Tutorial - Circle Side-Step Card

There are many different step-cards being created these days and although they are a bit fiddly at first, you soon get the general idea and can apply the concept to just about any shape.  Today's tutorial uses a circle as the base and results in a card that has a curved bottom and a series of steps on the side.  You can alter the placement of the steps and the depth of the folds to achieve the look you're after.

 

 

1. Start with a circle of cardstock measuring 61/2" in diameter.  (You can adjust the size of the circle and the step measurements for a bigger or smaller finished card.)



2.  Use a pencil to rule a feint line at the 4" mark.  I used a pen so you can see what I'm doing, but you will want to rub out the lines once you've done your measuring, cutting and folding.

3.  The steps will be on the right hand side of the card so keep your measurements and marks to the right of the first line you drew.  Starting at the bottom of your circle, measure and mark a horizontal fold line at 11/2", then add another line 1/2" above the first, another line 1" about the second, then 1/4" above the third and finally add a line 3/4" above the fourth.  (The fold lines will be at 11/2", 2", 3", 31/4" and 4".)

4.  Use a craft knife and ruler or a trimmer to cut between the first fold line and the last fold line.  Refer to the picture below - cut between the two x.

5.  Use a stylus to crease along each of the fold lines you drew in step 3.

 

 6.  Now it's time to crease along all the fold lines.  Without creasing the card on the left of the first line you drew, carefully line up the bottom and top edges of the card and add your centre fold.

7.  Fold each of the steps starting at the bottom with a mountain fold, followed by a valley fold, mountain fold, valley fold and mountain fold.  This is probably the most difficult part of making the card because you are trying to fold the two joined sections in different ways.  Refer to the photo below.

8.  Crease firmly along all the fold lines.  You will notice that when the card is closed, the right hand edge is not nice and rounded.  Simply take a small, sharp pair of scissors and cut off the excess.  It's easier to do this from the back of the card where you can follow the shape of the cardstock.

9.  Now it's time to decorate!  The step section of the card gives you the opportunity to build up dimension by adding background items on the back step and then building forward finishing with foreground objects on the very front step.

 

Have fun!!