How To Make 3 Happier Hour Cards
October 25, 2025
No Comments
Finding the perfect card for the music lover in your life can sometimes feel like a daunting task. You want something that sings to their soul, reflects their passion, and feels truly special. Instead of searching for hours, why not create a personalized masterpiece yourself? Crafting handmade music-themed greeting cards adds a layer of love and thoughtfulness that a store-bought card simply can’t match.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through five fantastic music-themed card ideas that are sure to impress. Using the gorgeous Bibi’s Musical Notes Collection, you’ll learn how to combine intricate dies, beautiful stamps, and elegant embossing folders to create cards that are as beautiful as a symphony. Get ready to unleash your creativity and make a card that will be cherished long after the celebration is over.
6 Fantastic Music-Themed Card Ideas
Here are five unique card designs you can create to celebrate the musician or music aficionado in your life. Each project uses different elements from Bibi’s Musical Notes Collection, offering a range of styles from elegant and classic to bold and modern.
Music-Themed Greeting Cards: The Violin and Keyboard Card
This elegant card design combines the graceful violin and the classic keyboard for a sophisticated look. With the help of the coordinating stamp, it’s perfect for a special customized birthday, or just to send a thoughtful message. The contrast between the warm wood tones of the violin and the crisp black and white of the keyboard creates a visually striking focal point.
How to create this card:
- Create the Base: Begin with a standard A2-sized card base. For a touch of elegance, choose a high-quality cardstock in a cool color like blue or teal. Read How To Make A Card Base if you need help doing so.
- Emboss the Background: Take a panel of white cardstock and emboss it using the Musical Notes 3D Embossing Folder. The raised notes will create a stunning, tactile background. To make the notes pop even more, lightly swipe a ink pad that coordinates with your cardstockover the raised design.
- Die-Cut the Instruments: Using the Mini Musical Instruments Etched Dies, cut out the violin and keyboard from contrasting cardstock. We suggest using a fawn blended with brown for the violin. Add glossy accents to give it a classic shine, and then use a simple black and white for the keyboard.
- Stamp the Sentiment: On a scrap of dark teal or blue cardstock, heat emboss in white a fitting sentiment like “Happy Birthday” or “Sending a Note” from the Family Musical Mix Greetings Clear Stamp Set. You can also get creative and make something special like we did for our card using a combination of stamps and the clef die.
- Assemble the Card: Adhere the embossed panel to your card base using a tape runner or white liner double-sided adhesive. Arrange the die-cut violin and keyboard across the bottom. Finally, place your sentiments to complete this harmonious design.
To create this card, you will need:
Three Instrument “Just A Note”
Music-Themed Greeting
Cards
Why make one card when you can make a trio? This project shows you how to create three coordinated yet distinct cards using the same core elements. These are perfect for having on hand whenever you need to send a quick, thoughtful message.
How to create these cards:
- Use A Unique Size: Start with three A2 size (4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″) white card bases.
- Prepare Your Panels: Start with three 3″ x 5″ card panels in different jewel tones, such as merlot, cinnamon, and indigo. Emboss them using the Musical Notes 3D Embossing Folder. And then trim them down to 2 3/4″ x 4 3/4″ and attach them to the card bases with a tape runner.
- Create a Focal Point: For each card, use a fancy oval die from your stash ta “platform” to show off the main attraction. I use Fluted Ovals, a retired die set from Spellbinders. Pop up the ovals with foam strips in the lower two thirds of the card fronts.
- Die-Cut and Arrange: Use the Mini Musical Instruments Etched Dies to cut out a variety of instruments—like the trumpet, saxophone, and the guitar. For each card front, assemble the instrument you are using and arrange it on it’s platform and attach with liquid glue. Play with their placement to create visual interest.
- Add a Simple Sentiment: Heat emboss the “Just A Note” sentiment from the Family Musical Mix Greetings set in gold. Trim around it to create a small, rectangular banner and attach it to each card front with foam strips or squares. This simple phrase is versatile enough for any occasion.
To create this card, you will need:
Music-Themed Greeting Cards:
The Keyboard “Just A Note” Card
This card design is much like the three instrument cards: clean, modern, and strikes a beautiful chord with its minimalist aesthetic. The focus is squarely on the elegant keyboard, making it a wonderful choice for a piano teacher, a fellow musician, or anyone with a refined taste. The big difference is that it’s a horizontal card and has a three tone embossed background.
How to create this card:
- Background Pop: Begin with trimming scraps left over from the embossed panels from the three Instrament Just a Note cards to 7/8″ x 3 7/8″.
- Die-Cut the Keyboard: Using the Mini Musical Instruments Etched Dies, cut the keyboard from black and crisp white cardstock. Assemble the pieces carefully for a polished look. Die-cut three or four flowers from the Mini Guitar Etched Dies set. Use the ink on your brushes to vary the color on the petals to give them some dimension. Cut three notes and that same fancy oval that we used in the three Instrument Just A Note cards from brushed cardstock using Musical Notes & Stave Etched Dies set.
- Emboss the Sentiment: On a small piece of cinnamon cardstock, heat-emboss the “Just A Note” sentiment in gold embossing powder. It will tie in with the notes and the background platform and is eye-catching.
- Layer and Assemble: Adhere your musical notes embossed strips panel to a white 3″ x 5″ white card base, leaving a thin border. Mount the keyboard onto the gold decorative oval using foam strips to give it some lift. Arrange the flowers and the notes and fasten them down with liquid glue. Attach the sentiment strip just below the keyboard to the right. This simple composition allows the colors and the instrument to truly shine.
To create this card, you will need:
Music-Themed Greeting Cards:
The Guitar Card
Rock on with this dynamic guitar-themed card! Whether for a birthday or just because, this design is perfect for the rockstar in your life. The star of the show is the intricate guitar die, which can be customized in endless ways.
How to create this card:
- Die-Cut the Majestic Guitar: Use the Majestic Guitar Etched Dies to cut the main guitar shape from a piece of fawn cardstock and use a brown blending brush to add some shading for a realistic look. Cut the decorative elements from metallic and colored cardstock—think vellum for the strings and gold and brushed white for the body accents. We’ll also use the Majestic Guitar Etched Dies to create the card base by hanging the main guitar die slightly over the scored edge of a white A2 size card base before running it through your die-cutting machine.
- Create a Pop-Up Element: Use the Musical Notes & Stave Pop-Up Etched Dies to create an interactive element on the inside. Die-cut the stave from clear acetate and a bunch of notes from black cardstock. This adds a delightful surprise for the recipient! Pro Tip: use an A2 size scrap under the acetate when die-cutting to get a nice crisp cut.
- Create a Stage: On a dark blue or black card panel, create a “stage light” effect by blending a circle of light blue or white ink in the center.
- Heat Emboss Your Message: Choose a simple sentiment from the Family Musical Mix Greetings set, like “Happy Birthday,” and heat emboss it directly onto the front of the guitar.
- Assemble Your Masterpiece: Assemble the guitar pieces and attach the finished instrument to the guitar shaped card base you created. Mount the pop-up stave on the inside fastening one end on the inside front and the other on the other side. Pro Tip: start by fastening the stave to the inside of the card that faces up when you open it, then add adhesive on the top side of the other end and carefully close the card front down over it and press to adhere. Randomly fasten the notes to the stave to complete your rock-and-roll creation.
To create this card, you will need:
Try Making These Music-Themed Cards Yourself
With the right tools and a little bit of imagination, you can create breathtaking music-themed cards that hit all the right notes. The Bibi’s Musical Notes Collection provides everything you need to compose beautiful, heartfelt greetings for any occasion. From elegant violins to rockin’ guitars, the possibilities are endless.
Feeling inspired? Explore our Card Ideas section for even more unique projects and step-by-step guides to spark your creativity. Pick up your favorite dies and stamps, and let the music guide your crafting. Get ready to make someone’s day with a handmade card that truly sings.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
ABOUT AUTHOR
Teri Duncan
Teri has over 30 years of experience as a cardmaker. Her work has appeared in Spellbinders Paper Arts’ blog as well as with some of their products and on Altenew’s blog. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, stained glass, and teaching. She and her husband live in Crystal River, Florida with their three dogs and a cat.
Get awesome card ideas, new releases, and the latest crafty sales in your inbox
