Start With a Free Cardstock Project

You do not need a membership, an account, or anything else to get started. Choose a project, download the template, and follow along with us.

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Potted Cardstock Herbs

Free video workshop · Beginner · About 30 minutes

Turn your green cardstock into a sweet little collection of basil, parsley, and lavender. This beginner-friendly project is a wonderful introduction to shaping paper leaves, and the finished herbs look so charming tucked into tiny terracotta pots.

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Cardstock Philodendron Plant

Free video workshop · Beginner · About 30 minutes

These big, heart-shaped leaves come together quickly, and adding the veins and shaping the paper brings the whole plant to life. And, of course, it stays green all year without any watering.

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Upcycled Paper Bag Succulents

Free video workshop · Beginner · About 60 minutes

One of my favorite ways to craft is to take an everyday material and see it differently. These succulents begin with ordinary paper grocery bags. The natural variation in the paper gives every plant a soft, organic finish.

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Cardstock Origami Elk Family

Free video workshop · Beginner · Quick project

A few folds turn flat cardstock into a dimensional family of woodland animals. Make one little elk or create the entire family for your holiday mantel or winter table.

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Cardstock Winter Bunny Cards

Free video workshop · Kid-friendly · About 30 minutes

These sweet winter cards feature a snow-globe bunny and a tiny Christmas tree. They are approachable enough to make with children and lovely enough to send to someone special.

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Papercut Cardstock Tacos

Free project · Kid-friendly · Quick project

A paper taco filled with colorful cardstock ingredients, served in its own paper basket. This is a quick, playful project that younger crafters especially love.

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Paper Plants Make Beautiful Gifts

Paper plants are one of our favorite ways to show what cardstock can do.

The leaves hold their shape beautifully, the colors stay fresh, and you can tuck your finished plants into all the places where a real plant might not be happy. No sunlight, watering, or green thumb required.

Begin with our free Potted Cardstock Herbs, Cardstock Philodendron, or Upcycled Paper Bag Succulents above. Once you are ready for another project, try our Cardstock Snake Plant. They are beginner-friendly, make a beautiful gift, and one of my personal favorites in our library.
View all 100+ of our paper plants.

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Cardstock Flowers That Stay Fresh All Year

Cardstock creates flowers with a crisp, sculptural quality. It is especially lovely for petals that curl, leaves with strong silhouettes, and arrangements you want to display year after year.

Our Cardstock Cosmos are a more detailed project, but the finished flowers are truly pieces of art. Frame them, arrange them in a vase, or use them to create a dramatic wall display.

For summer, our Cardstock Geranium brings a cheerful pop of color as a potted blooming plant.

And those are just the beginning.
Pick your own cardstock flower from our library.

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Dimensional and Layered Cardstock Projects

One of the magical things about cardstock is watching it transform from a flat sheet of paper into something with depth and movement.

And our Layered Cardstock Strawberry Art builds color and dimension one layer at a time before being placed into a coordinating cardstock fruit basket.

These projects look impressive, but your cutting machine does most of the detailed cutting for you. Then comes the best part: assembling the pieces and watching your design come to life.

[LINK: Explore Dimensional Cardstock Projects]

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Cards and Layered Art

Of course, there is a reason cardstock is so popular for card making. It cuts cleanly, folds beautifully, and is sturdy enough to add layers and dimensional details.

When we design our layered cardstock pieces, we image them being placed into an envelope as a beautiful handmade card, or into a frame for a custom piece of artwork.

Browse all of our layered cardstock designs.

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Choosing Your Cardstock

The right cardstock makes such a difference.

If it is too light, your leaves, petals, and dimensional shapes may not hold their curves. If it is too heavy, it can be difficult to cut and may crack when folded. A smooth, medium-weight cardstock is the most versatile choice for the projects we design.

Color matters too, especially when you are creating something inspired by nature. A blend of greens makes a plant feel more layered and lifelike. A thoughtful flower palette can turn a project into something you will want to display.

This is why we created our own curated collection. We wanted cardstock with a smooth finish that cuts cleanly, scores beautifully, and shapes well. We also wanted a palette in which the colors work together, so you can mix and layer them with confidence.

Our 10-pack is mix and match, so you choose your own ten colors from all 48 shades. Build a set of greens for the paper plants on this page, gather a spring palette for the daffodils, or pick the brights your youngest crafters will reach for. The palette is yours to build.

Shop our cardstock collection.

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Cutting Cardstock With a Cutting Machine

Cardstock is one of the friendliest materials to cut with a Cricut or another personal cutting machine. It does not stretch or shift while the machine is cutting, and most medium-weight cardstock cuts beautifully with a fine-point blade and the appropriate cardstock setting.

A few of my favorite tips:

• Begin with a clean, sticky cutting mat.
• Use a sharp fine-point blade for small or detailed cuts.
• Choose the machine setting that most closely matches the weight of your paper.
• Make a small test cut before cutting the full project.
• Use a scoring tool when you want a crisp, clean fold.
• Remove the mat from the paper by turning it over and gently bending the mat away from your cut pieces.

Every project on our site includes an SVG file for your cutting machine as well as a printable PDF template. If you do not own a cutting machine, or you simply enjoy cutting by hand, you can make these projects with a good pair of detail scissors.

Download our printable cut settings chart.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What can I make with cardstock?

So many things! Cardstock is wonderful for cards, paper plants, flowers, ornaments, cake toppers, party decorations, layered artwork, gift tags, folded animals, and dimensional home décor.

What weight of cardstock works best with a cutting machine?

A medium-weight cardstock is the most versatile choice. It is sturdy enough to hold a curve or folded shape but light enough to cut cleanly with a craft knife, scissors, or cutting machine.

Can I make these projects without a cutting machine?

Yes. Every project includes a printable PDF template as well as an SVG cutting-machine file. You can print the PDF and cut the pieces by hand with sharp detail scissors.

What is the difference between cardstock and crepe paper for flowers?

Cardstock holds a clean, crisp shape, making it wonderful for graphic and sculptural flowers. Crepe paper stretches and moves, allowing us to cup, curl, and ruffle the petals into softer, more realistic blooms.

Both materials are beautiful. They simply create different styles.

Explore our crepe paper flowers.

Do I need a membership to make these projects?

No. The six projects at the top of this page are completely free.

If you would like to keep exploring, our membership gives you access to our full library of more than 2,000 projects and 400 videos, along with weekly live workshops and our creative community. You can also purchase an individual project without becoming a member.

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What Will Your Cardstock Become?

That is always my favorite part of crafting: seeing possibility in a familiar material.

Your cardstock may begin as ten smooth sheets of color you chose yourself. But with a template, a few techniques, and a little time for yourself, those sheets can become flowers, plants, artwork, or something made especially for someone you love.
Happy crafting!

~ Lia and Team