Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Welcome Baby Card Two Ways project! There’s just something so sweet about creating a handmade card for a new baby that’s on the way. For this project, I wanted to create a soft and simple card featuring little blocks that spell out BABY.
And the best part? You don’t have to own a Cricut to make it.
I’ll be sharing a free SVG with everything you need for the Cricut version, along with a free PDF that includes all of the measurements for making the entire card by hand.
So let’s take a look at what we’ll need to get started!
Free SVG & PDF
Free SVG for the Cricut Version
I love sharing files with you, so I’ve created a free SVG for this Welcome Baby Card.
The SVG includes everything you need to create the card, including the card base, mats, BABY blocks, Welcome sentiment, and matching envelope.
Download the Free Welcome Baby Card SVG
Make the Card Without a Cricut
Don’t have a Cricut? You can still make this card!
I’ve also created a free PDF with all of the measurements needed to make the entire project by hand. This includes the card base and mats, all of the BABY block components, a suggested size for the Welcome sentiment and its mat, plus the measurements and score lines for the matching envelope.
I’ll also show you how I changed up the BABY blocks and sentiment for my no-Cricut version.
Download the Free Welcome Baby Card PDF
Whether you use the SVG or the PDF, you’ll have everything you need to create your own version of this sweet mini slimline card.
Getting Started
Cardstock
For today’s card, I’m using a variety of colors and cardstock weights.
The card base is made from 110lb white Recollections cardstock. I’ll also use 65lb Recollections cardstock in white and cream for the BABY block bases and envelope.
For the colored blocks, I’m using several shades of Bazzill Basics cardstock.
Creating the Cricut Version
Setting Up the SVG in Design Space
Let’s start by downloading the SVG and opening Cricut Design Space.
When you upload the file, you’ll see all of the components included in the design. This includes the envelope, card base, mats, BABY blocks, and sentiment.
After ungrouping the components, we’ll start with the envelope.
When you bring an SVG into Design Space, every line is interpreted as a cut line. The envelope has four lines that need to become score lines.
To change them, select the first line. Then hold the Shift key while selecting the other three. From the Operations menu, change them from Basic Cut to Score.
Now we need to tell Design Space where those score lines belong.
If we don’t attach them to the envelope, Design Space will place the score lines on their own mat. With the four lines still selected, hold the Shift key and select the envelope base.
Then click the paper clip in the small menu below the envelope on the canvas. This attaches the score lines to the envelope.
Preparing the Card Base
Now let’s move on to the card.
Begin by ungrouping the remaining components. You’ll now see the card base, mats, sentiment, and BABY blocks.
The card base also has a score line that needs to be changed from Basic Cut to Score.
Select the line, change it to Score from the Operations menu, then select both the card base and score line and attach them together.
Because I like using 110lb cardstock for my card bases, I typically don’t cut them with my Cricut. Not only can I save cardstock by cutting them by hand, but the scoring stylus doesn’t do a great job on such heavy paper.
Because of that, I’m going to hide the card base and mats by clicking the eyeball in the Layers panel. This hides them from view without deleting them from the project.
I’ll use the measurements from the free PDF to cut those pieces by hand later.
Customizing the BABY Blocks
Now let’s talk about the star of today’s card—the adorable BABY blocks!
After ungrouping the blocks, you’ll see that each one is made up of three pieces: the letter, frame, and block base.
For today’s card, I want the letter and frame on each block to match. I also want each block to be a different color.
To change the colors, select the letter and frame together. Then choose the color option from the top menu.
In this example, you’ll see a question mark where the selected color would normally appear. That’s because the two pieces are currently different colors.
Open the color menu and choose a color that closely matches the cardstock you’ll be using.
I’m using a soft color palette for this card, but there’s no reason you couldn’t choose a deeper or brighter yellow, for example. That’s one of the fun things about creating your own cards!
Once all of the letter and frame pairs have been changed to their corresponding colors, the blocks should look like this.
Preparing the Welcome Sentiment
Finally, we have the Welcome sentiment.
After ungrouping it, you’ll see the text along with its mat layer.
For this project, I’ll be cutting the sentiment text once from the same peach Bazzill cardstock I’m using for the blocks.
The mat will be cut from the thinner 65lb Recollections cardstock I’m using for the envelope. Since I want two layers for the mat, I’ll duplicate it on the Design Space canvas.
I’ll also change the color of the mat in Design Space to match the cardstock I’m using for the envelope.
Organizing the Cricut Mats
Now that all of our components are ready, it’s time to organize the mats before sending the project to the Cricut Explore Air 2.
Design Space shows that this project will initially be cut on six different mats because we’re working with six different colors.
That’s completely fine, but I can save myself some time by combining almost everything onto a single mat. I’ll keep the sentiment mats and envelope on their own mat since those pieces require larger areas of cardstock.
For example, I’m going to move the block bases from mat #2 onto the first cutting mat.
Before moving them, I first repositioned them on their original mat and made a note of where they are and how large a piece of cardstock I’ll need.
This is important because when you move an object to another mat, Design Space keeps its position. Taking a moment to reposition the pieces first saves time and helps prevent accidentally selecting the wrong item.
Ask me how I know.
After moving the bases below the 3″ line of the mat, click the three-dot menu and select Move Object.
In the next window, select the mat you’re moving the pieces to and click Confirm.
Your new mat will now look like this.
I’ll continue moving the remaining pieces until everything except the sentiment mats and envelope is combined onto the first mat.
Once all of the pieces have been moved, the completed mat setup will look like this.
The second photo shows my LightGrip Cricut mat with the different colors of cardstock positioned to match the pieces on the screen.
Before we finish, let’s take a quick look at the separate mat for the envelope and sentiment mats.
These pieces will be cut from a 12″ x 12″ sheet of 65lb Recollections cardstock, but I still want to make a small adjustment. Even though I plan to use some of the leftover cardstock for another card mat, there is still plenty of room on the sheet.
Design Space does a great job of arranging pieces to save paper, but sometimes giving the pieces a little more room makes sense.
Selecting the Cut Settings
With the mats organized, it’s time to connect the Cricut Explore Air 2 and select the material settings.
Since I’m only using 65lb cardstock for the Cricut-cut pieces, I’ll select the 80lb cardstock setting from the Materials menu.
I’ll also select Remember Material Settings. This allows the Cricut to move from one mat to the next without stopping for a new material selection.
Both mats will be cut using the default pressure setting. For the envelope, I’ll also make sure the scoring stylus is inserted into Clamp A.
Cutting the Card Base & Mats
Using the Free PDF Measurements
Since I’m cutting the card base and mats by hand, this is where I’ll use the measurements from the free PDF.
I’ll start by cutting the card base to 6 1/2″ x 6 1/4″.
Once the base is cut, I’ll score it on the 6 1/2″ side at 3 1/4″. This creates a mini slimline card measuring 6 1/4″ x 3 1/4″.
My Tim Holtz 8.5″ guillotine paper trimmer only goes out to 6″, so I’ll use a small metal ruler to help make the final cuts.
By lining up the 1″ mark on the ruler with the 6″ mark on the trimmer, I can line everything up for a perfect 1/2″ and 1/4″ cut.
For the first mat, I’ll use light green cardstock cut to 6″ x 3″.
Before cutting the top mat to size, I want to add a little visual texture. I’ll be using my Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous Plaid Layering stencil with Lost Shadow Distress Ink.
After lightly inking the cardstock with my Waffle Flower blending brush, I’ll cut the mat down to 5 3/4″ x 2 3/4″.
Because Lost Shadow is a water-reactive ink, I want to protect the finished design from moisture. I’ll apply a thin layer of Distress Micro Glaze over the piece, then buff away the excess with a paper towel.
Now the mat can be set aside while we get back to our Cricut-cut pieces.
Putting the Card Together
Assembling the BABY Blocks
With the card base and mats ready, let’s get back to those adorable BABY blocks.
Using Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue, I added the frames to the block bases. I then added the letters to finish each block.
If you’ve worked with Bazzill Basics cardstock, you know that some of their papers have quite a bit of texture.
The peach and light green cardstock I’m using today are especially textured. The green has a linen-like texture, while the peach has more of a linear pattern.
Before adding the letter to this block, I wanted to make sure the texture ran in the same direction on both the outline and the letter. You can see that in the following image.
A Little Paper Choice Lesson
Unfortunately, I made a small mistake with my cardstock choice for the sentiment. The peach cardstock has such a detailed texture that my Cricut did not like cutting the delicate cursive letters from it.
So I re-cut the sentiment from the purple cardstock, which has no texture at all.
After gluing the two sentiment mats together, I carefully added the purple text and set it aside to dry completely.
Assembling the Welcome Baby Card
Now that all of the individual pieces are finished, it’s time to put the card together.
I attached the mats using a combination of 1/4″ Scor-Tape and Bearly Art glue. Then I adhered the sentiment to the top of the card. The stencil I used has a line that makes a handy guide for keeping the sentiment straight.
To make sure I had enough space between the blocks, I started by placing the B and Y blocks on the card front.
I also wanted the blocks to look like they were tumbling across the card, so I angled them this way and that.
Once those first two blocks were in place, it was easy to add the remaining two and get an even spacing across the card.
After that, I attached the card front to the card base with more Scor-Tape and Bearly Art glue.
Creating the Matching Envelope
Finishing the Cricut-Cut Envelope
Because this is a mini slimline card, I wanted to include a matching envelope.
The envelope cut beautifully on the Cricut. The scoring stylus, however, didn’t give me the deep score lines I wanted.
Rather than crossing my fingers and hoping for the best, I brought out my scoring board and went over the lines by hand.
For some reason, the score lines on the sides of the envelope didn’t line up correctly on my scoring board. I carefully shifted the envelope before giving those lines a proper score.
A little care is needed when gluing the envelope closed.
As you can see, the sides are cut at an angle to reduce the amount of cardstock at the fold.
Because of this, I added Scor-Tape to the bottom flap, but stopped before reaching the fold. I also added a small amount of Bearly Art glue to the base of the side flap to make sure that section was secured.
And just like that, we have a matching envelope with plenty of room for the finished card.
Making the Card Without a Cricut
Creating the BABY Blocks by Hand
As I mentioned earlier, the free PDF includes all of the measurements needed to make this card without a Cricut.
For my second version, I changed the construction of the BABY blocks just a bit.
The PDF instructions show the block components in two sections. Rather than trying to find dies small enough to cut the frame, I cut the larger block base from colored cardstock.
I then cut a smaller square from the base cardstock and layered it on top. This creates the look of a wooden block with a painted colored border.
I also rounded the corners with my We R Memory Keepers 1/4″ Corner Chomper to more closely match the original design.
For the letters, I used the Tim Holtz Alphanumeric Bold dies. These letters are about 5/8″ tall and fit perfectly inside the blocks.
Creating the Welcome Sentiment
For the sentiment, I headed straight to Word.
This is one area where creating the card without a Cricut gives you a little more freedom.
With a cutting machine, you need to consider how thin a letter can be cut. When you’re printing the sentiment, you can choose a much thinner font if you want to.
For this version, I chose Coastline Thin Ita.
To keep the sentiment within a specific size, I created a text box measuring 3 3/4″ x 3/4″ and added the word “Welcome.”
I could then adjust the font size until the word fit within that space.
After printing it onto 65lb Recollections cardstock, I trimmed the sentiment to 3″ x 7/8″.
I then cut a peach Bazzill Basics mat to 3 1/4″ x 1 1/8″.
Before attaching the two pieces, I rounded the corners with the 1/4″ Corner Chomper to match the BABY blocks.
Hand-Cutting the Matching Envelope
The free PDF also includes all of the measurements and score lines for the matching envelope.
For this version, I rounded the top and bottom flaps using the 1/2″ side of the Corner Chomper.
For the side flaps, I simply angled the top and bottom cuts rather than trying to round them.
It’s a slightly different look from the SVG version, but it works beautifully with the card.
Two Ways to Make One Sweet Card
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Welcome Baby Card Two Ways project!
It’s said it a few times throughout this project, but this card is just too stinkin’ CUTE! I absolutely love the soft colors of the little blocks, and using Lost Shadow for the background gives the card such a soft, subtle look.
I also think the mini slimline size adds to that feeling. It gives the entire card a softer look without making the design feel too busy.
And while the two versions aren’t identical, I love that the PDF version shows that you really can make this card without a cutting machine.
For a little extra sparkle, I added clear Wink of Stella to the block letters. I also used a darker gray for the printed sentiment rather than full-on black. Both little changes help keep the softer look of the card.
Whether you use the free SVG with a Cricut or the free PDF and make the pieces by hand, I hope this project gives you a little inspiration for your next Welcome Baby card.
If you were making this card, would you reach for your Cricut and the SVG, or make it without a cutting machine using the free PDF? And what colors would you choose for those little BABY blocks? I’d love to hear what you would do!
If you enjoy making slimline cards, you might also want to check out my other Mini slimline card projects, where you’ll find more ideas for this fun card size. Until then, have a wonderful rest of your week, and I will see you back in the craft room soon!
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