Postman Cap 3D Easel Card

Celebrate the postman’s “special deliveries” with 

this round card that has layered under-lid panel 

that bends to prop up the attached postman’s cap. 

 Inside, attach the double layer sentiment panel with 

“Special Delivery” and envelope to provide the “stop” 

for the easel mechanism. 

Decorate hat with included hat band, bill tip, 

crown top ring and and winged heart crest, 

then add accent such as purchased leaves & berries.  

Create an extra special card gift suitable for 

Valentine’s Day (or New Baby event) and display. 

Card measures approx. 5” x 5” x 1.375” tall when closed. 

Companion “Box 3D Envelope OutlineTuck Flap” design provides 

a stylish package for presenting this dimensional card.

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A card base (connected circles with 2 perforations)

B & C interior offset accent shapes

D & E whole circles for front/top and back/bottom

F 'stop' mechanism to hold up front (2-3 to layer in a stack)

G 'stop' decorations: envelope & base, mini heart, word cuts

H & I card front decorations offset plain and scallop circles

J crown ring 10-panel strip

K crown top interior shape (with symbol cut out)

L crown top exterior shape)

M crown bottom interior shape with finger hole cutout

N brim shape with bill extension (2-3 to layer for thickness)

O bill accent    P crown top offset ring

Q crown center front crest: wings base, wings, heart

R crown lower front accent

S crown sides/back trim strip accent

2. Prepare the brim by layering and attaching all cut shapes,

taking care to align ALL cut edges as precisely as possible . . .

. . . then press under a heavy flat object such as this

thick book, until glue has completely dried, for 

a significant period of time - up to hours.

(Doing this first in assembly will allow it to be drying

while other assembly progresses.)

3. Layer and attach the 'stop' panels in the same manner,

taking care to align all cut edges precisely, creating

a thickened 'lip' to hold the top card edge in easel format.

Press under a heavy flat weight until completely dry.

4. Prepare the card base by bending at center (short)

perforation as forward/mountain fold, and also bending

at top's long perforation line as forward/mountain fold.

These folds will create the easel effect.

5. Position and attach one of the whole circles

(face side outward) onto the bottom of the card base.

6. For the front of card base, position the other whole circle

over the outward half - beyond the fold perforation - 

and attach ONLY the bottom halves.

7. Open the card flat, then position the interior accent circles

over the bottom whole panel and the top panel's lower half, and

attach in place (dry adhesive recommended - or press flat til dry).

This is how the easel effect is created.

8. Position and attach the 'stop' mechanism stack

centered at the lower edge of accent circle.

(Apologies - the half circle accent should be in place.)

9. Prepare the 'stop' decoration accents by layering

the mini envelope outline on top of the whole base, then . . . 

. . . position and attach the mini heart over flap.

Position the word cutouts in centered, balanced arrangement

(long letter tails reach to panel edge), adjust, then

attach in place - don't forget the 'dot' for the 'i' in 'Special'.

10. Prepare the hat crown strip by bending back on

all perforations for panel segments and tabs.

Attach eyelet accents into the four holes.

NOTE: the eyelet punch openings for the final cut file

were scaled smaller for medium/small eyelet size.

11. Identify the top tab symbol cutout which marks

the center front.

Form the crown strip into a ring to overlap straight edge

across opposite side tab perforation, and glue seam.

12. Identify the two TOP crown shapes.

The interior shape includes the tiny circle cutout.

13. Bend the top perforations into right angle position, then . . .

. . . invert the ring so top is downward, and apply

adhesive to the underside of the top tabs.

Insert the interior crown top shape into ring and press 

downward until it rests against top tabs.

Apply fingertip pressure along edges to secure

tabs attachment to top shape all around.

14. Bend crown bottom tabs outward slightly

and apply glue to the underside, then . . .

. . . insert the bottom shape into the opening and

adjust so that the straight edges of 'disc' align

with the panel edges at tab bends . . .

. . . then bend tabs around shape so that 'disc' edges

rest in the tabs' creases. Insert fingertips into opening

and work around to apply pressure to attach in place.

15. Position (centered)and attach the crown top accent ring

onto crown top face side. Then . . . 

. . . position and attach outer crown top shape onto

crown assembly, adjusting so straight edges of

'disc' and ring align as precisely as possible.

16. (NOTE: crown top panel should be in place

before this step, but can be attached after as well.

The sample's brim color is somewhat hidden in  

the shadow in this image, below)

With crown assembly bottom down, position 

the back five edges to align with the back straight

edges of the brim/bill stack from Step 2, and

attach in place. Quick grab glue such as the Fabri-Tack

clear adhesive shown is recommended, for secure hold.

17. Position the crown lower accent strip first end so

that it extends approx. 3/8" beyond the center-side

bend of crown and attach in place. Then . . . 

. . . bend the strip around the back half and bend strip

to conform to the crown panel shapes and corners

as it is glued in place, until . . . 

. . . it extends around to the opposite position from

the starting position. Trim any excess off approx.

3/8" beyond opposite side angle, and re-attach end.

18. Prepare the front crown accent by bending back

slightly on the four tiny perforation lines.

Position accent so center panels align, wrapping

around the front five panels, and attach . . . 

. . . with ends overlapping and concealing the accent strip ends.

19. Position and attach the bill accent crescent,

centered on exposed front of brim with edges matched.

20. Assemble the crown crest by centering and attaching

the wings accent over the offset base, then center and

attach the mini heart.

21. Dry fit the crest at upper front panel of crown,

then bend the sides of wings slightly to match.

Position and attach crest at front panel, above

the arch accent.

22. With card base opened flat as shown, 

center the completed hat onto front/top panel

and attach in place with quick-grab adhesive.

This image shows how the completed card in easel

position will appear, with hat's bill downward.

NOTE: rotating the hat for brim-upward presentation

is also an option to consider.

Add 'purchased' floral leaf sprigs, berries, 

blossom, etc., as desired.

Here is the completed card in closed position.

Consider creating the specialty gift box also available

as a separate cut file design, which can hold the hat card

on one side, and loose candy treats on the other . . . 

. . . and when box is closed, side panel windows

tease a glimpse of contents to be discovered.

Fishing Hat Easel Card

 A special dimensional card to send greetings of affection, 

happy birthday, Happy Father’s Day or retirement. 

Round card base has underneath panel that bends 

to display the attached 3D bucket hat tipped at an angle. 

Hat is built from 6 wedges, with top hexagon 

that fits inside with edge flange. 

Details include “band” with eyelet hole, brim edge trim, 

fish hook and lure to tuck or attach. 

Attach the double-layer sentiment panel with arch banners, 

“gone fishin’ and fish to provide the “stop” for 

the easel mechanism. 

Card measures approx. 5” x 5” x 1.75” deep 

when closed. Tuck the hat card inside a custom-fit 

container companion design (Fishing Reel 3D Gift Box). 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:
A card base (two joined circles)
B front panel whole circle
C back panel whole circle
E interior upper accent
F interior lower accenty
G banner two layers with "gone fishin'" word cut
and fish
H stop panel (2)
I card front accent (fish cutouts disc)
J hat attachment flange
K hat wedges (6)   L hat top hexagon
M hat button (circles to layer for build up 7-8)
N hat band shapes (6)  O hat rim shapes (6)
P fly base, head and wings
Q lure base and body   R hooks (1 left, 1 right)

2. Prepare the card base by bending forward  at

the center short perforation line and at the top panel

halfway perforation line.

3. Position the front whole circle panel over the front

portion of the base, align the edges that should line up

and attach only to the lower half.

This is the "mechanism" that allows the card to fold

into the 'easel' configuration.

4. Position and attach the backside whole circle

reinforcement to the underside of the card base.

5. Open the card base then position and attach

the upper half circle offset accent (align top edge

at perforation line) and the lower whole circle offset

accent.

6. Position and attach the layers of the 'stop' panel
to provide enough 'lip' to catch the front easel panel edge.

NOTE that when layering and gluing up shapes using

liquid adhesive, it will be helpful to press the assembly

under a heavy flat weight such as this fabric covered

repurposed weight machine bar, until the stack is

fully dried, to prevent warping or curling.

7. Position and attach the offset banner onto

the front of the banner base.

8. Position the banner assembly along the top of
the 'stop' panel where the edges of each should line up,
and attach. Press under a flat weight if possible.

9. Position and attach the 'gone fishin' word phrase

on the banner, and the fish shape below.

10. Position the 'stop' panel assembly onto the bottom edge

of the interior accent panel, and attach in place.

Audition how the easel mechanism will work.

11. Prepare each of the 6 hat wedges by bending
forward at the lower brim perforation line, and
back at the upper crown perforation line, and also
bend the side edge tabs back. 

12. Position and attach the hat band strips onto

each prepared wedge, aligning holes and squaring

up the perforation lines and edges. Insert and attach

the eyelet accents at this time, if desired.

14. Position the first two wedges to line up the middle
segments of each, overlapping the straight side edge
(on the left edge of the RIGHT shape) over the corresponding 
tab to perforation line (on the right edge of the LEFT shape),
and glue in place.

15. Bend and adjust the upper segments to join the seam
in a similar manner, and then the brim seam (lower segment)
in the same manner to complete the three-part seam.

16. Continue to add the next wedge to line up
middle, upper and lower segments in the same manner
until all six are joined. Finally, for the assembly into a ring
to line up and join the final edges in a seam.

17. Prepare the hat top panel by bending the outer

edge flanges forward.

18. Position and attach each of the button discs in
a stack, taking care to line up the edges as precisely
as possible. Press under a weight until dry.

19. Position and attach the button over the center punch

hole of the hat's top panel.

20. Prepare the hat attachment flange by bending

the bottom edge tabs forward and the upper flanges

back.

21. Form the shape into a ring to overlap the straight

side edge over the opposite tab to perforation line,

and join seam.

22. Bend each upper edge flange back and

glue to the ring backside.

23. Insert lower tabs into the slots of the card's
front accent panel, then . . .

. . . on the backside bend the tabs toward the outer edge

and glue to the underside of the accent panel.

24. Position the hat wedges assembly over the attachment

flange so that the each wedge is centered over

a flat face of the attachment ring. Apply glue where

the hat and ring surfaces will touch, then slide hat ring

down until the brim rests on the accent circle's surface.

25. Position the hat top panel over the opening,

adjust so that the shapes correspond, then insert

and push into place slightly so that the flange top

edges align with the wedge top edges exactly,

and pinch together all around to attach in place.

26. Position the front accent ring/hat assembly over
the card front panel, adjust so 'reveal' is even all
around, and attach in place.

27. Complete the "embellishments" for the hat,
including assembling the fly shown here (wings, head onto
body base), lure overlay onto hook base.

28. Position and attach to the hat wedges as desired.

Here is the finished sample project, closed.

Open and position the center front edge at the top
edge of the 'stop' to open into easel stand.

Consider assembling the custom fit-to-size reel box

project as the gift box for the fishing hat easel card.

Here are the card and box projects shown together.