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SB Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 1 Balloon

A greeting card features a red and white striped hot air balloon floating among clouds on a blue background, reminiscent of the excitement of Advent countdowns. The word "HELLO" is prominently displayed on a blue banner at the bottom, making it perfect for a festive Day 1 surprise.

Unbox the Spellbinders 2024 Advent Calendar! Learn how to make a stunning card using the Day 1 Balloon Die. Creativity starts here.  The wait is finally over, card crafters! The Spellbinders 2024 Advent Calendar has arrived, and it’s ready to make your December extra special with 24 days of crafting joy. Behind each door is a surprise, and we’re kicking things off with an incredible craft piece from Day 1—a charming Balloon Die.

Today, we’re sharing an easy-to-follow guide to help you craft a stunning card using the Day 1 Balloon. Whether you’re creating for a birthday, a celebration, or any joyous occasion, this versatile die will elevate your card-making game.

How To Make the Day 1 Balloon Card

Greeting card featuring a hot air balloon illustration, perfect for Day 1 of your festive journey. The red, white, and blue balloon floats amidst clouds with "HELLO" on a banner. Set against a light blue background sprinkled with confetti, it's reminiscent of jubilant Advent calendars.

The Day 1 Balloon is the perfect starting piece for endless creativity. For this guide, we’re designing a cheerful greeting card with subtle colors that mimic the front of the Advent Calendar kit. Here’s how you can bring it to life:

Step 1 – Plan Your Design

Before you begin, decide on a theme or occasion for your card. The balloon is incredibly flexible—it can work for birthdays, congratulatory cards, anniversaries, or even a thank-you card. For this example, we’re designing a fun”Hello” card with reds and blues and layered textures.

Step 2 – Prepare Your Supplies

Gather your essential materials (listed below), including dies, cardstock, markers, adhesive, foam square, and optional embellishments. The goal is to create a lively, dynamic card, so don’t hold back on colors or layers!

Step 3 – Die-Cut the Balloon

Use the Day 1 Balloon Dies from the advent calendar.  To create the scene, you can also use other dies from your stash, such as clouds and a rectangle die.  Use alcohol markers to create shadows and colored pencils to create patterns in the flag(s). 

This charming Balloon Card showcases a red and white striped hot air balloon drifting through fluffy clouds against a serene blue sky, all elegantly displayed on a clear stand. Perfect for any occasion, it could be the highlight of your next Spellbinders-inspired project.

Step 4 – Create the Background

Choose a background paper or design one yourself. For this card, I chose a cardstock that coordinates with the balloon. And then, I use the blue on my blending brush with a cloud stencil to create a soft, cloudy backdrop to make the focal point pop.

Step 5 – Assemble the Card

Fasten the cloud background and the dark blue rectangle to an A2 size (4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″) card base with a tape runner.  Read How To Make A Card Base for help with the card base.  Adhere the die-cuts to your background using foam squares for a 3D effect. Arrange them dynamically, as if they’re floating upwards.

Step 6 – Add Your Sentiment

Complete your design by layering the sentiment slightly ajar over one that is cut from white cardstock. Fasten it under the balloon with liquid glue. These finishing touches will give your card that wow factor!

Supplies for the Day 1 Balloon Card

Here’s everything you’ll need to make your own!

Get Crafting Your Own Day 1 Balloon Card!

The Spellbinders 2024 Advent Calendar is a treasure trove of inspiration, and Day 1’s Balloon Die is just the beginning! Whether you’re creating solo or hosting a card-making party with friends, this beautiful die is sure to add joy and creativity to your projects.

Have you already started crafting with the Day 1 Balloon? We’d love to see what you’ve made! Share your designs on Instagram using #SpellbindersAdventCalendar2024 and tag us @CutColorandCreate.

[Don’t have the calendar yet? Click Here:  “Advent Calendar” to get yours before it’s gone!]

Happy crafting, and stay tuned for tomorrow’s reveal—you won’t want to miss it!

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ABOUT AUTHOR
Teri Duncan - 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.

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