Day 23 Christmas in July Craftalong W-V Fold Christmas Card Tutorial

 

Welcome to Day 23 of the Christmas in July Craftalong.

Today’s card is a fabulous W-V Fold Card. It has a wonderful concertina-style base that forms a W when viewed from above, with a smaller folded feature panel that forms a V. Put them together and you get a card with movement, dimension and plenty of places to show off your beautiful A Stitched Season Designer Series Paper.

This is one of those fun fold cards that looks impressive, but once you understand the folds, it is very straightforward. Choose your favourite cardstock colour for the base, add DSP, embossed panels or stamped mats, then finish with a sentiment and a few little scraps for decoration.

Finished Card Style
This card has:

•  a concertina W-fold base 
•  a smaller V-fold feature panel 
•  layered front panels 
•  a sentiment focal point 
•  space for DSP, embossing, stamping and embellishments 

Supplies
You will need:

•  A4 cardstock for the card base 
•  Matching cardstock for the V-fold piece 
•  A Stitched Season Designer Series Paper 
•  Basic White or Very Vanilla cardstock for stamping 
•  Scraps of cardstock and DSP for decorating 
•  Stamps and ink 
•  Stylish Shapes dies, punches or other label dies 
•  Embossing folder, optional 
•  Adhesive 
•  Dimensionals 
•  Paper trimmer 
•  Scoring tool 
•  Bone folder 

Cutting Measurements
Card Base
Cut cardstock to:
14cm x 28cm
Use any colour you like for the base. Real Red, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Secret Sea or Mossy Meadow would all work beautifully with the A Stitched Season DSP.

V-Fold Piece
Cut matching cardstock to:

7.5cm x 15cm

This should be the same colour as your card base.

Card Base Mats
Cut 3 or 4 pieces to:

• 4cm x 13.5cm

Cut 3 or 4 pieces DSP to:

• 3.5cm x 13cm

You can decorate three panels and leave one plain, or decorate all four panels.

Back Panel Mat
Cut one piece DSP to:

• 4cm x 13.5cm

Cut one piece Basic White cardstock to 

• 7cm x 7cm

V-Fold Mat Layers
Cut:

• Mat 1: 7cm x 7cm
• Mat 2: 6.5cm x 6.5cm
• Mat 1 is your backing mat. Mat 2 is your DSP, stamped panel or focal mat.

Sentiment and Decoration Pieces
You will also need:

•  scraps of Basic White or Very Vanilla for sentiment 
•  scraps of DSP for decorating 
•  die-cuts, punched shapes or stamped images 
•  optional ribbon, buttons or small embellishments 

Scoring Measurements
Score the Card Base
Place the 28cm side along the top of your scoring board.
Score at:

• 4.5cm 9cm 
• 13.5cm 
•  18cm 

Score the V-Fold Piece
Place the 15cm side along the top of your scoring board.
Score at:

• 7.5cm 

Fold in half and burnish well.

Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Create the W-Fold Base
Start with your 14cm x 28cm card base.
After scoring at 4.5cm, 9cm, 13.5cm and 18cm, fold the card base accordion-style.
Burnish each fold well with your bone folder.
When you look at the card from above, the folded section should form a W shape.
Take a moment here to make sure the folds sit neatly. This is what gives the card its lovely movement.

2. Create the V-Fold Piece
Take your 7.5cm x 15cm cardstock piece.
Score at 7.5cm, fold in half and burnish.
When viewed from above, this piece should look like a V.
This will become the feature panel that sits across the W-fold base.

3. Add the Base Card Panels
Take your 4cm x 13.5cm base mats and stick the 3.5cm x 13cm DSP mats to them.
Adhere these to the panels of your W-fold base.
You can use DSP on every panel, or mix DSP with embossed cardstock and stamped cardstock.

The A Stitched Season DSP is perfect here because the narrow panels show off the patterns beautifully. Try using:

• a Christmas tree pattern 
• a quilt-style print 
• a red small-pattern DSP 
• a green plaid or stitched-look paper 

You can keep the panels all in the same colour family, or mix patterns for a cosy patchwork Christmas look.

4. Add the Back Panel
Add your back panel mat to the final large section of the card.
This back section is a good place for a calmer piece of DSP or cardstock, especially if the front panels are busy.

5. Decorate the Outside of the V-Fold
Take the V-fold piece and make sure the fold opens to the left.
This is important so the card opens properly once attached to the W-fold base.
Adhere your 7cm x 7cm mat layer to the outside of the V-fold.
Then adhere your 6.5cm x 6.5cm DSP or stamped layer on top.
You can decorate one side or both outside panels of the V-fold, depending on how much detail you want.

6. Attach the V-Fold to the W-Fold Base
Now it’s time to attach the V-fold piece to the W-fold base.
Place the V-fold piece onto the card base as shown in your video layout, making sure the V opens to the left.
Only add adhesive to the outer third of the V-fold panels. Do not cover the whole back with glue.
This allows the V-fold to move properly when the card opens and closes.
Press gently and check the movement before the glue sets completely.
Open and close the card a few times to make sure everything moves freely and sits neatly.

7. Stamp and Cut the Sentiment
Stamp your chosen Christmas sentiment onto Basic White or Very Vanilla cardstock.
Good sentiment ideas include:

• Merry Christmas 
• Christmas Wishes 
• Sending Warm Wishes 
• Joy 
• Peace on Earth 
• From Our Home to Yours 
• Handmade Christmas Wishes 

Punch or die-cut the sentiment.
The Stylish Shapes dies work beautifully for this card because they give a clean stitched edge that suits the A Stitched Season DSP so well.

8. Add the Sentiment to the V Panel
Attach the sentiment to the V-fold panel.
Be careful with placement:
• On the inner part of the V panel, keep embellishments flat. 
• On the outer panel, you can use Dimensionals for extra lift. 
This helps the card close neatly without bulky pieces catching in the folds.

9. Decorate With Scraps
Use small scraps of DSP and cardstock to decorate the card.
You might add:
• a small die-cut stocking 
• a stamped Christmas tree 
• holly leaves 
• tiny stars 
• a small banner 
• a stitched circle 
• a button tied with thread 
• a little bow 
This is a perfect card for using those small but pretty offcuts that are too nice to throw away.

10. Check the Fold and Finish
Once everything is attached, open and close the card gently.
Check that:
• the W-fold base moves freely 
• the V-fold opens the correct way 
• the sentiment doesn’t catch 
• bulky embellishments are only on the outer areas 
• the card sits neatly when closed 
Add any final stamped accents or faux stitching if you like.

Design Tips
For a balanced look, choose one bold DSP pattern, one quieter pattern and one plain or embossed cardstock panel.
If your DSP is very busy, keep the sentiment simple and clear.
If your base card colour is dark, use a light sentiment panel so the greeting stands out.
A Stitched Season DSP has such a lovely quilted Christmas feel, so this card looks especially good with stitched dies, faux stitching and button embellishments.

Make It Your Own
You can adapt this W-V Fold Card in lots of ways.
Try:
• using all Christmas tree DSP panels 
• adding a stamped stocking to the V panel 
• making the V panel into a mini scene 
• adding a small photo for a keepsake card 
• using embossed cardstock instead of some DSP panels 
• adding ribbon around one panel before attaching it 
• creating a matching gift tag from the leftover scraps 

This would also make a beautiful card for someone special because it has that little extra surprise when opened.

Day 23 Challenge
Today’s challenge is to make a W-V Fold Card using your favourite colour cardstock and A Stitched Season DSP.

Decorate the W-fold base with DSP, embossed or stamped panels, then add the V-fold feature panel with a stamped sentiment and a few scrap decorations.

It’s a wonderful way to combine fun folds, pretty paper and handmade Christmas charm in one very special card.