How to Make 2 Classic Car Cards

There’s something undeniably charming about a vintage classic car—the gleaming chrome, the sweeping curves, the sense of adventure waiting just down the open road. If you’ve been searching for the perfect way to celebrate the car lovers in your life, you’re in for a treat. Today, we’re cruising into a fun project using the Classic Road Legends 2.0 collection by Mindy Eggen.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make two retro-inspired cards: the Sedan Street Cruiser and the Hot Rod Flames card. Both designs come together with easy-to-use dies that build dimensional, layered vehicles full of personality. Whether you’re crafting a birthday card for Dad, a thank-you for your favorite mechanic, or a just-because note for a friend who loves a road trip, these car cards are guaranteed to put a smile on someone’s face.

Don’t worry if you’re newer to die-cutting—we’ll walk through each step together. Grab your favorite cardstock, dust off your die-cutting machine, and let’s get crafting!

2 Classic Car Cards

These two projects share a similar approach, so once you’ve made one, the second will feel like a breeze. Each car is built from a multi-piece die set that layers individual elements—body, windows, tires, and accents—to create a finished vehicle with wonderful depth. The result? Cards that look like they took hours to make, even though they come together surprisingly quickly.

The Sedan Street Cruiser Classic Car Card

First up is the Sedan Street Cruiser, a beautifully detailed vintage-style sedan that brings instant nostalgia to any project. This classic design pairs perfectly with scenic backgrounds and heartfelt sentiments, making it a versatile choice for all kinds of occasions. The finished car measures approximately 4.64″ x 2.28″ (11.8 x 5.8 cm), so it’s the ideal size for a standard A2 card front.

How to Make The Sedan Street Cruiser Classic Car Card

1. Cut your car pieces. Run the Sedan Street Cruiser dies through your die-cutting machine using your chosen cardstock colors. This set includes 16 cutting dies, so take your time separating the layered elements—the body, windows, tires, and detail accents.
2. Choose a color story. Pick a main body color that pops, then select complementary shades for the windows, tires, and trim. A soft teal or cherry red gives that authentic vintage feel. To make one just like this, you’ll want to use merlot for the car parts, anchor for the tires, and mirrored silver for all of the chrome. And, you can blend some shading onto the body, tires, and inside to give the car some more dimension.
3. Assemble the sedan. If you need help with putting the car together, you can download an assembly guide to use as your roadmap. Layer each piece in order. Adhere the smaller detail elements onto the car body to build that lovely dimension. A fine-tip glue applicator works wonders for these tiny pieces.
4. Create your background. There are a number of choices you have to use as your backdrop. You can blend a scenic sky, a lovely desert scene, or you can use a black and white checked racing background onto a panel of cardstock. They all make a gorgeous backdrop for your cruiser.
5. Add a sentiment. Stamp or heat emboss a sentiment from the Cruisin’ By Sentiments set to finish the scene with a personal message.
6. Assemble your card. Mount a black A2-size color panel onto an A2 card base. Trim your background panel to 4″ x 5 1/4″ and center it on the card front. Then adhere the finished sedan. Pop it up on foam tape for extra dimension if you’d like. Do the same with your sentiment pieces.

Supply List for The Sedan Street Cruiser Classic Car Card

The Hot Rod Flames Classic Car Card

Ready to rev things up? The Hot Rod Flames card brings bold, retro energy with a stylized hot rod and eye-catching flame accents. This is the card for speed lovers and showstoppers—it practically radiates motion and personality. This one is a nod to my brother, who just celebrated a birthday. He loves hot rods, so this one is for you Jamison!

How to Make The Hot Rod Flames Classic Car Card

1. Die-cut your hot rod. Run the Hot Rod Flames dies through your machine. This set has a gazillion pieces, including those striking flame accents that make this design so dynamic.
2. Pick punchy colors. Hot rods love drama, so go bold! Try a glossy black or fire-engine red body, then cut the flame accents in vibrant orange, yellow, and red for that classic blaze. You can even add more drama by blending more color onto the flames.
3. Layer the flames. Following the assembly guide (if you need it), build up the flame elements first, then attach them to the car body. Stacking the flame layers creates that fiery, three-dimensional look.
4. Finish assembling the car. Add the windows, tires, and remaining detail pieces to complete your hot rod.
5. Build a dramatic background. A desert horizon or open highway scene complements the retro vibe beautifully. Warm sandy tones or a sunset gradient really let the car shine. However, I like the way the Hero Arts Circular Grid stencil draws your eye to the focal point. I hope you have it in your stash because I think it’s discontinued.
6. Put it all together. Mount your background on an A2 card base and adhere your hot rod. Lift it on foam tape so it looks ready to peel off the page.

Supply List for The Hot Rod Flames Classic Car Card

Start Your Engines and Get Crafting!

There you have it—two fun, dimensional cards that celebrate the timeless appeal of classic cars. Whether you fall in love with the nostalgic charm of the Sedan Street Cruiser or the bold energy of the Hot Rod Flames, both designs are sure to delight the car enthusiasts in your life.

Ready to build your own road trip story? Check out all of the items in the Classic Road Legends collection over at Spellbinders Paper Arts, where you’ll find even more vehicles and scene-building elements to mix and match.

And if you’re looking for even more design ideas, take a look at our card sections: Occasional and Seasonal, for plenty of inspiration that’s perfect for the guys in your life.

Now grab your dies, fire up that die-cutting machine, and get crafting—the open road is calling!