Card #4 KNOW YOUR 4 - Z FOLD

Hello there Crafty Friends - Its Week #4 of KNOW YOUR 4 - Any Reason Any Season.  This week's design is a Z Fold. 

My KNOW YOUR 4 is my Original Idea. Its four (4) of my favorite designs that I can make when I need a quick card.   You know, when we are running late for a birthday party; or when we have a funeral and no sympathy cards made up in advance.  This happens to all of us, so don't think you are alone in this.  Life happens.........it surprises us. 

Each KNOW YOUR 4 card is a basic design that beginner card makers can assemble with little supplies or preparation.  PLUS each of the 4 will also have a variation that will include more folding or layers.  

The Z Fold is my #1 all-time favorite of these four, because it’s easy AND there are many variations.

Do you have a favorite card design that you make often?   

Let's get to it, OK?

Let's start with the basic design instructions.

The card base folded is 5 1/2 inches high by 4 1/4 inches wide with the fold at the left.   To make the "Z", score and fold the front of the cardstock base at 2 1/8" which is half of the front.  Fold it back on itself.  You'll see the Z when you look down on the card as it is standing up.  

The front layer can be done 2 ways:

#1 Front of the Z Layer is 1 7/8" wide by 5 1/4" high.  As always make sure your patterned paper design is going the direction you want for the theme of your card.  The inside layer can be a coordinating print that is visible from the outside, 5 1/4" x 4".  The area for your signature is the inside of the 2 1/8" x 5 1/4", where you can add white if the color of the cardstock is too dark. 

#2 Layer could be a 5 1/4" x 4" piece that is glued to the outside half of the Z, and covers the whole front, with a white layer on the inside.  (This paper is "Scenic Coast", Stampin' Up! May - Aug 2026 catalog)

Both of these designs can use just the paper; OR could include a circle, oval, square or rectangle tag on the front with die cuts, ribbon, that is stamped with a sentiment.

VARIATIONS:

Z Fold with Bridge.  Make the card base for a Z Fold.   But before you add the printed paper layers, cut a piece of same color cardstock, 1 inch by 8 1/2".   Score this piece in half and 4 1/4" and then score at 2 1/8".   

The purpose of this bridge piece is to add a die cut or a sentiment tag that stands out and creates a focal point for a themed card.  There is a trick to attaching this that seemed backwards to me the first time I attached it.  Look at this example.   Note that the 2 1/8" section does NOT attach to the 2 1/8" wide front, but it attaches to the card base on the far right.  Then the 4 1/4" section is attached to the front Z section.  

                                                                              

If you're going to include a gift card, gift certificate or currency with this gift you might wonder where you would put it.   Here's what I did:  I placed my folded currency under a piece of ribbon on the inside Z section.   Can you see it here?

           

 You want to make sure that when your card with this bridge piece closes, that it folds flat to go into the envelope.  It may also need extra postage due to the bulk. 

For this card I cut the paper along the pattern.

Here's the first card that I made like this, was for a 16 y.o. boy for his birthday.  I used mountain view papers, and on the bridge, I put a die cut of a red truck, which was his new truck for his birthday.  

Look at your papers and see if you have scenery papers that you don't want to cover up with any layers or die cuts.  

I think you can see that this design is another one of the "KNOW YOUR 4" that truly could be used for any reason any season.

Decide if you want the bridge to hold a die cut, or sentiment tag.  Then decide how far up or down you want it to go to make an impact on the design.   

                                

I'd say glue it at 1 3/4" up from the bottom. This example shows a bridge made of the window sheet (Stampin' Up!) or clear acetate sheets.  I have found that overhead projector sheets are thick enough to use for a clear piece. 

                                

Add your die cuts or whatever you choose to make your focus piece.  Fold it a couple of times to make sure it folds flat.  If so, add your top layer on the front of the Z.  

VARIATIONS

Double Z fold, the card base is 5 1/2" high by 8 1/2" long. Score from the left at 1", 2", 3", 4".   These create the mountain and valley peaks as shown, as well as the remaining 4 1/2" main section.  With some of these Z Folds, like the Double Z, its appropriate to sign your card on the back.  If you wish to add a layer of white, cut it at 5 1/4 x 4 or smaller yet.  Who doesn't turn a card over to see the back? Kind of out of habit.  

Layers are 3/4" wide by 5 1/4" high.  

This is a good design to use the many coordinated pieces of a themed paper package, and to make a more deluxe version, one that the receiver may wish to stand on a shelf.   As with the basic Z Fold design, cut the layers 1/4" less on the width and 1/4" less on height of each of the Z sections.  

The pop out piece is a deer in the woods die, which I attached to the two mountain peaks.  If you add a pop-out section like this, make sure to close the card before gluing so you make sure that the pop out will not stick out farther than the card's edge.   For this design, I attached a white layer to the back and glued it on 3 sides so I could slide a gift certificate inside.

                            

This Double Z design is one I made for a neighbor's 100th birthday - Augie Baggiore - in 2023.   He passed away shortly after that, though he hadn't been ill till the last two months of his long life. 

Find me on YouTube to watch the instructions for a Z Fold  Card #4  Z Fold Know Your 4 

Thanks for stopping by! Be Blessed! sb