This is a tutorial for DIY gift card sleeves along with a free printable and SVG Cricut gift card holder template.
I’m a terrible gift-giver sometimes not because I don’t want to spend time picking out a thoughtful gift but more because I don’t want to impose my taste on the recipient.
I love getting gift cards from people. I think it is actually quite thoughtful that they want me to be able to choose.
But then again, I understand not everything thinks this way. I have the perfect solution to make sure the right message gets communicated…make your own gift card holder!
I made these DIY gift card holder designs to add a personal touch to my gift card gifts. Whether it’s the holidays or a birthday or some other special occasion, a customized gift card holder not only gives the recipient the flexibilities of picking out whatever he or she wants, it also adds a personalized touch to make them feel extra special.
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Materials for a Handmade or Cricut gift card holder
Cardstock – Any type of cardstock for this. In fact, even magazine papers look cute with these designs. But in case you want a specific color, here are some of my favorite brands for cardstock:
- Assorted Starter Pack – Basic assorted colors, great starter pack, perfect weight for most papercraft projects
- Cricut Joy Insert Card Packs – You don’t have to use these with the Cricut Joy, they are nice material kids for cardmaking.
- Cardstock Warehouse Brand on Amazon – I love the quality of all the matte-colored cardstock with Cardstock Warehouse. It is my go-to brand for individual matte colors that I might need
- Poptone Assorted Variety Pack – This is the perfect peppy assortment of colors of heavy cardstock. It’s a heavy cardstock assortment with colors I actually use frequently for cardmaking.
- Seasonal Assorted Variety Pack – This is a slight variation on the Poptone assortment and has a quite few neutrals that complement almost any accent color.
- Stardream Metallics Line – For paper crafts, the Stardream line is the go-to for a metallic shimmer finish. It is the perfect sheen to make any project pop. The core is also colored is which hard to find for metallic paper.
Glue – I used a variety of different glues that minimize paper warping:
Cutting Machine – I use a Cricut. Check out my recommendations for Cricut machines and accessories for beginners for more info.
These printable templates and gift card holder SVGs are free and available in my resource library.
How to make a Gift Card Holder
This is really the easiest thing to make. It takes no glue and you just have to fold. Almost anyone can do it. I make mine using a Cricut cutting machine but these templates are not so complicated that you can’t cut this by hand.
The first step is to cut out the DIY gift card holder template. If you are using a Cricut, I recommend a light grip blue mat. The design is not so intricate where you would need the grip of the standard mat.
After cutting out the template, we then move onto folding.
Start by folding in the top and bottom tabs. I like to do a little scrap with the gift card along the crease. It is possible to do the scoring with your Cricut but I find it never lines up and it’s just easier to do it by hand.
You can score the folding lines if you want with a ruler and creating an indentation with either a credit card or a dedicated scraper.
This design requires no glue to secure closed. I like to then slip the interlocking petals in and use that as a reference point and then crease the sides.
I’ve included additionals decorative pieces that are optional but I usually will just glue it on if I have the extra cardstock.
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A gift card holder is a great DIY gift to present when you are unsure what to give. It is handy and personal. At the same time, it is not something you really receive on special occasions. Who knows, the person who would receive the gift would be impressed.
During special occasions, I usually get gift cards. I feel great when I receive one because it has a sentimental value that a store brought gift generally does not have. In return, I also send gift cards to the people who gave me one. But after some time, I realized that maybe I can do something more. A plain gift card is awesome. But why not make it better? That is why I came up with the idea of crafting a DIY gift cardholder.
A gift cardholder is simple enough that anyone can make it. Definitely, it would make your gift card a little bit special than the others. It would also make it stand out! Who does not want that? To be honest, when I started reading gift cards, I tend to lean on a curated gift card. They look adorable and appealing.
In the end, the purpose of the gift card holder is to protect your gift card. Maybe from dirt or smudges while transferring it from your bag to the receiver. The gift card holder is also an awesome way to prevent the gift card from crumpling. But, with or without it, your gift card still has the same sentimental value.