Holiday Shine: Creating a Gift-Inspired Card with Metallic Papers

If you love a holiday card that sparkles from every angle, you’re going to enjoy today’s project! I’m diving into some gorgeous papers from Box 13 by Your Paper Insider and building a festive Christmas card centered around a show-stopping bow. With bold red brushed metal, holographic silver mosaic, soft green vellum, and touches of gold, this design is all about layering textures and metallic shine. Even with all that sparkle, the card stays elegant and cohesive — and the subtle shimmer of the background brings it all together beautifully. Let’s jump in and create some Christmas magic!

To bring this Christmas card to life, I reached for some standout papers from Box 13, starting with the star of the show — the Red Brushed Metal Paper. This cardstock has an incredible weight and shimmer, making it perfect for creating dimensional elements like the large bow that takes center stage. Its deep red metallic finish instantly adds that luxurious holiday feel.

To complement the red, I paired it with the stunning Silver Holographic Micro Mosaic Paper. This paper is full of tiny reflective squares that catch the light beautifully, and what I love most is that the pattern remains visible even when cut into the thinnest strips. I used both the red and silver papers to create ribbon-like strips across the card front, giving the whole design the look of a wrapped Christmas gift.

For the sentiment, I wanted something soft and elegant that wouldn’t overpower the metallic elements. The Green Leaf Vellum was the perfect choice. Its translucent, natural tone adds just the right amount of contrast. I heat embossed a simple “Happy Holidays” sentiment in gold, keeping it clean and crisp.

To coordinate with the metallic details on the rest of the card, I added a delicate silver string across the label. And to tie the gold sentiment back into the design, I included the tiniest circular accent cut from Bright Gold Gloss Glitter Cardstock — a small detail, but one that really completes the look.

With so much bold shine up front, I wanted the background to stay subtle yet still feel festive. The Eucalyptus Curious Metallics Cardstock was exactly what I needed. It has a soft, elegant sparkle that’s incredibly difficult to capture in photos, but in real life, it complements the metallic elements without competing with them. It’s the kind of cardstock that quietly elevates your project.

Once the bow, label, and ribbon strips were layered together, the entire card came together with a beautiful balance of shine, texture, and color. Each specialty paper from Box 13 contributed its own unique charm — from the holographic sparkle to the brushed metallic glow.

Don’t Miss Out on the YPI Quarterly Subscription Box

If you love working with unique specialty papers, metallics, and textures like the ones I used today, you’ll definitely want to check out the YPI Quarterly Subscription Box. Each box is packed with a curated variety of fun, high-quality papers that make cardmaking so much more exciting and inspiring. Every quarter brings fresh colors, finishes, and textures to play with — perfect for keeping your creativity flowing all year long.