Make a Splash! Little Mermaid-Inspired Birthday Card with Ariel & Sebastian 🌊✨

Nov 15, 20246 min read

Updated: Mar 4

🧜‍♀️ Make a Splash with This Disney-Inspired Birthday Card Featuring Ariel & Sebastian! 🦀

Under the sea is where the magic happens—and this Ariel & Sebastian-inspired birthday card is making some serious waves! 🌊🐚 With shimmering details, layered die-cuts, and a splash of Stampin’ Up! creativity, this 5x7 card brings Disney magic to life.

If you’re looking for a handmade birthday card with depth, dimension, and a little mermaid mischief, this tutorial is FIN-tastic! 🦀✨

Why This Card is a Treasure Trove of Creativity!

For this design, I wanted to capture the whimsy and wonder of Ariel’s underwater world. That meant:

✔ Shimmering waves & glittery accents for an oceanic feel

✔ Bold, layered die-cuts to create depth and movement

✔ Hand-colored Ariel & Sebastian elements for a custom, vibrant look

✔ Ariel’s iconic pose framed by underwater plants and dreamy textures

Now, let’s dive in and make a birthday card that’s truly mer-mazing! 🌊✨

🐚 Supplies for Your Under-the-Sea Adventure

Crafting set with otter illustrations on paper, stamps with "We're cute together," teal thread, stickers, and metal cutouts on a neutral background. — This suite collection has otters, otters everywhere: playful otters on stamps, otter-shaped dies, otters frolicking on patterned paper, plus fun embellishments. It’s what you need to create aww-some cards and scrapbook pages.

✨ Most of the items used in this card come from the Otterly Adorable Suite Collection—a must-have for crafting underwater magic! 🌊🐚 But here’s the best part: You can mix and match! Whether you grab the full suite or pick individual items to customize your own design, the possibilities are endless!

💡 Pro Tip: Love the shimmering details? Don’t miss the glimmer paper—it takes your ocean-inspired projects to the next level!

Pick Individual Items to Customize Your Own Little Mermaid-Inspired Birthday Card

Patterned Paper:

• Otterly Adorable 12x12 DSP

• 2024-2026 In Color Glimmer 12x12 Specialty Paper

• Three Color Glimmer 12x12 Specialty Paper

Embellishment:

• Stampin’ Up! Riverside Irregular Pearls

Stamp & Dies:

• Stampin’ Up! Otterly Amazing Bundle (stamps & thin cuts)

• Deckled Circle Dies (for center circles)

Inks & Markers:

• Stampin’ Up! Real Red Combo Pack (for Ariel’s hair & Sebastian’s shell)

• Stampin’ Up! Pretty Peacock Combo Pack (for Ariel's shells)

• CTMH Charcoal Ink (for edging the rocks)

• Stampin’ Up! Balmy Blue and Pretty Peacock 8-1/2x11” Cardstock (for water plants)

• Garden Green & White Willow 12x12 Cardstock (center circles & waves)

• Gray Granite 8-1/2x11” Cardstock (rocks)

SVG:

• Licensed SVG for Ariel and Sebastian (colored with Stampin’ Up! Markers)

• Design Space®️ & Cricut®️

Tools & Essentials

• Paper Trimmer, foam tape, glue, Stampin' Seal adhesive, Cut & Emboss Machine

💙 Designing in Design Space®️: A Game Changer for This Card!

Before I cut a single piece of paper, I always mock-up my design in Cricut Design Space®️! This helps me:

✔ Visualize the final layout 🖥️

✔ Resize elements for perfect proportions

✔ Save time (because who wants surprises during assembly?!)

For this card, I used licensed SVG files for Ariel & Sebastian, printed them on high-quality cardstock, and hand-colored them with Stampin’ Blends for that extra pop of magic!

💡 Pro Tip: Coloring your own characters gives you complete creative control over shading, highlights, and those perfectly Ariel-red locks!

🦀 It’s All in the Details: Bringing the Ocean Scene to Life!

Birthday card with a red-haired mermaid, sea plants, and a crab. Text reads "Happy Birthday." Ocean background, glittery accents. — 🐚 Mermaid magic, handmade with love! 🎨✨ Every detail in this card—from Ariel’s fiery red locks to the sparkling ocean waves—captures the whimsy of The Little Mermaid in true crafting perfection!

With Ariel & Sebastian ready to take center stage, the underwater details make this card truly magical! 🌊✨

✔ Layered, deckled circles frame Ariel beautifully!

✔ Die Cut “rock” details add depth to the ocean floor.

✔ Shimmering waves & glimmer paper create that dreamy underwater glow!

✔ Delicate water plants make it feel like you’re peeking into a hidden reef!

💡 Pro Tip: Inking the edges of die-cuts adds dimension and contrast—turning flat paper into realistic, storybook-style elements!

1. Set the Scene

Start with a 5x7 card base from your CTMH stash. Cut a piece of Otterly Adorable DSP to 5x7 to serve as the underwater backdrop.

Sparkly sheets in pink, gold, green, and purple are fanned out on a light background, creating a colorful and cheerful display. — This glittery wave effect with the In-Color Glimmer Paper brings the magic of the sea to life—because an Ariel-inspired card deserves ALL the sparkle! 🌊💙

2. Make Some Waves

Use the Blue & Green colors from:

In-Color Glitter Specialty Paper

Three-color glitter specialty paper

to make your waves.

White Willow Cardstock

Cut White Willow Cardstock in the same shape and size. Layer behind each wave for contrast. Layer the waves at the bottom of the card for depth, and add one smaller wave at the top to frame the underwater scene.

A series of concentric gray circles with scalloped edges create a gradient pattern on a light background, evoking a calm, modern vibe. — The perfect spotlight for a mermaid! ✨ The Deckled Circle Dies creates a stunning layered effect that frames Ariel beautifully

3. Circles & Ariel’s Spotlight•

Die-cut circles using the Deckled Circle Dies from Garden Green and White Willow Cardstock. Adhere the white on top and ink the edges of the Garden Green circle using a Sponge Dauber with Garden Green Classic Stampin’ Pad for dimension.

• Place Ariel at the center of the circles, adhering her with foam tape for a fun, 3D effect.

• Cut water plants from Balmy Blue and Pretty Peacock Cardstock and adhere them to either side of the circle to enhance the underwater vibe.

4. Details That Rock

• Cut “rocks” from the Otterly Amazing Bundle in Gray Granite Cardstock and inked up the edges of them with CTMH Charcoal for definition.

• Position the rocks under Ariel’s arms to make it look like she’s leaning on them. Place Sebastian on the bottom right-hand side of the card. Add another rock behind Sebastian, along with a tiny water plant, to complete the ocean floor effect.

✨ The Final Magical Touches!

Birthday card with Ariel design and "Happy Birthday" text. Otter-themed stamp set beside it. Two markers on wooden surface. — That signature Ariel red? It’s all in the blend! ❤️🔥 Using Stampin’ Blends in Real Red & Pretty Peacock brings depth, vibrancy, and that flowing, fiery hair we all love!

🎂 What’s a birthday without a statement title? The “Happy Birthday” sentiment was cut with my Cricut, layered, and popped up with foam tape for the extra wow factor!

🐚 And let’s talk embellishments…

✔ Riverside Irregular Pearls = dreamy undersea shimmer! ✨

✔ Foam tape under Ariel & Sebastian for a floating effect!

✔ A perfect balance of glitter & softness—because Ariel deserves nothing less!

And just like that… we’ve created a handmade birthday card fit for an under-the-sea celebration! 🌊🎂

💜 Explore More Disney-Inspired Projects!

Can’t get enough of Disney-inspired crafting? SAME! 😍✨ Check out these other magical handmade projects:

🏰 Enchanting Disney Scrapbook Layouts

🎈 Mickey & Friends Celebration Cards

🌟 More Under-the-Sea-Inspired Paper Crafts

💡 Find them all right here on This Chick Loves Paper!

🧜‍♀️ Share Your Creations – Let’s Make a Splash!

One of the best parts of crafting? Sharing your work & inspiring others! 🌊💖

📸 Snap a pic & share your Little Mermaid-inspired card in the Members Gallery!

💬 Drop a comment & tell me—who’s your favorite Disney character to craft with?

🎨 Tag @ThisChickLovesPaper on Instagram & let’s inspire each other!

💡 Let’s make waves together in the crafting world! 🌊✨

SHARE YOUR CREATIONS!

🐚 Final Thoughts: Crafting the Magic of The Little Mermaid

Have you crafted your own Disney-inspired card or used the Otterly Adorable DSP? Share In Our Members Gallery! — Under the sea and onto your crafting table! 🌊✨ This Little Mermaid-inspired birthday card is making waves with its shimmering details, layered textures, and Disney magic! Who wouldn’t want to celebrate with Ariel and Sebastian? 🦀

Every handmade card tells a story, and this one is pure under-the-sea magic! From Ariel’s flowing hair to Sebastian’s cheeky grin, every detail brings this Disney-inspired design to life.

So grab your favorite crafting supplies, channel your inner mermaid, and let’s create something fin-tastically unforgettable! 🧜‍♀️💖

💌 Happy Crafting & Keep Swimming!

April – This Chick Loves Paper

🛒 Grab Your Supplies & Start Crafting!

SHOP STAMPIN' UP!

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ThisChickLovesPaper.com.

The content in this blog is the sole responsibility of April Raine - This Chick Loves Paper as a Stampin’ Up!® Independent Demonstrator. The use of and content of classes, services, or products offered is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up!®

🐚✨ Make a splash with this Little Mermaid-inspired birthday card! Featuring Ariel, Sebastian, and shimmering ocean waves, this handmade design captures Disney magic with layered die-cuts, glittery accents, and vibrant Stampin’ Blends coloring. Whether you’re crafting for a Disney fan or just love an under-the-sea aesthetic, this card is the perfect way to send birthday wishes with a touch of mermaid magic! 🧜‍♀️🎂💖 Get all the details & craft your own—only at This Chick Loves Paper!