TUTORIAL - Box-Pleated card

Here is a tutorial on the box-pleated card and a couple of tips that Greta and I learnt whilst making the card.

Tools and Materials:- (click on any image to enlarge)

~ Ruler & pencil or scoring board (M&F or Eazi Score)

~ Bone folder or embossing tool
~ Double sided tape (DST)
~ Wet glue (PVA, UHU or similar)
~ A square card blank - made or bought - measuring 150 x 150mm (approx 6 x 6 inches).
~ A5 card (148 x 210mm), matching or contrasting (your choice depending on result aiming for - see tips at end)
~ Embellishments to finish.

Method:-

It is easier to do the scoring for the pleats using a score board but if you don't have one you can do it without by using a ruler.......

~ Working with the piece of A5 card in landscape mode, measure 2.5cms from the left hand edge and score from top to bottom of the card.

~ Measure and score in the same way, 0.5cm from that score line.

~ Now measure and score 2.5cms from the last scoreline and then, again, 0.5cm from that one.

~ Continue in this way across the full 210mm width of the A5 piece of card. You should end up with 12 score lines. You may now find that you need to trim a little from the edge of the card (approx 0.5cm) to match the left hand side.

If you are using the white M & F score board ....

~ The A5 card should be laid with the left hand short edge lined up to line #3 [marked 3 Gate A4].
~ The first score line is done on line #4 [marked 4 Z-Zag leaflet A4] and the second on line #5 [marked 5 Half A5].

~ The card should then be moved left until the 2nd score line (done on line 5) is lined up with line #3 (pic on right) .

~ Score again on lines #4 and #5

~ Continue across the whole width of the A5 card for the 12 lines.

The method is exactly the same on the blue Eazi Score board but the lines used on this board are #A4 Gate to line up with and lines #5 and #6 to score down.

From here on the method is exactly the same no matter what method you used to score the lines ...

~ Starting from an outer score line and with right side facing, crease a valley fold followed, on the next score line, by a mountain fold.

~ Continue creasing and folding, alternating between valley and mountain folds across the width of the card. You should end up with 3 pleats on the right side and 2, with sides flat, on the reverse.

~ Turn the card to the reverse and attach DST to the 2 outer short, flat edges.

~ Apply the wet glue of your choice to the 2 centre pleats. The reason for this will become obvious

~ Take your card blank and attach one short, flat edge of the pleated card to the blank ensuring an even border shows around the pleated card.

~ Attach the other short, flat edge of the pleated card to the other side of the card blank, ensuring the border matches the other side.

~ You now need to press the centre sections (which have the wet glue on) down into place and manoeuvre them into position so that the pleats are evenly distributed.

~ Hold in position until the glue takes hold

You have now finished your basic box-pleated card. Decide which way you would like your pleats - I chose to have them horizontal, Greta had hers vertical - and embellish as you desire!

with thanks to Marjie (Her Marjiesty) and Dora on the ex-imag-e-nation forum ....

Tips:-

Take care which card you choose to make the pleats from. We used Bazill Bling and the coating cracked when we did the folding - take a close look at the photo above (click to enlarge) and you can see where the coating cracked and split. If you want to use a coated card check the coating is pliable enough to take the folds without cracking.

American sized card that looks like A4 is not A4 and a sheet of Bazill, for example, folded in half does not give you A5 (148 x 210mm). It is slightly smaller. There are several ways to get round this other than specifically cutting the piece of card exactly to size... a) Adjust the side borders slightly, b) trim the base card or c) keep 3 base borders the same and have the 4th larger (which is what I did). Greta found a slightly smaller card blank.

Apart from the largest in the sets, which are too wide, the new Cuttlebug borders fit the pleats really well and make quick, but effective embellishments.

Play with different card sizes, adjusting the size required of the card to pleat and the number of pleats if necessary - or even the size (width and/or depth) of the pleats. The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!!