Line it up as even as you possibly can.

Then all that's left is to peel the backing off the remaining tape and line it up with the other side of the cover card.

You'll have something that looks like this:

Now it's time to cover it in designer paper, or you can leave it like this. Since I managed somehow to ink on mine without touching ink yet for the day, I opted for the DSP. (I found later that I touched a ruler my husband used a green sharpie with. We're getting his and her rulers soon.) Cut a 4” x 5 1/4” piece of designer paper for the front of the card. Cut in 7/8” from all 4 sides to make the decorative layer for the front of the card.

Cut a 1 7/8 x 5 1/4" piece of paper. We will need to make this to fit around the frame on the inside. Cut 1" in from the right side to 7/8". You'll need to do this to both ends.

Then turn it and cut to connect those lines to make a "C".

Next cut a piece at 3 1/8 x 5 1/4".To the left of your cutting arm line the paper at 7/8" and cut into your paper at 1 7/8". Do this to both ends.

You'll want to cut two to three pieces, depending if you want to mat or not, at 1 7/8" x 5 1/4" for the panels. If you decide to mat and still want an area to write a message or sign the card, you'll need to cut at 1 3/4" x 5 1/8" This is what it will look like flattened out and from the top.

And this is what also distracted me through my whole day. That's my seat, buddy!

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial. It was quite the experience to put together and it took me longer than I anticipated. Thanks for popping by, Crafters! I'll see you soon!