Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Try This Zig Zag Fun Fold Card post. While I was sick recently, I did what any good crafter does—I scrolled Pinterest for inspiration! That’s when I stumbled on the Zig Zag Fun Fold, and I knew I had to try it. This fold looks intricate, but it’s actually pretty simple once you break it down. Now, the version I’m sharing today is a little different than most of the Zig Zag card templates I’ve seen online. This card has a fresh, layered look that I really love.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how to create the Zig Zag base, how to cut and add your patterned paper mats. As an added bonus, I’ll also share a few extra card examples to spark your creativity.
The Card Base
As mentioned earlier, this fold is a bit different from the typical zig zag card. Usually, these cards feature an angled cut from the center fold line to the left edge of the card. In this design, however, the angle is cut only between the two score lines, as shown in the template below. Additionally, the upper portion of the left panel is also removed, giving the card its unique shape.
Let’s begin by cutting the card base from a piece of 110lb cardstock. I’m using the ivory cardstock from the Recollections Coffee and Cream pack. With my Tim Holtz and Tonic Studios Rotary Media Paper Trimmer, I’ll trim the cardstock down to 11” x 5 1/2”.
On the 11″ side, score the cardstock at 3″ and again at 6 3/4″.
While you still have your scoring board out, rotate the cardstock so the 3″ panel is aligned with the corner of the board. Then, make a mark at 3″—either with your scoring tool or a pencil, whichever you prefer.
Cutting the Card Base
For the next cuts, I’ll be switching to my Fiskars paper trimmer since it makes it easier to see the score lines. The first cut will be on the 3″ panel. I find it easiest to start by lining up the cutting blade with the 3″ mark on the guide. Then, I place the cardstock into the trimmer, aligning it with the 3″ mark. After lowering the cutting guide, I double-check that the blade is still positioned at the 3″ mark. Once everything is lined up, I press the blade into the cardstock and cut upward, stopping at the top edge of the panel.
Next, we’ll make the angled cut. To make this step a little easier—at least for me—I like to fold the 3″ x 3″ section of the card out of the way before cutting.
Place the card in your paper trimmer, aligning the center score line with the new top corner, as shown in the photo below. To make the angled cut, I find it helpful to position the blade near the center of the cut line before pressing it down and slicing through the cardstock.
All that’s left is to fold along the score lines and burnish them well. With that, your card base is complete!
Adding the Pattern Paper
For today’s project, I’m using an older 6×6 patterned paper pad from My Mind’s Eye called Lost and Found Two. I selected three different patterns to use throughout the card. For the front panel, I chose a piece that already includes a sentiment and fits perfectly on the card front. I’ll trim this piece down to 2 3/4″ x 2 3/4″.
The back panel of the card measures the standard 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″, so I’ll trim my patterned paper to 4″ x 5 1/4″ to leave a nice even border.
The center panel may look like a complicated cut, but it’s actually quite simple. Start by trimming your patterned paper to 3 1/2″ x 5 1/4″. Since I’m covering the front of the card with this panel, I’ll make a mark 2 3/4″ from the bottom on the right side.
On the left side of the panel, I’ll make another mark 5″ from the bottom edge. In your paper trimmer, align both marks and trim away the excess paper.
If you plan to cover both the front and back of this panel, you’ll need another piece of patterned paper measuring 3 1/2″ x 5 1/4″. This time, make the 2 3/4″ mark on the left side of the panel and the 5″ mark on the right side.
Adhere the panel to the card base using your favorite adhesive. Today, I’m using Art Glitter Glue, but in a few of my examples below, I combined Art Glitter Glue with my ATG gun for added hold.
Note About Matting your Pattern Paper
For all of the cards I made today, I chose not to back my patterned paper with mats. However, if you’d like to add mats to your design, you’ll need to cut them to the sizes I mentioned earlier. The patterned paper will be trimmed to the following measurements:
- Front Panel: 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″
- Back Panel: 3 3/4″ x 5″
- Center Panel: 3 1/4″ x 5″
- For the center panel, mark one side 2 1/2″ from the base and the other side at 4 3/4″.
The idea behind the Zig Zag card is to leave the front flap open to showcase the card’s dimension. However, with the addition of the square panel on the front, I decided to glue it down to emphasize the layered look.
The Finished Zig Zag Fun Fold Cards
This card is so much fun to make and can easily be dressed up or down for any occasion. Since the paper pad is double-sided, I added a piece to the inside center panel for an extra touch.
Zig Zag Fun Fold Card Inspiration
Peace on Earth
The first inspiration card I’d like to share is a Christmas card. I used the Winter Berry paper pad from Hobby Lobby. Since I only covered the front of the center panel, I stamped the greeting/sentiment on the inside of the panel. The stamp is from the Together for Christmas set by Pink Paislee and is stamped with Gina K Amalgam Ink in Obsidian.
Hello
My next card is a bright and cheerful Hello card. The “hello” is cut from the Honey Bee Stamps Hello stamp and die set, using 110lb white Recollections cardstock. I cut it twice to give the die-cut a bit more dimension. The patterned paper is from the Light Bright paper pad by Colorbox, which is a very thin paper. Since I was concerned that liquid glue might leave an impression on the paper, I opted to use my ATG gun to adhere it to the card base. As with the card made for this tutorial, I added a piece of patterned paper to the inside of the center panel.
Happy Birthday
My last card is a fun birthday card. I used two pieces of patterned paper from a Simon Says Stamp sample paper pack. The stamp set is one I’ve had in my collection for years. The party hats and sentiment were stamped with Gina K Amalgam Ink in Obsidian black. I then added some color by coloring the hats with Copic Markers in the following colors: YG17, YR68, B12, and B28. Instead of using a third piece of patterned paper, I added a piece of yellow/orange Recollections cardstock from my stash. I love how this bright piece really pops and makes the entire card stand out. One thing I’d do differently next time would be to stamp the party hats all over that cardstock with VersaMark ink and heat emboss it with clear embossing powder.
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Try This Zig Zag Fun Fold Card post. When I first started making cards, I was incredibly intimidated by fun fold designs like this. If there was an angle cut, I’d immediately shy away from the project. I hope this post has shown just how easy this particular design can be! Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever made a Zig Zag card before. If you’re inspired to try this fun fold yourself, I’d love to see your creations! Don’t forget to check out the other projects featured here for even more ideas and inspiration. Happy crafting!
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