Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Easy Overlapping Tri-Panel Fun Fold Card post. I have recently come across an interesting fun fold card, but when I searched for more examples, not only did they not have the same name, there were only three videos that I could find. So I decided to call this card the Overlapping Tri-Panel Fun Fold card.
While this is a great design for double-sided pattern paper, it is also perfect if you have larger paper scraps you’ve been holding onto. I will also be attempting a belly band closure—something that I always have trouble making. Let me walk you through the entire design.
Download the Free Overlapping Tri-Panel Fun Fold Template
While this is an easy design to re-create, it can feel a little confusing at times. Since I needed a bit of help working through it myself, I decided to create a free PDF download for you as well.
To craft along with me, you can find that download here: Overlapping Tri-Panel PDF.
Cardstock & Supplies
Before we jump into the card project, let’s take a moment to talk about the papers for today’s card.
The card base is my absolute favorite ivory 110lb cardstock from the Coffee and Cream paper pack from Recollections. The mats for today’s card are a dark blue linen-textured cardstock that I get from my local print shop.
For the pattern paper, I am using an older Recollections paper pad, Fantasy Floral. This is a beautiful double-sided paper that I have been hoarding for a long time—and I finally had a large enough scrap to use for this project.
Cutting & Scoring the Card Base
To begin making our card, start by cutting the ivory cardstock down to size. On the 8.5″ side, cut the paper down to 5.5″ wide. This will give you a card base that measures 11″ x 5.5″.
Now that we have the card base cut, bring in your scoring board. On the 11″ side, make the first score line at 1.25″.
The next score line will be at 5.5″.
Before making the last score, turn the paper over and score from the back of the card. Once flipped, make the final score at 9.25″.
For me, it is easiest to start folding at the 5.5″ score line, essentially folding the card in half. Next, fold the 1.25″ flap in the same direction. When these two folds are complete, your card base should look like the image below.
The last fold will be made toward the back of the card.
I know that can sound a little confusing, so I’ve included a simple drawing of how your card base should look after folding. In essence, from left to right, your folds will be: Mountain, Mountain, Valley.
When the card is fully folded, it will look like the image below.
Cutting Mats & Pattern Paper for the Overlapping Tri-Panel Fun Fold
Now let’s move on to the mats and pattern paper. From the blue linen cardstock, cut pieces to 5.25″ tall. Then trim to:
- Two pieces at 3.5″ wide
- Two pieces at 1″ wide
- One piece at 1.5″ wide
The pattern paper for this Overlapping Tri-Panel Fun Fold card uses eighth-inch measurements. I know a lot of you, myself included at times, are not fans of that. If you feel strongly about it, you can easily make your pattern paper a quarter inch smaller than the mats instead.
For this card, cut the pattern paper to 5 1/8″ tall, then trim to:
- Two pieces at 3 3/8″ wide
- Two pieces at 7/8″ wide
- One piece at 1 3/8″ wide
Assembling the Panels
Now that all of the paper is cut, it’s time to build the panels.
Because we are working with double-sided paper, you can lay the pieces out in different ways to see what is most pleasing to the eye. For this card, I decided to showcase the beautiful floral side.
After making that decision, I adhered the pattern paper to the mats using Bearly Art Precision Glue. This gives me plenty of time to adjust everything—especially helpful with those thinner borders.
Placing the Panels
In the free PDF download, I have included color-coded directions for laying out the panels on both the front and back of the card base.
When adding the papers to the inside of the card, place the 1.25″ panel to the left. I like to position all of the pieces first before committing to glue.
When adding the panels to the back of the card, turn the card base over so the 1.25″ panel is on the right. Even after doing that—and laying everything out first—I still managed to glue the 3″ panel in upside down.
Thankfully, I caught it before the glue dried and was able to pull it back up.
It took a little bit of mental—and physical—gymnastics, but I was able to get it glued down in the correct direction. Although I definitely second-guessed myself a few times along the way.
The next time I make this card, I will absolutely be adding arrows to the backs of my panels and the card base. That little step would be a huge help when working with directional pattern paper.
Once everything is in place, you can really see how beautiful this card design is.
Stamping & Die Cutting the Sentiment
For my sentiment, I am using the “Smiles and Hugs” stamp from the Pinkfresh Studio Garden Roses set. It’s a fine line sentiment that fits perfectly with the floral pattern paper.
I stamped it onto a scrap piece of the ivory cardstock using Gina K Designs Amalgam Ink in Obsidian Black.
To add a little extra interest, I brought in my Nestabilities Labels 4 die set. I absolutely love this shape—it has always been one of my favorites.
After cutting out the sentiment, I wanted to keep that same shape for the mat. However, with this set, the size jump between layers is pretty significant, and I knew the next size up would be far too large for this application. So instead, I used the same size die to cut a piece from the blue cardstock.
To create the mat, I cut the blue die cut in half lengthwise and adhered each half behind the sentiment. This gives the look of a full mat, and honestly, it’s not very noticeable unless you’re really looking for it.
Creating the Belly Band Closure
Ahhh… the belly band.
Over the years I have tried making them for cards as well as boxes, and the results were never very good. If the band fit perfectly, it either wouldn’t come off or wouldn’t go back on. Most of the time, they just fell right off from being way too loose. So today we are going to give it another try and see how it goes.
I am starting with a 1″ x 12″ strip of pattern paper. Before I even bring my card into play, I want to loosen the fibers of the paper using my bone folder. If you know how to curl ribbon with scissors, then you already know the idea here. This helps soften the paper and “teach” it to take on a new shape.
Every time I have attempted a belly band before, I have had the card face-up—and I have to think that is part of the problem. This card, made with 110lb cardstock, doesn’t stay closed on its own, so this time I placed it face-down on my work surface.
Holding the card firmly against the table, I wrapped one side of the band across the back without creasing it. Then I brought the other side over in the same way, pulling it snug—but not tight enough to crease the paper.
Because I am using a full 12″ strip, I do need to trim some of it away before gluing. I trimmed off about an inch, making sure the overlap would be hidden behind the sentiment later.
While still holding everything in place, I also marked where I don’t want glue. I added a good amount to the bottom layer and just a bit to the top edge, then held everything together until it dried.
Adding the Sentiment
Before moving on, I had to test the belly band—and happily, it worked perfectly! It didn’t fall off when I shook it, it slid off smoothly, and after figuring out the motion, it slipped right back on.
With the band on the card and the seam in the front, it’s time to add the sentiment. Because the label is wider than the band, be careful not to add glue too close to the edges. Then center it and hold it in place to dry.
Finished Cards & Wrap-Up
I absolutely love how this card turned out. It’s such a different style than I’ve made before, and I know the recipient will love it as well. This design is also a fantastic way to really show off your pattern paper.
I had so much fun creating this card—and making a successful belly band—that I made another one to share with you.
For this version, I used larger scraps from the Graphic 45 Midnight Masquerade collection. This paper is from a mini album class I took many years ago at a Stamp and Scrapbook Expo. The sentiment is from the Tim Holtz and Sizzix Bird Talk stamp set.
Because this card was made with scraps, it has a slightly different look than the original. The base is Recollections cream 110lb cardstock, while the belly band was made with 65lb cardstock in the same color.
Working with the lighter weight cardstock made the belly band a bit more difficult. Even after softening the fibers, it didn’t wrap quite as smoothly around the card.
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Easy Overlapping Tri-Panel Fun Fold Card post. Both versions turned out beautifully in their own way.
Don’t forget to download the free PDF so you can craft along with me. Now I’m curious—which design is your favorite? Are you drawn to the soft floral or the bold paisley?
Let me know down in the comments. Until then, I hope you have an amazing week, and I’ll see you back in the craft room soon!
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