Welcome back to the craft room and today’s post Can You Emboss Crinkle Cardstock? This idea came straight from a viewer who left a comment on my Elegant White on White Cards video, saying how cool that paper would look embossed. I hadn’t even considered it—but now I had to try! In this post (and the video!), I’m experimenting with WausauPaper Crinkles cardstock and a variety of embossing folders to see what kind of texture magic—or mayhem—we can create. I’ve only tested a couple of folders so far, so the rest of the results will be a surprise for both of us. Let’s find out what works beautifully… and what doesn’t quite make the cut!
WausuaPaper Crinkles Cardstock
I’ve had this pack of 8″ x 8″ textured cardstock for years—one of those “Ooooh it’s so pretty!” impulse buys. And like many of those, it ended up tucked away in my stash waiting for the right project. I did finally use a piece in July 2024 for one of the cards in my Elegant White on White video. That’s when a viewer suggested embossing it—and I’ve been curious ever since. As you can see in the image below, this cardstock already has a lot of texture on its own. So what happens when we layer even more texture on top?
Embossing with Folders
This was such an interesting experiment that I couldn’t stop at just one folder—I wanted to try a bunch to see how each would work! I began with three embossing folders from Cuttlebug. Before running the first one through, I had to figure out the right “sandwich” of plates for my machine. I’m using a Sizzix Big Shot, and while the base plate and shims provide suggested combinations, I always do a few test runs. Every folder, paper, and machine is a little different—especially since mine’s been well-loved over the years!
I’ll be using embossing folders from a few different brands in this experiment—Cuttlebug, Altenew, and Sizzix—so I needed to adjust the embossing “sandwich” depending on the folder style and thickness. (Scroll down for a downloadable PDF version, too!)
Here’s a quick breakdown of the sandwich combinations I used with my Sizzix Big Shot:
Standard Cuttlebug Embossing Folders
- Base plate
- Shim #1
- One cutting plate
- Embossing folder with cardstock
- Second cutting plate
- Optional: One folded sheet of copy paper as a shim for extra pressure
Altenew 3D Embossing Folder
- Base plate
- Shim #2
- Embossing folder with cardstock
- One cutting plate
- Optional: Light mist of water on the cardstock + folded copy paper shim for better definition
Sizzix 3D Embossing Folder
- Base plate
- Shim #1
- Embossing folder with cardstock
- One cutting plate
- Optional: Light mist of water on front and back + folded copy paper shim
Need the guide for easy reference? Download the Embossing Sandwich Cheat Sheet (PDF) here.
Cuttlebug Embossing Folders
For the Cuttlebug folders, I found the best combo was the base plate, shim #1, two cutting plates, and of course the embossing folder with the cardstock inside. Because my Big Shot is a bit older, I also added a folded piece of copy paper as an extra shim. That gave me just the right amount of pressure for a crisp impression without damaging the cardstock.
Divine Swirls Embossing Folder
I kicked things off with one of my all-time favorite folders—Divine Swirls. Picking a cardstock color for this one was easy—it had to be the beautiful light blue shade called Artesian. I was a little nervous going in, since this Crinkles cardstock feels quite delicate. But I’m thrilled with how it turned out! The swirly embossing looks fantastic, and the original texture of the paper still shines through. Best of all, the paper stayed completely intact—no tears or rips at all.
Victoria Embossing Folder
With such a strong start, I was excited to try the next folder: Victoria. For its leafy, elegant background, I chose the Olive green cardstock. Once again, the Crinkles texture added a rich, layered look to the embossed design. I love how the raised pattern interacts with the paper’s natural crinkle—it adds depth without overpowering it.
Diamond Plate Embossing Folder
Even with such great results from the first two folders, I couldn’t resist trying one more. I’m always in need of masculine cards, so I pulled out the Diamond Plate folder—perfect for that industrial look. Of course, I had to use the gray Wool color cardstock, and it looks fantastic!
This Crinkles cardstock appears to have a distinct front and back—the back has subtle folded lines running through it. For this test, I decided to use that back side as the front of the panel. I’m so glad I did—the “folded” texture added yet another layer of dimension to the embossed pattern.
Embossing with 3D Folders
AlteNew Garden Rose 3D Folder
With the standard folders working so beautifully, it was time to step things up to see if you can emboss crinkle cardstock with a 3D embossing folder. These folders need a different sandwich, especially since they’re thinner. For my Sizzix Big Shot, I used the base plate, shim #2, the folder with the cardstock inside, and just one cutting plate.
I started with the Altenew Garden Rose 3D folder. Since 3D folders create deep layers of dimension, I wasn’t sure how well it would work with textured cardstock. As usual with 3D folders, I gave the paper a very light mist of water before running it through. The initial result was good—but I could tell it needed a little extra pressure.
So, I carefully placed the paper back into the folder, making sure it locked into place, then added a folded copy paper shim before running it through again. As you can see in the image below, the final result is stunning! The texture runs beautifully through both the background and the raised rose image on the Pimiento red cardstock. It’s like a mini piece of art—I can’t wait to add it to a card front!
If you watched the video, you might’ve noticed my little oops moment with this folder. After the first run, when I decided to add the shim, I accidentally grabbed the second cutting plate too. It only took two cranks of the Big Shot handle before I knew something was off—and then I realized my mistake.
Here’s a tip: if something doesn’t feel right, stop immediately and re-evaluate before pushing forward. Had I tried to force that extra-thick sandwich through, I could have damaged both the folder and my machine. Thankfully, I caught it in time!
Sizzix Pinwheel 3D Embossing Folder
Time to raise the stakes again—with a different 3D folder that adds even more texture! The Sizzix 3D embossing folders are noticeably thicker than the Altenew folder I used earlier, so the sandwich had to change once more. For this folder, I used the base plate, shim #1, the folder with the cardstock inside, and one cutting plate. Since I’d had success using a folded copy paper shim with the previous folders, I added it right away to get the best impression.
I picked a bold, bright color for this bold design—Mustard! After lightly misting both the front and back of the cardstock with water, I ran it through the machine once for each side. The resulting texture is absolutely beautiful! While the original crinkle texture of the paper isn’t quite as prominent, you can still see it softly peeking through in the background, adding depth to the overall design.
The Wildcard Folder
At this point, every folder I tried gave such unique and wonderful results—but I had one more I was curious about. I reached for a highly textured folder from the Cuttlebug Oriental set. This one has so much detail, I honestly wasn’t sure if the Crinkles cardstock could hold up to the pressure. After running it through the Big Shot, I was impressed by the design—but this time, the original texture of the cardstock completely disappeared beneath the deep embossing. The final look is still striking, but definitely less “crinkled” than the others.
Final Thoughts
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Can You Emboss Crinkle Cardstock post. I also want to send out a huge thank you to @suklinkner9127 for the amazing suggestion! The results of today’s experiment were both surprising and delightful—I couldn’t be happier with how each folder brought out something different in the textured paper. Have you ever tried embossing textured cardstock? I’d love to hear what kind you used and how it turned out! Feel free to leave a comment and share your experience.
And if you’re curious about how I turn some of these embossed panels into finished cards, be sure to stay tuned—those projects are coming soon!
Want to keep the reference list mentioned earlier close by? Click here to download the Embossing Sandwich Cheat Sheet (PDF).
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