Card Spinners or Suspension Spinners

Written and Created by PaperCraftCentral Susan

Card spinners or suspension spinners add a lot of interest to a card and are so easy to make!

“If you love someone,
put their name in a circle; because hearts can be broken,
but circles never end.”

~Karen Amanda Hooper, Grasping at Eternity


Spinner Card


I had a 50th birthday card to make for a friend, and this card came together pretty quickly once I remembered the spinner idea. I already knew I wanted to make a bucking bronco card for my friend as he was having a cowboy themed birthday party, and the spinners fit right in with that theme in my own head!

Oh and these cards are also called Suspension Cards.


Here's what I used:



  • Stampin’ Up! 'Bronc Buster' stamp set (retired)
  • Certainly Celery (retired) & glossy white cardstock (retired)
  • Black Stazon ink
  • White, copper, gold and green gel pens
  • Rust coloured cardstock
  • Ink spot pads in cocoa, lemon yellow and green
  • ordinary pencil
  • Dental floss or linen thread, or something thin and strong like a gold twisted thread from your stash
  • strong Double sided tape
  • Black calligrapher’s pen and black fine felt tipped pen
  • Gold letter stickers
  • Designer series paper of choice
  • Layering Circle punches or dies


Step-by-step instructions for making Card Spinners:



  • You don't have to use the particular paper punches I used to make your spinners but do make sure you have circle punches that allow you to make two different sized circles that are not too different in size for layering them together. The Layering Circle Dies and your Die Cut and Embossing Machine  might suit your purpose instead of paper punches, especially if you have nesting dies.
  • Decide on your card front cardstock size and colour. Decide what cardstock or designer series paper you want to use as the first layer on your card and punch your largest hole in the paper where you want to put a spinner. Make sure you can reach the card front base with your paper punch or dies as you will need to cut out similar circles in it!
  • Now lay this topper cardstock or designer series paper on your card blank front where you want the holes to be. Pencil in the circles by tracing around them so you will know where to punch next
  • Punch the holes in the front of your card blank. If you cannot reach the circles easily with your paper punch, use your sharp pointed paper snips to pierce a hole in their centre, then work out to the pencil marks to carefully cut  out your circles by hand.
  • Stamp the images you want to make onto the top layer of your spinner circles. (You will need two of each image)
Spinner Card Instructions
  • Now colour in your spinner images and punch them out.

  • Get out the double sided Tear 'n Tape or another strong adhesive.

  • Place tape at the top and bottom of the holes on your card front, and then to the back of one of the spinner pairs.

  • Place the tape horizontally across the circles instead of vertically. You will want the tape to catch the floss you are going to apply next. See the pictures below to see how I did it.
    • Spinner Card Instructions



  • Take out the dental floss or your thin twine of choice and cut enough to fit across the larger circles you punched in the card front. Stick down the floss vertically as shown
    • SpinnerCard3

    r

  • Carefully place the spinner pairs behind and in front of the floss so they align well.
  • Now cover the front of the card with your punched designer paper.You will hide the Tear 'n Tape you used to adhere the spinners this way because it will be sandwiched between the card front cardstock and your next card layer.

    • Spinner Card Instructions


  • Go ahead and finish decorating your card in any way you wish.

  • When you want to close the card for placing it in an envelope, carefully spin the images on the twine so that they will have a little tension, and close down the card without letting the spinners go. When the recipient of your card opens the envelope and takes out the card, the spinners should spin!

  • I always practice this (ie play with it) a few times to make sure it works before placing my completed card in its envelope for its intended destination!

  • Hey, why shouldn't the maker get to have some fun, too, right?

    • Other things to try

    • Make your spinners from transparent material with pressed flowers fixed in the middle
    • Make your suspension circles out of cork or foiled pieces
    • Make your circles out of embossed cardstock
    • Make the circles into little domes
    • If you like cards with moving parts, try making a penny-roller or slider card
    • If you like your cards to provide a bit of a surprise, try making an Explosion Card!


    However you make them, enjoy making your Card Spinners! Here are a few more spinner card ideas from Pintrest.


    Spinner Card Idea
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    3. How to Make Suspension Spinners for Cards

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