Jar of Wishes: Shaker Style | Jody Morrow

Interactive cards are always a favorite, and today’s project takes that concept one step further by turning the Jar of Wishes into a fully functional shaker element. Instead of filling the shaker with traditional sequins alone, this design allows meaningful sentiments to become part of the movement, creating a card that feels playful, personal, and thoughtfully engineered.

By using partial die cutting, heat-resistant acetate, and layered stenciling, the jar becomes a clear window that holds stamped tickets, sequins, and embellishments while still allowing the soft ink-blended background to remain visible. The result is a shaker card that feels intentional rather than busy, with every element working together to tell a story.

This project highlights how to combine stencils, dies, and stamps to create an interactive focal point that feels clean, modern, and full of heart.

*Disclaimer: All products used are linked below as clickable images. If a product isn’t listed, it’s been discontinued.

How to recreate this card:

1. Create a top-folding A2 card base from white cardstock.
2. Cut a white A2 panel using a single stitch line rectangle die. Dry emboss Bloomscape, centered, on the panel using a BetterPress for a light impression. Place the jar die onto the lower part of the panel and die cut only the jar. Leave the lid hanging off of your cutting plate to avoid cutting it. Set aside for later assembly.
3. Place the jar stencil onto a white A2 panel and ink blend Ocean Breeze ink inside the jar shape, keeping the edges slightly darker and the center lighter for dimension.
4. Using the coordinating jar accent stencil, place the stencil over a piece of heat-resistant acetate.
   Apply white paste through the stencil openings, then carefully remove the stencil and set the acetate aside to dry completely.
5. Once dry, adhere the stenciled acetate behind the prepared panel from step 2, aligning the jar shapes perfectly. Put foam tape around the jar opening, and on the outer edges of the panel. Set aside again.
6. Stamp, stencil, and die cut multiple ticket images using the coordinating ticket stamp set. Add color to the tickets with ink blending or stamping as desired.
7. Trim a few tickets into smaller accent pieces to vary scale inside the shaker.
8. Arrange the full-size and trimmed tickets over the ink-blended jar background panel. Add sequins and clear drops, keeping the center area loose for shaker movement.
9. Place the acetate-backed panel over the background panel to create the shaker window and press firmly to adhere.
10. Add colorful cardstock strips along the top edge of the card for visual interest and balance.
11. Die cut stars from coordinating cardstock and adhere them near the top and bottom corners for playful accents.
12. Stamp, die cut, and adhere the sentiment using foam adhesive to finish the card.
13. Adhere decorated panel to the card base.
14. Embellish with clear drops.

Interactive cards have a special way of turning simple sentiments into meaningful experiences, and this Jar of Wishes shaker card does exactly that. By combining thoughtful stenciling, partial die cutting, and layered acetate, the jar becomes more than just a design element—it becomes a window into the heart of the card.

If you’ve been looking for a way to elevate your shaker cards while still keeping your design clean and cohesive, this technique is a beautiful place to start. It’s proof that interactive doesn’t have to mean complicated—and that sometimes, the best designs are the ones that invite a closer look.