Horizontal Z-Fold Fun Fold Card – Show Off Both Sides of Your Patterned Paper

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Do you ever have a piece of patterned paper where you love both sides and hate having to choose which one to use? This Horizontal Z-Fold Fun Fold Card solves that problem!

The card starts with a 4" x 12" piece of patterned paper that is scored and folded to create a horizontal Z-fold. As you open the card, you get to see more of the patterned paper, and both sides get a chance to shine.

I have three completely different samples to share with you, from a cute birthday card to pumpkins and even an elegant anniversary card. And, of course, I’ll show you exactly how to make the fold in the video tutorial.

​Read on for all three card ideas, the measurements, and the video tutorial!

Horizontal Z-Fold Fun Fold Video Tutorial

​If you missed the live video, you can watch it right here! I’ll walk you through making the Horizontal Z-Fold from start to finish using the Thoughtful Octopus birthday card.

FREE Project Sheet for this Fun Fold Card

Supplies to Stamp Along

• Patterned Paper: 4" x 12"
• Cardstock: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"
• Cardstock: (2) 3 3/8" x 3 3/8"
• Cardstock: 1/4" x 4"
• White Cardstock: (2) 3 1/4" x 3 1/4"
• Paper Trimmer with Scoring Blade
• Additional cardstock, stamps, ink, and embellishments to finish your card

Once you have the basic pieces cut, you can pull out your favorite stamps and patterned paper and make the design your own.

Thoughtful Octopus Birthday Fun Fold Card

How cute is this little birthday octopus? This is the card I demonstrated in the video, and I used the Thoughtful Octopus stamp set with the Beach Boardwalk Designer Series Paper. Even better, the Beach Boardwalk DSP is on sale during August!

I stamped the octopus in Timid Tiger and added the little cupcakes in Pool Party and Daffodil Delight. I love all those bright colors together for a fun birthday card.

But make sure you open this one up! On the center panel, I stamped three colorful balloons along with the “Sending Lots of Love” sentiment. One of my favorite things about this fun fold card is that you have these extra panels to decorate, so the fun doesn't stop with the front of the card.
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And, of course, all that folding means you get to see even more of the Beach Boardwalk patterned paper.

Complete Supply List for this Octopus Birthday Card

Painted Pumpkins Hello Card

Okay, I know we're still in August, but I couldn't resist pulling out a few new fall products for the second version!

This card uses the Painted Pumpkins Bundle and Painted Patch Designer Series Paper, both coming in the new September–December Catalog. I colored the pumpkins in Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, and Flirty Flamingo to coordinate with the colors in the paper.

And then I did something that surprised even me a little - I colored the leaves Pool Party! I normally think of Pool Party as a blue, but paired with all those pinks and corals, it really reads as a soft green. It's a good reminder that colors can look completely different depending on what you put next to them.

For the center panel, I switched things up again. Instead of using white cardstock, I added a coordinating piece of the Painted Patch DSP and layered the die-cut pumpkins and leaves over it. It's another fun way to get even more patterned paper onto the card.

If you want to get your hands on a little bit of all the new patterned papers without buying full packs of each one, registration is currently open for my September–December Catalog Product Shares. It's a great way to see - and actually use - all those new papers.

Complete Supply List for this Pumpkin Card

Phrases & Frames Anniversary Card

The exact same fun fold can look completely different depending on the supplies you use!

For this anniversary card, I went a little more elegant with Kintsugi Inspirations Designer Series Paper, Misty Moonlight, and the new Metal Effects paper. The metallic paper picks up the gold running through the Kintsugi Inspirations DSP beautifully.

I used the Phrases & Frames stamp set and dies for the greetings and decorative elements. One of the coolest things about these dies is that you can use them with the Impressions Mat to create those puffy, embossed details in the die-cuts. It adds so much dimension without adding a bunch of extra layers.

And if the Kintsugi Inspirations paper has been sitting on your wish list, this is a good time to grab it - it's 15% off during August.

Complete Supply List for this Anniversary Card

Try This Horizontal Z-Fold with Your Favorite Patterned Paper

I think this Horizontal Z-Fold is going to be one of those cardmaking designs you'll want to make more than once. It's not difficult to put together, but all those folds make the finished handmade card feel a little extra special.

Plus, it's perfect for that Stampin' Up!® Designer Series Paper where you keep flipping the sheet over because you can't decide which side you like better. Don't choose; use them both!

You can keep the stamping simple and let the patterned paper do most of the work, or dress up each section with additional stamped and die-cut images like I did on these three cards.

Be sure to grab the free downloadable project sheet for the measurements and instructions so you can make your own Horizontal Z-Fold Fun Fold Card.

And if you need supplies, you can shop Stampin' Up!® with me here.

Which version is your favorite: the birthday octopus, the pink pumpkins, or the elegant anniversary card?