If you’re anything like me, you probably still have your Christmas products out on your desk… even though the holidays are technically over. And honestly? That’s a good thing.
Recently, I shared a card over on the Simon Says Stamp YouTube channel, and it got me thinking about how often we limit our supplies to a single season. That card featured a floral background stamped using a holiday floral stamp, yet it looked anything but Christmasy. That little experiment spiraled into a bigger idea:
What else can we do with our holiday supplies – outside of the holidays?
Today I’m sharing a birthday card that does exactly that.
A Christmas Cracker… But Make It a Birthday
This card features my Christmas (Holiday) Cracker die set from Spellbinders (from my City Holiday Collection, released August 2025). Traditionally, this die is used to create festive Christmas crackers – complete with foliage and seasonal details.
But here’s the thing:
A cracker doesn’t have to be Christmas.
It can be:
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A birthday cracker
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A party cracker
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A celebration cracker
So I challenged myself to turn this into a birthday card – because let’s be honest, I never have enough birthday cards on hand. I make one… and give it away the next day.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
Watch the video below or on my YouTube channel.
Die Cutting the Crackers
The cracker die includes:
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A solid base (shadow) piece
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A decorative insert
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Small trims, ties, and bows
Layered together, they create a dimensional, playful focal point. In the past, I always cut my crackers from solid cardstock, but this time, I wanted to try something different.
Patterned Paper to the Rescue
I reached into my (very small) patterned paper stash and found a striped paper from Rosie’s Studio for Spellbinders (Hello, It’s Me collection). I loved that each cracker could occupy a single stripe of color – clean, graphic, and fun.
This simple change instantly transformed the cracker from “holiday” to “everyday.”
Tip: If you’re trying to make a holiday die feel non-seasonal, patterned paper is your best friend.
To ground the design, I backed the patterned layer with darker coordinating cardstock:
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Pink → Wild Berry
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Green → Fern
I also added white trim and even included the little pull tab, which makes me smile every time.
Flowers Make Everything Better
To push this firmly into spring/birthday territory, I added florals—lots of them.
I combined flowers from three different Spellbinders sets:
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Christmas Blooms (yes—another holiday set!)
Mixing florals from different collections is something I want to do more often. It creates unique arrangements and helps stretch what you already own.
The Sentiment: Fountain Wishes
For the sentiment, I used the Fountain Wishes BetterPress Plate & Die Set (from the Happier Collection). This set allows you to foil multiple sentiments at once – which I love, though I’ll admit, I do miss being able to foil sentiments directly onto a background.
I foiled the sentiment in gold on white cardstock, cut it out using the coordinating die, and popped it up with foam adhesive. Because let’s be real – foam adhesive makes everything better.
Card Size & Background
This card is not A2 and not 5×7, but it does fit into a 5×7 envelope.
Here’s what I did:
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Embossed a panel of Oceanside cardstock (4¼” × 5½”) using the Molded Frame Embossing Folder
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Created a card base that’s ½” larger overall, giving a clean border around the embossed panel
The final card measures 4¾” × 6″ – a perfect in-between size that allowed room for the crackers and florals without feeling crowded.
To finish the card, I added a few white pearls (from Altenew) – purely optional, but I wanted a bit of extra detail.
If you have the Christmas Cracker die set, I highly encourage you to play with it outside of the holidays. And if you don’t – look through your stash and see what other “holiday-only” products you can adapt. You might surprise yourself.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope this inspires you to look at your supplies with fresh eyes—and maybe keep those Christmas products out just a little longer.
SUPPLIES
I’m listing the products I used below. Click on the link to go directly to the product. Where available, I use compensated affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
 Spellbinders Christmas Cracker Etched Dies Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Molded Frame 3D Embossing Folder Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | AMZ | PFS |
 Spellbinders Christmas Blooms Dies Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | AMZ | PFS |
 Spellbinders Gorgeous You Florals Etched Dies Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | AMZ | PFS |
 Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms Etched Dies Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Fountain Wishes Sentiments BetterPress Plate & Die Set Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Glimmer Hot Foil System (Platinum) Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | AMZ | PFS |
 Spellbinders Guillotine Paper Trimmer Shop at: SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Platinum 6 Machine With Universal Plate System Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | AMZ | PFS |
 Spellbinders Glimmer Hot Foil Roll – Gold Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | AMZ | PFS |
 Spellbinders Gold Assortment Treasured Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Wild Berry ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Oceanside ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Peridot ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Fern ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Rainforest ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Saffron ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Seaside ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Spellbinders Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK |
 Spellbinders Tutu ColorWheel Cardstock Shop at: SSS | SB USA | SB UK | PFS |
 Rosie’s Studio Hello It’s Me! 6×6″ Designer Paper Pad Shop at: SB USA |
 Altenew Ivory Pearl Dots Shop at: SC |
 Glassboard Studio Scrapbook Magnetic Glass Craft Mat Shop at: GBS |
 Glassboard Studio Super Strong Magnets Shop at: GBS |
Glassboard Studio Glass Craft Mat – Code YANA15 Shop at: GBS |
 Glassboardstudio Mega Strong Neodymium MegaPawn Magnets Shop at: GBS |
