These free-standing Halloween cards, with ghost or jack-o'-lantern danglers, serve double-duty as a greeting card and a fun decoration for Halloween. Make several for your friends and family and some for yourself. The danglers cutouts also make terrific treat bag tags and small party favors—just print and cut out.
The technique of making 3-D cards with danglers is featured in the Dangler Cards tutorial from Aunt Annie's Greeting Card Class. See this tutorial for detailed instructions, and if you are new to card making, review the Greeting Card Class tutorials for ideas and basic techniques. For how to make envelopes, see the Four Patch Cards tutorial or see the Envelopes to Make craft project for envelope templates and instructions.
Related craft: Kids can make Halloween Spook House Dangler Cards from black construction paper with an opening to peer inside at the ghostly residents.
Scroll down to see the instructions for all three card designs. All the card options use digital paper that you download and print on white paper or cardstock. The second card, Ghost dangler with more ghosts, is made exclusively of digital paper and white cardstock. The other cards use the digital papers in combination with colored cardstock. Tip: You may find it easier to make the danglers using the pattern for two-sided paper danglers.
Prep work: Cut two 4¼″ by 5½″ rectangles of blue cardstock, and a 4¼″ by 5½″ rectangle of Eerie Green Ghostly Ghosts. Print the Halloween Dangler pattern on white cardstock. Cut out two tall jack-o'-lanterns from the Halloween Dangler pattern. Glue the jack-o'-lanterns back-to-back and trim away any white showing around the edges.
To assemble card: Follow the instructions in the Dangler Cards tutorial, steps 2 thru 5 and step 7. Use black thread to hang the dangler and a sewing needle to punch a small hole for the thread in the jack-o'-lantern stem.
Prep work: Print Ghosts on blue digital paper on white cardstock, and then cut two 4¼″ by 5½″ rectangles from it. Print the Halloween Dangler pattern on white cardstock. Cut out two green ghosts from the Halloween Dangler pattern. Glue the ghosts back-to-back and trim away any white showing around the edges.
To assemble card: Follow the instructions in the Dangler Cards tutorial, steps 2 thru 4 and step 7. Use black thread to hang the dangler and use an 1/8" hole punch or a sewing needle to punch a small hole for the thread in the top of the dangler.
Prep work: Cut two 4¼″ by 5½″ rectangles of orange cardstock. Print the Halloween Dangler pattern and Bats on blue digital paper on white cardstock. Cut a 2" by 3" rectangle from the Bats on blue digital paper. Cut out two large jack-o'-lanterns on yellow from the Halloween Dangler pattern. Glue the jack-o'-lanterns on either side of the Bats on blue rectangle.
To assemble card: This card is horizontal instead of vertical. Follow the instructions in the Dangler Cards tutorial, steps 2 thru 4 and step 7. In step 2, fold the 4¼″ by 5½″ orange cardstock in half crosswise and cut a 3" by 1¾" template to trace for the opening. Use black thread to hang the dangler and use an 1/8" hole punch or a sewing needle to punch a small hole for the thread in the top of the dangler.
That's it! Make one of the cards or all three!