As part of International Education Week at Williams College, the FabLab hosted a 3D Pop-Up Gift Card Workshop, offering students a hands-on way to explore cultural expression through craft and design. Making pop-up cards is beginner-friendly and accessible, so the event welcomed participants of all skill levels. The focus? Create something personal: cards that reflected cultures, holidays, traditions, memories, or just artistic inspirations on paper.

One of the many amazing cards made during the workshop! This 3D pop-up gift card made by Carmen (photo taken by Carmen).

The workshop setup was simple and inviting. Tables were covered in colorful pieces of paper, scissors, glue sticks, markers, and any materials for card making. Some students followed sample templates, while others sketched out their own ideas. There were Christmas trees and Diwali lamps, abstract patterns and handwritten poems. One student made a theater inspired card that showcased her favorite drama productions, while someone else made a card for a friend they missed back home. Another said, “This one’s for me, because self-love deserves representation.”

The process itself had its challenges and charm. Some folds took five tries. One student spent 15 minutes getting a single crease right, then yelled, “I DID IT!” loud enough to scare the glue sticks. Others discovered that lining up a pop-up platform just right takes a surprising amount of patience. But by the final hour, even the people who walked in saying “I’m not an art person” were holding up their cards like trophies.

And while it was all about creativity, the workshop naturally became a space for cultural exchange. As students worked, conversations unfolded about holidays celebrated differently across the world. Two students realized they celebrate the same holiday but with totally different traditions, and ended up swapping design ideas. Others shared music playlists or childhood stories while layering paper and ink.

Some cards were destined for family back home. Others were given to friends on campus, or tucked away as keepsakes. Whatever the purpose, each card became a small, folded expression of identity, memory, or experience. The FabLab provided the materials, but the room was filled with shared experience, laughter, and little victories.

In a fast-moving semester, this workshop reminded us to slow down and take the time to make something with our hands. It wasn’t just about making art; it was about creating space for connection, reflection, and a little fun. And when the last cards were folded and the scraps swept into the recycling bin, what remained was a room full of people who had built something: on paper and in a diverse community.

Participants creating their unique versions of 3D gift cards for their friends and family during the International Education Week (photo by Carmen).