{"title":"How to Make a Tunnel Card (Inside Tunnel Card With Measurements)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/card-making/how-to-make-a-tunnel-card","category":{"slug":"card-making","name":"Card Making"},"creator":{"name":"Lostinpaper","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0bXwVgEEAPOGr7EKS4tlwQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx0qBMedS6Y"},"tldr":"Make a tunnel card that opens into a layered window box. Score lines at 1/2, 4-1/4 and 4-3/4 inches, nesting dies and score tape.","quickAnswer":"Make a tunnel card that opens into a layered window box. A medium project: about 1 hour 15 minutes. Materials cost about $2 to $5. You need 14 things, including pink cardstock in two shades, 1/8 inch score tape and low tack tape. The 10 steps start with cut the Cardstock for the Tunnel Card Base, score the Tunnel Card Strip at 1/2, 4 1/4 and 4 3/4 Inches and fold and Burnish the Tunnel Card Score Lines.","totalDurationSeconds":473,"videoDurationSeconds":473,"difficulty":"medium","project":{"difficulty":"medium","projectMinutes":75,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":75,"estimatedCost":{"currency":"USD","min":2,"max":5},"yield":"1 card"},"tools":["paper trimmer","scoring board","bone folder","nesting rectangle dies","die cutting machine","fine tip glue applicator"],"materials":["pink cardstock in two shades","light blue cardstock for the back panel","1/8 inch score tape","low tack tape","stamped and colored images","alcohol markers or colored pencils","liquid glue","enamel dots (optional)"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Cut the Cardstock for the Tunnel Card Base","text":"Start with two pieces of cardstock cut to 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 inches. Therese cut both from an A4 sheet of pink, since her sister loves bright pink. One piece becomes the card base. Score it down the middle for a portrait side fold card. Then trim about 1/2 inch off the back panel. The second piece becomes the tunnel strip that folds into the box."},{"number":2,"title":"Score the Tunnel Card Strip at 1/2, 4 1/4 and 4 3/4 Inches","text":"Lay the second piece on a scoring board with the long side across. Score three lines: one at 1/2 inch, one at 4-1/4 inches and one at 4-3/4 inches. Those lines split the strip into a narrow tab, a main panel, another narrow tab and a second main panel. The narrow tabs become the sides of the box, so precise lines matter here."},{"number":3,"title":"Fold and Burnish the Tunnel Card Score Lines","text":"Fold along each of the three score lines. Then run a bone folder over every crease to burnish it flat. Sharp folds help the box stand square when the card opens, and they keep the layers from bowing outward. Take your time on this one, because every later step stacks on top of these folds."},{"number":4,"title":"Score the Tunnel Window Panels 1/4 Inch From Each Side","text":"Cut two more pieces of cardstock to 5-1/2 x 4-1/4 inches for the window panels. Therese used a darker pink here for contrast. Trim a thin sliver off the top and one side of each so they sit a touch smaller than the frame. Then score each panel 1/4 inch in from both long sides and burnish the folds."},{"number":5,"title":"Tape a Rectangle Die to Each Tunnel Window Panel","text":"Pick a set of nesting dies. Place a die on each window panel, using a smaller window on the panel that sits deepest in the tunnel. Therese lines them up by eye and holds each die in place with low tack tape so nothing shifts. Run the panels and the main tunnel strip through your die cutting machine to cut the windows."},{"number":6,"title":"Add the Back Panel and Fold the First Tunnel Window Over","text":"Glue a pale teal panel to the back section of the tunnel strip. This is the backdrop for your scene, so you could stamp a pattern on it first. Run 1/8 inch score tape along the first narrow tab. Peel the backing, line the window panel up with the first crease and fold it over so it sticks down."},{"number":7,"title":"Fold the Window Layers Into the Tunnel Box","text":"Repeat with the second window panel. Put the smallest window at the very back and the largest toward the front. That order gives the cascade effect when you look in. Peel the release paper from the tape and fold each layer down firmly. Once both are in, you can see three layers stacked inside the box."},{"number":8,"title":"Attach the Tunnel Box to the Card Base","text":"Pick up the card base you trimmed in step 1. Add score tape to its back panel. Line the fold of the box up with the center fold of the card and press it down. Therese used 1/4 inch tape here, though any strong double sided tape works. Open and close the card once to check that the box folds flat."},{"number":9,"title":"Add Score Tape to Hold the Front Tunnel Frame","text":"Add two strips of 1/8 inch score tape on the box frame along the card's center score line. Peel the backing and fold the top layer of the tunnel in so it locks against the card base. Now the front frame holds the whole box square. Burnish along the tape so the seam stays put after many openings."},{"number":10,"title":"Decorate the Inside of the Tunnel Card","text":"Now the fun part. Therese colored stamped leaves, flowers and an owl with alcohol markers and colored pencils, then fussy cut them. Glue the leaves low in the tunnel and the owl near the front window. A speech bubble tucked at the top finishes the scene. Decorate the front with stenciled dots and a big number for the birthday."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-11T17:49:13.478Z","published":"2026-11-11T17:49:13.186Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}