4 Ways to Use the Squiggly Rectangle Frames Die Set

The new You've Got a Friend collection from Hero Arts has that perfect mix of playful and heartfelt — and one standout product is the Squiggly Rectangle Frames Die Set. At first glance, it's a set of five nested dies with a fun wavy edge — great for frames, right? Yes, absolutely. But also? So much more than that.

We have four cards created by Kelly Rasmussen to share today, and each one features a different creative twist using this die set. Some are bold and graphic, some soft and layered, some clean and minimal. The secret is in how the die is used — thinking beyond the obvious "cut a frame and layer it on a card" approach opens up a whole new world of design possibilities. To keep things cohesive, Kelly also used the Hello Friend Dies and Hello Friend Stamp Set on every single card, and the variety of messages and sentiments between those two products alone is remarkable.

Who says a frame has to stay a frame? For this card, Kelly cut apart the individual sides of the Squiggly Rectangle dies and used them as standalone strips of color — layering them horizontally across the card panel to create a rainbow stripe effect that looks just like ric-rac ribbon. The result is cheerful, retro, and completely eye-catching.

The wavy, scalloped edge of these dies gives the strips beautiful texture and movement. Stacked in a rainbow of colors — pink, red, coral, yellow, green, and teal — the effect is clean and playful. Change up the color scheme to achieve different interpretations — shades of blue for water or greens for grass — so many possibilities! It's a technique that feels fresh and modern that is inspired by a vintage ribbon pattern.

Taking the strip technique one step further, this card uses the same "cut apart the frame" approach — but instead of laying the pieces flat in a neat row, the strips are overlapped and offset slightly to create depth and dimension. The overlapping waves create a woven, almost braided pattern that is giving major friendship bracelet energy. It's the kind of detail that makes people pick up a card and look closer.

The overlapping layers add real physical dimension to the card front, with each strip casting a tiny shadow on the one below. It feels tactile and crafted in the best way. When put on a crisp white panel on a bright card base with a subtle text pattern, the layers really pop.

For the message on this one, the sentiment is stamped vertically along one side of the card — a fun layout choice that was inspired by Carissa Wiley. "You Are One of a Kind" running vertically alongside the bold, die-cut "hello" creates a dynamic composition that feels anything but typical. The Hello Friend Dies and Stamp Set together offer so many sentiment options that you could make twenty cards from this same design concept and never repeat yourself.

TIP: Try foam adhesive between some of your overlapping strips to push the dimension even further. The raised layers catch the light beautifully.

Here's where things get really interesting. When you die cut a frame from an A2 panel of cardstock, you're left with three pieces: the frame itself, an inner piece with a wavy border, and an outer piece with a scalloped window opening. All three are usable — and each one can take a card design in a completely different direction.

For this card, that negative piece — the green cardstock with the scalloped rectangular window — becomes the foundation for a gorgeous shaker card. The wavy opening frames a floral background created with the Bitty Floral Layering Stencils (also from the You've Got a Friend collection), layered in warm oranges and pinks. Add a clear acetate window, a generous pour of sequins and seal it all up — and you have a shaker card with a seriously unique, decorative edge.

The scalloped window gives the shaker a finished, intentional look that a straight-edged window just can't match. It feels soft, organic, and perfectly aligned with the floral, friendship theme of the collection. The word "friend" die cut from gold metallic paper sits on top of the acetate window, and "Thanks for Being So Kind" is stamped from the Hello Friend Stamp Set onto a soft pink strip layered across the center. The result is layered, warm, and full of personality.

TIP: The negative piece from any of the five nested dies works for this technique — the smallest creates an intimate, jewel-box feel; the largest gives you more room to fill with stenciled backgrounds and sequins.

For the final card, the frame and the negative panel come together — but used in a new way. The frame is cut from gold metallic cardstock, giving it a luxe, shimmery quality, and the negative piece cut from Seaside cardstock serves as a mat layer beneath the florals. Stacked together they create a multi-layered foundation that adds both structure and visual interest to the card front.

The bold florals from the Abstract Florals Stamp & Cut set are stamped and die cut, then layered over this gold and teal base for a design that feels vibrant and artistic. The large, graphic blooms in hot pink and yellow are exactly the right counterpart to the structured squiggly frame — the organic shapes of the flowers play beautifully against the wavy die pattern. The word "friend" is die cut from black cardstock and the stamped "Hey There" sentiment from the Hello Friend Stamp Set nestles in the design to complete the message.

The Teal Topaz card base ties everything together and makes all those bright colors sing. This is a card that feels bold, creative, and full of energy — the kind you'd be genuinely excited to give (and receive).

TIP: Cutting your frame from metallic or specialty paper is an easy upgrade that adds a premium feel to any of these techniques. Gold, silver, and rose gold all work beautifully with this collection's color palette.

What's so exciting about these four cards is that they prove a single, well-designed die set can do so much heavy lifting in your craft room. The Squiggly Rectangle Frames aren't just for framing — they're strips, they're windows, they're texture, they're structure. And when paired with the Hello Friend Dies and Hello Friend Stamp Set, the range of messages and styles you can create is genuinely surprising.

Bold and graphic. Soft and layered. Clean and simple. Warm and floral. The You've Got a Friend collection has the products to take you in any direction, and the Squiggly Rectangle Frames Die Set might just be the most versatile piece in the whole lineup.

Which technique is your favorite? Share your makes and tag #heroartsmade so the whole community can find your work!