Queen Bee Journal-Card DIY With a Tea Party Theme

Queen Bee Journal-Card DIY with a tea party theme is totally the bee’s knees. Extra bonus: free digital scrapbook paper with an all-over black and gold bee design.

Do you like tea parties?

You do?

Good, because we think they’re the bee’s knees.

Side Note: Aren’t you glad that the phrase “bee’s knees” survived rather than other 1920’s slang such as “canary’s tusks” or “fleas eyebrows?”

We’re also glad that tea parties survived until now.

When we found this free Queen Bee Scrapbook Paper at FreePrettyThingsForYou.com we felt as if we’d been crowned Queen Bees of a colony.

We’ve been interested in accordion cards lately. Well, technically, these are C fold cards although I think the name accordion is classier.

This accordion card diy is like a greeting card on steroids.

Or in our interpretation of the style, they’re the first stop on the journey toward a junk journal.

So with pretty Queen Bee paper and our chosen Tea Party theme, we got as busy as… well, yep, as busy as bees.

And now, without further buzz, we’ll let you get to it!

Queen Bee Journal-Card DIY

Supplies:

1. The Queen Bee Journal-Card Download: fill in this form and request “Queen Bee Journal Card Download.”
2. A sheet of black cardstock, 8″ x 11″ (Trim it down to 8″ from 8.5″).
3. Glue or double-sided tape, double sided adhesive foam strips, scissors, bone folder, ruler, pencil.
4. Tea bags or tea.

Directions:

1. Print the Queen Bee Journal-Card DIY Download on cardstock. We used 110# Paper and Spark from Walmart. If your printer can’t handle heavy card, take the files to a commercial printer.
2. Cut out all the pieces for the card. The sheets of solid print have tiny white lines where you will cut them into thirds. The rest of the pieces get cut around the outside edges. Leave the gold edges on if you like it, or trim them off if you prefer.
3. Cut 2 x 1/4″ x 8″ strips of black card. Then mark the center of the black piece. This is to mark the piece 1.75″ to each side of center. Place another line 1/4″ beyond these lines. Glue the 1/4″ strips between these lines. Score on either side of the 1/4″ strips to create fold lines. You’re actually creating the sides of a narrow “box” here. Don’t fold it yet.

Assemble the All-Over Pattern Pieces onto Black Card

1. Cut the cream and black with gold all-over pattern pages on the white lines. Then trim off the white edges all around.
2. Be sure to have the bee pattern going in the right direction. Our bees fly upward.
3. Glue one cream piece between the 1/4″ strips onto the black card. Glue the other two one on each side. The cream pieces will be wider than the black card. That’s okay.
4. Fold the cream pieces up around the 1/4″ strips, one fold on each side, with cream side toward the inside. Be sure your folds are straight.
5. Flip the card over so the black side is showing. Check to match the direction of the bees, then glue the black background pieces onto the black the way you did the front. Glue the cream to the black patterned card on the edges where you run out of solid black, because it will be shorter.
6. Now the “palette” of your junk journal card is ready to add the details.

Add the Journal-Card Details:

1. Place the card black-background up on the table. On the right side flap glue the “Bee Happy” and then the bee photo.
2. Flip the card with cream side up. Position recipe card and Swiss Meringues photo on the left flap. Position the Recipe Card Band, and then glue the left and right edge. Let this dry before slipping in the recipe card. Glue the photo at the bottom.
3. Tea Bag Packet. Fold white flaps up to black design. Place glue on flaps, then position the cream design pieces on the flaps. Glue to the bottom center of the card. Little foam squares keep the packet flaps down. They can be lifted and adhered again to place the teabag later. Glue the Teapot Photo at top center.
4. Note Pad Envelope. Cut along the outside gold lines, then fold on the inside gold lines. You’ll have a double 1/4″ fold on all four sides. Glue the “Bee Thoughtful” tab as shown, with a skinny thread of glue on the bottom of the tab. Let this dry thoroughly, then glue the box to the top of the right side flap.
5. Note Pad. Cut the papers and tap the edges even. Place black design piece at the back, and tap the top edge very even. Glue this edge, then clamp together until it dries. Trim the edges if you have a heavy paper cutter. Then place the Note Pad in the Envelope and tuck the flap closed.
6. Fold the right flap up over the center so the black design side is showing. Glue the Gift Card Pocket on three sides, but leave the top open to insert a gift card or cash. Adhere the “Queen Bee Cash” tab above the Gift Card Pocket.
7. Glue the Personal Message Card below the Gift Card Pocket.

Gift Your Journal-Card:

So now you can call your Journal-Card done, or you can tie it together with ribbon.

Add tea to the Tea Packet. Use purchased tea bags, or create your own with a coffee filter that you trim to size and sew into a bag for loose tea. Create an ingredient list then and place in the packet.

Unfortunately, this card isn’t the easiest to mail. You may have to use a padded mailer.

What’s included in the Queen Bee Journal Card download:

Enjoy creating your journal-card!