I first saw these cards last year, and thought they were simply wonderful! The folded paper creates such an interesting design. Just last month, the ladies that introduced our quilt group to this had a program on how to do them. I still love this idea, and wanted to share the process with you. This card was made by Robbie, beautiful!
So, here is what you need. First, the ideal paper is wrapping paper as it is thin and easy to fold. There is a lot of build up of layers on the backside, so you want to have thin paper. So, cut some strips about an inch wide of the colors you want to use. You’ll need a pattern too. Cut out the shape of the tree using the pattern on plain cardstock.
Fold your strips in half lengthwise. You can do this all at once, or as you go.
Then place the card base over the pattern so you can see where to place your strips.
Robbie said to make a master cue card with the numbers of the strips by color to be sure you got the colors in the right place. But, I figured it would be easier just to color the pattern with color pencils. So I did that.
Instead of having the colors in quadrants, I wanted to mix them up. The number one is white, so I started with taping down a white strip. Use the bare minimum of tape to reduce the bulk. Line up the fold of the paper strip with the line.
Strip number 2 is red to the left, so that strip is placed next with the fold on the line. Cut off any excess.
Continue going around the edge, according to the numbers, placing your colors as you have planned. It will be a bit of a mess on the back, but that won’t matter.
Turn it over, and voila, an iris folded center! The very middle and the square underneath still has no paper behind. The tree base has a pattern for strips, and the center could have one of the colors already used. But I liked the green striped background paper so I left it to show in both the center and the square.
Mount the iris folded piece on the base with double sided tape.
I don’t know if I have a little star in the stamping stuff, will have to look before I send these out. If not, I have a start stamp I can use with some gold ink. They are all ready for a stamped verse inside.
Here is a close up of Robbie’s card.
And just so you can see the other cards made by the committee last year, here is a Sunbonnet Sue. Perfect for sending to a quilter! This one went to a quilter friend last year that needed a bit of cheer.
And I have this purple tulip in the sewing room. I can’t let my MIL see it or she will want it, LOL!! But my sewing room is done in purple and green, so I have to keep it. I still need to frame it, maybe I’ll get to that now that I have shared it with you. The various greens in the leaves made them look almost real.
There are dozens of free patterns on the website that created this idea. Circle of Crafters has free patterns and tutorials for all kinds of cards for holidays, or any occasion. (no affiliation, just a fan) Look at the right sidebar for lists of collections, and free patterns for all kinds of needs.
OK, so one more. I colored the pattern with pencils again, this time in bands of color.
A few folded papers and a little tape, the same method as above. It really didn’t take as long as it looks!
What do you think of these cards? Do you think you’ll try this technique?
Get more patterns for Iris Folded Cards on Amazon.
From My Carolina Home 
Wow Carole! Those are incredible cards! I have been throwing out my paper scraps – now I know what to do with them! Thanks for sharing!
I do like this technique. I used it to frame photos in my scrapbook album. You can also use the patterns for foundation piecing for fabric cards. They look good too. Your cards look lovely and has spurred me on. I might get some done while in the Xmas spirit and put them away for next year.
I love these cards-great idea-reminds me of paper piecing in quilting, which I love to do! I will be making these! Thank you, Susan
Beautiful. They would be fun to send OR receive.
I’ve not tried iris folding yet. I love the tree. Iris folding can be a bit much for my tastes, but that tree’s lovely
Beautiful cards. Will try to make some for the family.
I love these. I may have to steal the ideas. Thank you.
Good Morning Carole! These are fabulous! Yes, I do think that these cards are part of my future. I saw another type of cards someone made yesterday and now my mind is not working, but I knew I would make some of them also. LOL. Only I am still slowly working on my wreath, this flu is still holding on. People are now being told that it is Viral and is lasting up to 6 weeks…not good. Kevin seems to be getting it now also. LOL. We have not even thought about decorating. Oh well, Kevins girls will understand and will not mind. I do love you cards! Such a great idea! Have a fantastic creative day!
These are so unique as well as beautiful and, you can bet, whoever receives one will be keeping it to cherish and to use for inspiration! A card like this would be good for any occasion where there might not be a gift, but that extra effort and thought is appreciated. Thanks, Carole and to those ladies who inspired you!
There were very popular in the UK a few years back. I made lots of them using ribbon instead of paper. Just use the ribbon without folding it so it doesn’t made the back any bulkier. The are so pretty, whichever medium is used.
They are beautiful!
Those bring back a good memory–we made a bunch of those when I was a Queen Mother in Red Hats a couple years ago when I still lived in NY–they were fun to do and I ended up doing one for every one of my gals–
Yours are truly lovely–thanks for sharing–
love and laughter, di
Hello from cold Ga., Its colder where you are I know, no snow yet for us thank goodness, we here in the Atl. Area usually get ice storms that shut us down, I personally don’t get out in it because I watch the news and go do my errands and get what supplies I’m going to need before the storms hit and I don’t have to get out in the mess, some pf the people here don’t know how to handle the icy streets ( me included) so I stay at home and do without if I forget something. I love the Iris card ideas and when I first seen this idea my mind went of course to material. I thought about why not use this idea and make pillows which would have some dimension and then to pictures in 3-D frames for a wall grouping. These would make such great gifts, especially the little sunbonnet Sue girl and her friend. I have seen kits of her and have wanted to get them but haven’t as yet, I have a lot of Sunbonnet Sue books, in fact I quilted her and her bow and got 3rd place in the fair with it many years ago and I still have that picture. I did her dress in patchwork and put lace under her apron and dried flowers in her hand from her bow. It’s so much fun creating unusual designs. You and I seem to be a lot alike in that department, it is such fun keeping in touch with you, some day I hope to be able to meet you in person and share a lot more .
Well I have some cookie dough softening up so I can work with it to make some sugar cookies filled with whole cranberry sauce from the can. Got the recipe off the internet so I anxious to see how they turn out.
Have a great day,
Phyllis
How clever and interesting! The last thing I need in my life is another hobby… especially one that requires a new type of “stash”… but I printed a few patterns to give this a try. Thanks for a bit of zing on a snowy day.
I really do love these but I know I would never get around to doing them. My patience runneth thin these days
I’m going to try the iris folding this next year. When I wrote my goals for 2017, making cards instead of buying was the first goal. I’ve made cards in the past but this year I’m hoping to make all the birthday, anniversary and Christmas cards. Since I have 4 cards the first couple of days in January they will have to wait until 2018 for their cards.
If I start now, I would probably have enough by next Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing these with us.
Very cool looking!
These are beautiful. . . but the technique sounds backwards of how they look! Seems like if you started in the middle & worked out, like a log cabin block, you wouldn’t have to tuck each strip under the first one. . .. Can’t start another project right now! Still arranging rooms for guests AND fending off the new kitten from the tree. Finally rearranged furniture AGAIN & moved the tree to a room with glass doors to keep her from sneaking up in there & bouncing from limb to limb to limb. . . Some day this will be a laughable memory!
You don’t tuck them under. Working from the outside in, you just overlap as you go. Remember, you are working from the backside, not the front.
What cool cards!!! They look like they are pieced with fabric.
Oh I also love these cards. Definitely am going to try to make a few. Thank you for this post.
These are great cards. I hadn’t seen these before. I will have to try this.
Gorgeous cards!! I’ll have to give them a go!!
Hi Carole,
You are going to think I have gone crazy but I’m not there yet. Been going through some of my past e-mail and copying things I have wanted to keep and this Iris cards came up and I have some ideas
I’d like to toss at you. I thought about using scraps of material and sealing the edges with fray check kafter cutting to the size we need and then gluing it into place, do you thinkthis might work ? Also how about using some pretty lace 9small length0 onto the bottom of the little Sunbonnet Sue girl. One could also use leftover gems on the Christmas trees and come up with a lot of other ways to use up bits and pieces of things we all have laying around. I know I have really gone back into time but it fun to think of ways to use up left overs. Has anybody thought of doing something like this before?
Phyllis