 |
| What a beautiful field of Christmas trees you can create using the Concord & 9th Tree Lot Inlay Die. The paper inlay and pierced details create a clean, graphic design with flat elegance — a modern, minimalist look without bulk. |
Paper inlay is a lovely technique. I find it quite
meditative, and it’s so satisfying watching all those little puzzle pieces come
together. You do need to be mindful not to throw any of the tiny pieces away
when die cutting, but before long you’ll recognise exactly which bits need to
be kept. All I can say is that making these cards is very addictive.
I used six different colours for each card and constantly seemed to have pieces left over. I’d cut more to finish the next section of trees, only to end up with extras again—and so the process continued on and on. That’s how I ended up with 17 cards when I’d only really intended to make eight. I’ve shared nine of my favourites here; the others, which feature larger amounts of gold cardstock, were tricky to photograph due to the reflections—so I’ll leave those to your imagination.
✂️ Paper Inlay Tips & Tricks
๐งฉ Keep every tiny piece
Those little off-cuts matter! Don’t clear your desk too quickly—some shapes look like scraps but are essential later.
๐️ Work one colour at a time
Finish all the pieces in one colour before moving on. It keeps your sanity intact ๐
๐ฆ Use a scrap tray or lid
Pop tiny die-cuts into a shallow dish, lid, or tray so they don’t vanish into the crafting abyss.
๐งท Tweezers are your best friend. Needle nose tweezers are my favourite.
๐งด Use adhesive sparingly – A fine-tip glue applicator or glue pen helps prevent ooze and warped paper. Even better, skip glue altogether. Apply double-sided tape to the back of your coloured cardstock before die cutting. This ensures all the edges of your inlay pieces are fully adhered, sitting beautifully flat and secure in place
⏳ Be patient and slow down
Paper inlay is meditative ๐ง♀️—rushing can lead to misalignment.
❤️ Embrace the addiction
Paper inlay is oddly satisfying—and yes, it will multiply your card count!
