Graduation Centerpiece and Card

Graduation Centerpiece and Card

Celebrate your favorite grads with a fireworks centerpiece and gift card holder. The flying mortarboards are reminiscent of graduation ceremonies all over the world, and the card can every grad’s favorite gift—money!


Finished sizes: Approx. 18" tall Centerpiece  3 1/2" x 5 1/4" Card
Skill: 2 Time: 1 Cost: 2

You will need:

• New or recycled square box (oversized cereal box used)
• Craft foam* (to fit inside box)

• Two sheets blue tissue paper
• 20 gold chenille stems
• Black floral wire
• Gloss black spray paint*
• Gold leafing pen*
• Black acrylic paint
• Black cardstock, four sheets
• Gold metallic stickers
• Glitter brads
• Chipboard letters*
• Gold Curly Willow
• Large star punch*
• 1/4" gold ribbon*
• 10 yds. gold curling ribbon*
• Metallic blue embroidery thread* or three 2" purchased tassels
• Craft wire
• Wooden skewers
• Permanent adhesive*
Needle-nose pliers, serrated knife, wire cutters



GIFT CARD HOLDER

• Computer & printer
• White pen*
• Cardstock*: black, white, blue
• 1 1/4" circle punch
• Glitter stickers



FOR BOTH

• Glitter: blue, gold
• Small star punch*
• Scrapbooking adhesive*
• Double stick tape*
Bone folder, ruler, scissors

STEP 1: Preparation. Measure craft foam to fit into box. Use serrated knife to cut foam. Cut cereal box to approximately 6" tall. Cut tissue paper into squares approximately three times size of box. Spray paint cereal box black. Paint skewers black. Use wire cutter to cut floral wire into one 24" piece, three 30" pieces, and eighteen 12" pieces.


STEP 2: Make stars. Punch out 24 large and 12 small stars. Use scrapbook adhesive to glitter 14 large stars with blue glitter and 10 with gold glitter. Glitter six small stars blue and six small stars gold. Glue same-colored large stars together in pairs, leaving bottoms open for wire. Apply permanent glue to ends of twelve 12" wires and insert into stars. Wrap upper part of wire with gold chenille stem.
Twist additional floral stems around a pencil to curl and wrap last 3" of each around 12" lengths of floral wire. Add small stars to ends of floral stems.

STEP 3: Make hats: Cut three 1" x 6 1/2" and three 3" x 3" pieces of black cardstock. Insert brad into center of each 3"square. Roll each 1" strip into a circle and secure with double-stick tape. Lightly apply permanent glue to edge of rolled strip and press to underside of 3" square.

STEP 4: Make tassels. Note: If using purchased tassels, go to Step 5. Wrap embroidery thread ten times around a 4" wide piece of chipboard. Remove chipboard and tie a strand of thread tightly around middle of strands. Clip loops at top, fold down and wrap additional thread 1/4" below fold. Tie to secure. Clip remaining loops and trim evenly.

STEP 5: Add wire. Apply 3" of double-stick tape to center of a 6" length of craft wire. Wrap thread around tape to cover. Insert one end of into tassel and wrap other around brad on hat. Trim. Curl each 30" wire into three loops. Wrap lower portion around wooden skewers. Curl upper end into a 1" spiral and bend to a 90 degree angle. Use permanent glue to adhere hat to spiral.

STEP 6: Make pennant. Cut a 4 1/2" x 11" triangle from black cardstock. Color letters with gold leafing pen. Glue letters to pennant with scrapbook glue. Cut a 1" x 4 1/2" piece of black cardstock. Score lengthwise, place 24" wire into fold, and adhere over end of pennant. Wrap lower end around wooden skewer. Add gold ribbon with permanent glue.

STEP 7: Assemble. Note: Trim wires to shorten as needed. Place foam into box. Place a little scrapbook glue on top and add tissue. Fold tissue over edges of box and add gold stickers. Place pennant in center. Arrange hat pieces around pennant and curl tassel wire to give appearance of movement. Place large stars, curly willow, and curled stems in base to fill. Curl ribbon and place in base to cover foam.

Gift Card Holder

STEP 1: Preparation. Cut one 3 1/2" x 5" from black cardstock, one 3 3/4" x 5 1/4" from white cardstock, and one 9 1/2" x 5 1/2" from blue cardstock. Print a sentiment from your computer on white cardstock. Note: A sans-serif round typeface, such as Chalkboard or Cooper, works best for glitter application.

STEP 2: Add glitter & stars. Cover printed letters with glue and apply blue glitter. Punch seven stars. Glitter three with gold and four with blue. Layer sentiment onto blue cardstock scrap and trim to 1/8" border. Adhere to lower portion of black card front. Adhere stars as shown. Draw dots with white pen to indicate shooting star path. Add dots of glitter.

STEP 3: Finish. Score blue cardstock card base at 4" and 8". Fold into place. Cut half-circle on 1 1/2" side. Glue sides of flap in place with double-stick tape, being sure to leave enough room for gift card or money to be inserted into pocket. Make dots evenly spaced with white pen. Glue star to center of pocket.

*The following products were used for this project: BasicGrey chipboard letters • Be Creative double stick tape • Beacon Adhesives Quick Grip glue • Krylon spray paint, gold leafing pen • Sakura pen • Scotch Quick Dry Scrapbooking Adhesive • Stampin' Up punches, cardstock • STYROFOAM foam shape.

This project was found at http://creativehomeartsclub.com/Projects/Project.aspx?id=116790