Paper Crafting Inspiration and Ideas!

January 2026 Guest Designer of the Month
Get to Know Our Guest Designer - Lisa Hello everyone! My name is Lisa Tilson, and I am excited to be a guest here on the Altenew blog. A bit of background on me… I live in the beautiful county...
Creating a Valentine Wreath With a Muted Color Palette
Hello friends! Svitlana is here. Today I'm sharing a Valentine card built around a layered wreath design using the Mini Delight: Expressions of the Heart Stamp & Die Set as the main focus. This compact set provided everything needed to...
Create a Gorgeous Watercolor Die Cut Card with the New Deep Muse
Hello from Scotland! This is Bibi Cameron, and today I’m sharing an easy die-cut card that highlights a few favorites from the Altenew December 2025 Release, plus the gorgeous new Watercolor Compact – Deep Muse (these paints are such a dreamy...
3D Embossing Folders.. worth the hype?
In today's post we are playing with 3D embossing folders to see if they really are worth the hype. Spoiler alert, they are!
How to Create a Distressed Foiled Card with Press Plate
Hi everyone, Aga here! Today I’m excited to share a card that’s a little out of the box for me, but still very much aligned with my clean and simple style.  For today’s project, I used the Wildflower Whispers Press Plate,...
A Recipe for Success: Crafting a Gourmet Dessert Box Card | Perfect Pairings with Jaycee
Welcome back to another episode of Perfect Pairings with Jaycee! Today, we are blurring the line between paper crafting and fine confections. I’m sharing a decadent way to use your wax seals to "dip" die-cut treats into a glossy, realistic...
You're SEW Going To Love These Charming, Sewing-Themed Projects!
There’s something incredibly heartwarming about sewing-themed designs. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of watching a loved one sew, the satisfaction of creating something by hand, or the comforting charm of buttons, thread, and tiny stitched details. What if we said you...
January 2026 Release Blog Hop + Giveaway ($300 in Total Prizes!)
Welcome to the Altenew January 2026 Release Blog Hop! It’s often the smallest joys that leave the deepest impressions—a flower unfolding, the softness of a stitch, or the beauty of something lovingly made by hand. Inspired by these simple pleasures,...
Color Confidence With Layering Dies
Happy New Year friends! It's Mindy Eggen. Layering dies is a great way to build realistic florals, and today I’m sharing how I created a soft, cheerful card using the Craft-A-Flower: Buttercup Bunch Layering Die Set from Altenew. I relied...
Fresh Starts & Memory Keeping with Altenew Releases
Happy New Year, crafty friends! As we welcome 2026, it feels like the perfect moment to bring fresh energy into our memory keeping ― both in the products we reach for and in the formats we choose. Altenew’s recent collections...
Soft Botanical Elegance with the Deep Muse Watercolor Compact
Create soft botanical florals using the Deep Muse Watercolor Compact. Learn easy petal shading, controlled water techniques, & loose background washes.
Handmade Cards for Beautiful Life Milestones
Celebrate Cherished Life Milestones with the Garden Swing Die Set! Life is made up of moments, both big and small milestone moments we cherish and the everyday moments we want to remember. Whether someone is retiring, celebrating a wedding anniversary,...
Emboss Resist: Easy Technique with Wow Results! (With Video Tutorial)
In this post we will show you how to use the emboss resist technique. Learn how to take projects from simple to wow with this easy technique!
Starting 2026 With a Clean Slate and Using Up Leftovers
In today's post it's all about using up those crafty leftovers to clear the decks for the new year and the January release, coming in a few days!
January 2026 Inspiration Challenge
Each month, a member of the Altenew Design Team (or guest designer) selects a photo that they have taken and then uses that as inspiration for a project. We want to share the fun, of course, and so we invite...
Simple Tips To Bring Your Die Cut Florals To Life - A Touch of Sparkle With Carissa Wiley
Die cut florals are one of my absolute favorite elements to design with. While they are beautiful on their own, they can sometimes feel a little flat. Today, I’m sharing simple tips to add dimension and texture to your paper...
Card Ideas that Symbolize New Beginnings
If you’re searching for handmade card ideas that celebrate fresh starts, you’re not alone.  From card ideas for new beginnings and encouragement to sympathy and New Year cards, choosing the right design and sentiment can feel overwhelming—especially when the occasion...
3 Secrets for No-Outline Watercoloring: The Art of the Disappearing Line | Perfect Pairings with Jaycee
Imagine turning a simple grey outline into a professional, hand-painted masterpiece. Welcome to the grand finale of Perfect Pairings for 2025! You’ve made this such an incredible year for our oltonew.shopmunity, and to celebrate, I’m pulling back the curtain...
Transform Your Stenciled Image with a 3D Embossing Folder
In this tutorial, I walk you through how to elevate a stenciled die-cut image by pairing it with a coordinating 3D embossing folder for added texture and depth. Using the Craft Your Life Project Kit: Arched Foliage, Sugarplum inks, and metallic watercolor splatter, I show each step—from die cutting and ink blending to embossing and layering—to create a monochromatic, dimensional card design with a polished finish.
Stop Using Your Card Kits Only One Way! 4 Techniques!
Hello Altenew friends and fans! I hope everyone has had a lovely holiday time, and are recovering/gearing up for New Years! I am popping in with one last post, and YouTube video, for 2025 and I thought we'd use the...
Whispers of Whimsy: A Softly Layered Scrapbook Story
Hello, Altenew friends! Today, let’s step into the gentle, storybook world of the Mini Delight: Nestled Whimsy Stamp & Die Set. This petite set may be small in size, but it opens the door to creating heartfelt, nest‑themed designs for your...
Bold Paper Piecing Hellebore Card with Dramatic Florals
Paper piecing was one of the first techniques I explored when I began cardmaking, and this project felt like the perfect opportunity to return to it. For today’s project, I created a bold and elegant paper piecing featuring rich purples,...
CAS Nature-Inspired Card with Mini Delight Nestled Whimsy Set and Watercolors
Hi everyone, Aga here! Today I’m excited to share a very CAS, nature-inspired card created with the Mini Delight: Nestled Whimsy Stamp & Die Set along with the Watercolor Compact – Deep Muse. This is a lovely combination of two compact sets. The Watercolor...
Pansies in Watercolor with the Deep Muse Compact
Hi there! Erum Tasneem here with a new VIDEO!  Watercolor florals have a way of slowing us down and letting us truly enjoy the process. In today’s project, I’m sharing a slightly more advanced watercolor session featuring deep, muted tones...