How to Fold a Homemade Greeting Card

Think about the different ways to fold a greeting card before you plan your homemade card's design or decoration.

Instructions

Fold in Fourths

1. 

   Fold the short edges of an 8 1/2-inch-by-14-inch piece of card stock to the center of the paper.

2. Now fold the paper in half.

3. 

   Decorate the three portions of the card - the front, center and interior.

Fold in Thirds

1. Place an 8 1/2-inch-by-14-inch piece of card stock in front of you, lengthwise, onto a flat surface.

2. Place a ruler or yardstick along the top edge of the paper and use a pencil to make small, light marks that divide the edge into thirds.

3. Repeat for the bottom edge.

4. Fold the right end of the paper so that the top corner meets the pencil mark that is at the top edge and farthest to the left. The bottom corner should meet the corresponding pencil mark at the bottom edge of the paper.

5. Make a sharp crease.

6. Fold the left end of the paper all the way over so that it lines up evenly with the right folded edge.

7. 

   Make another sharp crease.

8. Erase the pencil marks and decorate the front, center and interior portions of the card.

Fold in Half

1. Fold your card in the traditional way. Take a standard 8 1/2-inch-by-11-inch piece of card-stock paper and fold it in half.

2. Decorate the card either vertically or horizontally.

Tips & Warnings

• Trim 1 1/2 to 2 inches from the 8 1/2-inch length so that your card can fit in a standard envelope. Otherwise, you can find a larger envelope or make your own.