How to Create a Theatre Scene Card Using Coordinated Stamps Dies and Pattern Paper

Rick Adkins
3 hours ago
4 min read

Scene cards can feel intimidating. There are a lot of moving pieces, and it’s easy to get stuck wondering where to start or how to make everything work together. For this project, my creative goal was to build a theatre-style scene card that feels detailed and story-driven, without turning into an overwhelming design puzzle.

Three cartoon kids in a theater with red seats, gold accents, and text "It's A Hard Knock Life." Tutorial text reads "How to Build a Theatre Scene Card."

I shared the process on video so you can see how the card comes together visually, but I also wanted to take a moment here on the blog to talk about the design thinking behind the choices—the why, not just the how. If scene cards are something you want to feel more confident tackling, this approach can really simplify the process.

Why Coordinated Products Make Scene Cards Easier

One of the biggest challenges with scene card making is decision fatigue. When you’re juggling images, dies, backgrounds, and embellishments, it’s easy to overthink every choice. Using coordinated stamps, dies, and pattern paper—like the Little Orphans collection paired with the Theatre Builder Die Set—removes a lot of that pressure.

Everything is already designed to work together. The scale of the images feels right for the stage scene, the outline dies match perfectly, and the pattern paper supports the theme instead of competing with it. That allows you to focus on placement, layering, and storytelling, rather than constantly questioning whether something “fits.”

Three cartoon children stand in a theater setting with red chairs and yellow curtains. Text reads "It's A Hard Knock Life." Background is black and gold.

Designing the Scene: Thinking Like a Stage

For this card, I approached the layout the same way you’d think about a real theatre stage. There’s a clear foreground, midground, and background. The seating die creates instant structure at the front, while the patterned paper backdrop sets the mood without needing extra coloring or inking.

This kind of structure is especially helpful if you’re newer to scene cards. A common mistake is trying to fill every open space or adding too many elements at the same visual level. Giving each part of the scene a defined role helps the card feel balanced and intentional, even when there’s a lot going on.

Three cartoon children stand on stage with red chairs. Text reads It's A Hard Knock Life. Bright yellow and black geometric background.

Pattern Paper as a Design Tool (Not a Shortcut)

Pattern paper sometimes gets overlooked in scene cards, but it can do a lot of heavy lifting. Here, it adds texture, color, and interest while keeping the card approachable. Instead of creating a fully hand-colored background, the pattern paper establishes the setting and lets the stamped images shine.

If you ever feel stuck choosing colors or backgrounds, this is a great strategy. Pattern paper can guide your color choices for stamped images and help everything feel cohesive without extra steps.

Three cartoon kids stand on stage with a backdrop patterned in gold. Text reads "It's a Hard Knock Life." Red chairs in the foreground.

Making This Idea Work With Your Own Supplies

You don’t need a theatre die set to use this concept. Any card design that includes a frame, window, or architectural element can become a scene. Try shelves, windows, or even simple rectangles to ground your images.

You can also scale this idea up or down depending on your comfort level. Fewer images create a clean and simple scene, while more characters add storytelling detail. The key is keeping the structure clear so the scene doesn’t feel cluttered.

Three illustrated children stand behind red theater seats with a patterned background. Text reads "It's a Hard Knock Life." Bright, cheerful colors.

Encouragement to Experiment

Scene cards don’t have to be perfect to be effective. The goal is to tell a little story and enjoy the creative process along the way. Once you understand how layering, scale, and coordinated products work together, you can adapt this approach to just about any theme or occasion.

If you’ve been hesitant to try scene card making, I hope this project gives you the confidence to experiment and play with what you already have.

Illustrated card with three cheerful characters on a stage, text says "It's A Hard Knock Life." Bright red chairs and yellow accents.

Watch the Video

If you’re a visual learner, this will help you see how everything comes together:

You can watch the process here: How to Build a Theatre Scene Card Using Stamps, Dies & Pattern Paper

If you have problems watching the video here on my blog you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel by Clicking Here!

(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!

Materials Used:

Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.

Happy Crafting,

Rick Adkins

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