I always think it is fun and impressive to make a card with a different fold and this In Good Taste Navy Z-Fold Thank You Card uses the easiest one there is! I was working on another project with this same designer paper which I really like so I used it on this card. You can use any designer paper and change the sentiment for almost any kind of card. You can even change the shape of the greeting layer on the card.
The basic z-fold card is so easy to make! The card base starts off like any card, 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″, scored and folded at 4 1/4″. But then you will fold the card front back on itself, in half. After scoring the card normally at 4 1/4″, next score the front of the card at half of that, 2 1/8″ and fold that part back like you see in the following photos in this post.
Next, decide on what designer paper you want to use on your card or even stamp the panels you want to add. Just do whatever you like or whatever the occasion requires. This card base is Night of Navy and the designer paper is the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper. This designer paper comes in a large package with many patterns – 12 designs, 2 sheets of each! When I first saw it in the catalog, wasn’t really interested, but after I saw how many different textures were captured on this paper, I was quite intrigued. This Night of Navy print resembles tile or china I think.
Since that folded back front panel measures 2 1/8″ x 5 1/2″, you probably want your designer paper or panel to measure 2″ x 5 3/8″ for a narrow margin around the edge or 1 7/8″ x 5 1/4″ for a wider margin. Figure it just like you would for a card.
Since the cardstock is dark, I added a Whisper White layer inside the card and put a strip of the designer paper along the edge. This was just a scrap, but it is about 1/2″ wide by 5 1/4″.
For the greeting on the front of the card, I wanted to use something kind of large. I chose one from the So Sentimental Stamp Set. It is stamped in Night of Navy ink. The die-cut scalloped rectangles I used are in the Stitched So Sweetly Dies set. When you adhere it to the front of the card, remember to only add adhesive to half of the back of the greeting so it only sticks to that folded front panel and not the rest of the card. If you are going to have a greeting on the inside of the card, you probably want that front greeting to cover up what is inside the card.
For a little bling, I added some Misty Moonlight 2020-22 In Color Enamel Dots. They are not the exact same color as the Night of Navy used on the card, but I thought they were close enough.
I could have added another color with the greeting layer and the enamel dots and ink if I didn’t want it to be the monochromatic look.
Here’s another card I made with the z-fold using really pretty designer paper from 2019, some ribbon, and a different shaped greeting on the front of the card, just to give you another idea.
Here are some other views of this card so you can see how the folds go.
Try your hand at making an easy Z-Fold card like this In Good Taste Navy Z-Fold Thank You Card.