Accordion Card

A
is for 

ACCORDION CARD.

Version I

1. Start by using card stock cut to 11.5" x 5.5". Then score on the long side at  3 and 3 qtr ", 6 and 1 qtr", 8 and 3 qtr ",  10 and 1 8th".

2. Fold concertina wise as shown below.

Peg is just there to hold card to take photo.

The beauty of this card is in how you go on to decorate.

Version II

1. Start with the same cardstock and folded as in step 1 in Verion I above.
With the short folds to the left hand side ,on the second fold measure down 1" and 2.25" and mark at each with a dot. 
On fourth fold measure down1" and mark with a dot. Draw lines bewtween the 1" dots and edge of cardstock with  the 2.25" dot. 
The section marked with ##### can be cut away using scissors. 

2. Cardstock should now look like below.

 3. Card can now be folded to create  a stairway effect and decorated as required.

Version III

1. For the accordion fold your will need a piece of cardstock that is 4.75" x 11".

On the long side score and fold at 3", 5.5", 8" and 9.5" 

2. Narrow folds should be on the left hand side as below. 

3. Go ahead and decorate these panels up as required.

4. Cut a piece of cardstock 4.5" x 9" for the base and a smaller piece for insert.

Attach the insert and then the accordion as shown below. 

5. Make an enclosure(Belly band) from a strip of cardstock 1.5" x 9"

Loosley fold round the card so that it can easily be removed. 

6. Finish decorating as required. 

Version IV

1. For this small  accordion card your will need a piece of plain  cardstock that is 10" x 2.25".

On the long side score  and fold at every 1.25"
Scoring will therefore be 1.25",2.50",3.75",5",6.25", 7.50" and 8.75"

 Mounatin and valley fold along the strip to end.

2.  Now Die cut four decorative panels (from design paper) that are just slightly larger than the scored cardstock. My die cut is rectangle  2.75" x 1.75" but you can use hearts,circles, squares etc.

3.  Stamp or create a sentiment to fit across the panels. Here I have created 'Just  For You'  on my computer and cut each word out separately. 

 4.  I have mountd plain cardstock behind each word so that it stands out from the design paper I have used and punched a small butterfly to use on the fourth panel.  

 5.  Adhere a panel to each of the mountain folds as shown below. Only attach from the middle of each fold and only glue one half of each panel.

  6.  To keep the accordion card shut make a belly band to fit round the centre. Do not close too tightly or it will not slide off easily.  I used a 1" wide strip of cardstock and stamped a butterfly onto some of the pattern paper to decorate. 

Version V

1.  This card is not complicated to make but it does require a lot of photos to show the process. The resulting card is worth it though.You will need the following cardstock. n.b. Use plain card. 
Cut 1 piece 8" x 5.5" and score on the long side at 4" and 6". Do not crease the folds yet. 

2.  Cut another piece of card  8.5" x5.5" and score at 4", 6" and 8". Again do not fold.

3.  On the cardstock that is 8"x 5.5" place the card so that the 4" score line is on your left and measure from the edge to 5" and lightly draw a line top to bottom of card. Now measure down this line 1" and draw a line across to the the other edge of card. Measure down again at 3.5" and draw another  line across to the edge of card. n.b. The  section marked with ##### will  not be required. 

4.  On the  second piece of card that measures 8.5" x 5.5" place the 4" score line to your right so that the 0.5" score line is on the left . From this edge measure across to 3.5" and lightly draw a line top to bottom of card. Measure down 1" and draw a line back to the edge of the page . Repeat at 3.5" down. 
 n.b. The  section marked with ##### will  not be required.

5.  Now carefully remove the sections marked with the ####### either by using scissors , craft knife or a trimmer. I have used a trimmer as  (because the pencil lines are in place)it is easy to see where you need to put the blade for cutting. 

6.  Your 2 pieces of cardstock should now look as below and the pieces marked with ###### can be discarded. 

7.  You are now ready to crease and fold the score lines. On the 8" x 5.5" cardstock,  fold card on the 4" score line as if making a folded card. 

 flip cardstock over

 and fold back on the 6" score line. 

8.  Repeat for the cardstock 8.5" x 5.5" by again folding on the 4" score line.

 flip cardstock over

and fold back on the 6" score line. 

Finally fold the 0.5" score line (fold back flat) and attach double sided tape down the length. 

 9.  Attach the two pieces of cardstock together as shown below. 

  10.  Your card will now look like this with an accordion window shape in the middle. 

 laid out flat the aperture will measure  6" x 2.5"

 11.  You are now ready to make the final middle section of the card. Using contrasting cardstock  cut a piece that measures 8.5" x 2.75"

 Score at 2.25",4.25 and 6.25"

Valley, mountain, valley fold to make the shape below. 

n.b. The outside folds will each measure 2.25" wide and the two inside folds 2" wide.

12.  Fold accordion style, measure on the front section in the middle  and draw a line top to bottom. Make a mark one eight of an inch either end and using sicissors cut small slits through all the folded cardstock. 

 card opened back out should look like below. 

 13.  Lay over the top of the opening in the cardstock and now starting at one end gradually slot into place. It is a bit fiddly and might look difficult in the pictures but trust me once the first two folds are in place it will all slot together and once done it will stay put. 

   The first slits need to be placed in the middle of the first fold as below

the next slits in the middle of the second fold as in the picture above.

third slits fit into the next fold as below

 and the last slits into the last fold as shown below.

 Looking down on the card this is what you should now see.

 Now gradually fold the card together concertina wise.

 I ran out of hands to hold card shut and take the photo at same time so card is held shut with a clip!

 14.  Lay card down flat and if accordion folds are poking out of card (and taking no notice of the writing which I forgot to rub out)

 gently nudge back in line 

 . You should only need to do this the once. 

  15. Your card is now completed and ready to decorate as required..