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How to Draw a House of Cards

12 steps · Medium · about 9 min

Draw a house of cards in 12 easy steps, about 9 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.

Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: three leaning cards.

Step 1: Three leaning cards
Low on the left draw 3 thin slanted boxes in a row, all leaning to the right.
Tip Leave the same gap between them. Each box is one playing card.
Step 2: Three more cards
Lean a card against the top of each one, slanting the other way, to make 3 triangles.
Tip Rub out the bits of line that the new cards hide.
Step 3: Two flat cards
Lay 2 flat cards across the tops, side by side: long thin slanted boxes.
Tip Rub out the card corners they cover.
Step 4: Second storey
Stand 2 more cards on the flat cards, leaning right. Each foot sits above a triangle top.
Tip Rub out the flat card lines inside them.
Step 5: Finish the storey
Lean a card against each one to make 2 more triangles.
Tip Their feet stand right above the tops of the bottom triangles. Rub out the lines they hide.
Step 6: One flat card
Lay 1 flat card across the 2 new tops.
Tip Rub out the card corners it covers.
Step 7: Top pair
On the very top stand the last 2 cards, leaning together into 1 triangle.
Tip Rub out the lines they hide. Now count: 3 triangles, then 2, then 1.
Step 8: Card backs
Inside each of the 6 cards that lean left, draw a smaller slanted box. Stop where another card hides it.
Tip Keep an even white edge round the part you can see. 3 of the boxes are partly hidden.
Step 9: Spare card
Draw a long ground line under the house. On it, to the right, draw 1 card lying flat.
Step 10: A heart
In the middle of the spare card draw 1 heart.
Tip Start at the dip on top and end at the point.
Step 11: Blue backs
Go over your lines. Colour the 6 small boxes blue. Leave the rest of every card white.
Step 12: Red heart
Colour the heart red. Your house of cards is done!