Hooray for Birthdays Paper Pumpkin Alternatives

Welcome to the August: A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop!What happens when you reimagine a Paper Pumpkin kit… and decide to take it a little further?😉

This month we’re playing with the July Hooray for Birthdays Paper Pumpkin Kit, and I had so much fun taking the kit pieces and turning them into something a little different.

The Hooray for Birthdays kit is all about celebrating with stand-up easel cards, so I decided to keep that fun easel concept going—but create my own version using the kit pieces in a completely different way.

And because one project is never quite enough around here, I also created a double gift box that folds like a little book!

It’s a fun way to turn the kit into more than just the projects included in the box and see just how far those Paper Pumpkin supplies can stretch.

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If you’re new to the hop, APPT is all about taking our monthly Paper Pumpkin kits and creating something outside the box — literally! Instead of just assembling the kit as designed, we stretch our creativity and see what else we can make using the kit supplies.

Each project in this hop features the July Paper Pumpkin kit with coordinating Stampin’ Up! products. I am Mikki Winebrenner from Iowa, and you have landed here on the PaperTales Creative Hub. Scroll down to the bottom for the full list of participating blogs and you can explore all the creative alternatives.

I really liked the idea of the stand-up easel cards and wanted to keep that basic concept while creating something that felt a little different.

So for my first project, I created my own circle easel card using pieces from the kit. It still has that fun interactive easel element, but with a little PaperTales twist.

And then…

Well, I was finishing up the card and thought:

“This needs a little gift to go with it.”

Because apparently one project is never enough around here. 😉

That’s where project number two came in.

I created a double gift box that folds like a little book. And honestly, this one might be my favorite.

I’m a huge reader, so the book shape was just too perfect to pass up. I added a little “cover” to the front featuring a bouquet of flowers, making the box look like a tiny book while giving you a sweet little place to tuck a gift.

The two projects ended up becoming a little birthday duo:

A card to celebrate… and a little gift box to make the celebration even sweeter.

And that’s one of the things I love about Paper Pumpkin.

You can start with the projects and ideas included in the kit, but the supplies can take you in so many different directions when you start looking at them a little differently.

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🌸 A Little More About the Hooray for Birthdays Refill

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🌸 Circle Easel Card

I kept the fun stand-up element from the original Hooray for Birthdays kit but gave it my own twist with a circle easel design. The kit’s bright colors, flowers, and birthday elements made this one come together with a little extra personality.

📚 Book-Style Double Gift Box

The second project was born while I was finishing the easel card and decided it needed a little gift to go with it! This double box folds like a little book, complete with a floral “cover.” As someone who loves to read, I couldn’t resist turning the gift box into a tiny book.

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Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription kit that delivers exclusive stamps, supplies, and project ideas right to your door.

August Paper Pumpkin – Kindred Greetings

Subscribe July 11–August 10

Send timeless, understated cards with heartfelt messages of comfort and appreciation.

• Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs with 9 coordinating envelopes

• Precut paper pieces and intricate precut card fronts

• Gray and white twine

• Coordinating colors: Basic Gray, Calypso Coral, Gray Granite (Stampin’ Spot), Lost Lagoon, Petal Pink, Pool Party

Card bases and envelopes have a textured, linen-like feel.

If you love surprise creativity in the mail each month, it’s a fantastic way to craft!

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➡️ Click through the A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop and see what the other creators have been making!

And if you’re a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I’d love to know:

Do you usually make the projects exactly as designed, or are you a “let’s see what else I can do with this” kind of crafter? 😉

A little note from me…

One of my favorite things about Paper Pumpkin is that you don’t have to stop with what’s pictured on the box.

Sometimes the best projects happen when you look at the pieces and think: “Hmmmm… what else could I make with this?” That’s exactly where these projects started.

Until next time… keep creating, keep smiling, and never be afraid of a little creative chaos.

Happy crafting, and happy hopping!

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🎉 Continue the Hop

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✂️ Supplies Used

Here are the supplies that helped turn a little creative chaos into these finished projects.

Product List