Waterfall cards are fun interactive cards that you can use for any occasion.
I actually only recently discovered waterfall cards. I think I came across a tutorial on Pinterest and was immediately intrigued.
At first I thought it was super complicated but then upon further research, it actually turned out to be quite simple.
Here in this tutorial, I will explain the basics of how to construct a waterfall card. Once you understand the basics, there are many ways you can accessorize and customize you card.
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Materials for Waterfall Card
Cardstock – I like using medium weight cardstock for this project. It flexes a little bit easier. Here are some of my favorite brands:
- Recollections 65lb Cardstock from Michaels
- Favorite Assorted Pink/Blush 12″x12″ Recollections Set
- Favorite Assorted Purple 12″x12″ Recollections Set
- Metallic Shimmer Assorted Set from Amazon
- Neenah Collections Assorted Set from Amazon
- Kraft Cardstock from Michaels
Glue – I have a few favorite glues and adhesives for cardmaking. I like glues that don’t warp the paper:
String or ribbon – you don’t need a lot, just a 4 inch strip is enough to attach to the bottom tab for pulling.
Cutting Machine – I use a Cricut. Check out my recommendations for Cricut machines and accessories for beginners for more info.
Template – Both the basic template and the ice cream cone waterfall card template are available in both SVG and printable PDF formats for free in my resource library.
Tutorial for making waterfall cards
Step 1: Cutout all the different pieces using the template
Step 2: Mark the pull tab strip
The easiest way to do this is to slip the center pull tap into the cutout base and align the bottom of the tab with the bottom of the panel.
Then align the top of pull down strip to the base of the cutout strip.
Step 3: Fold the pull out strip
Once that initial crease is created, you can take the pull out strip and mark the subsequent folds with a ruler. The first crease is the base crease, I find a 1cm increment above that base crease works best.
Make as many folds as the number of tabs you want to attach.
Fold the strip over in the same direction.
Step 4: Glue the top of the tab back onto the holder panel
Slip this folded center pull strip back in the holder panel and glue the top of the tab onto the holding strip of the panel.
Step 5: Attach the top tabs accessories
Apply a few dots of glue to each folded strip\. Start with the bottom most tab and glue the tab (heart in this example) and work your way up.
Step 6: Glue the assembled holder panel to a card base.
I like to center this piece but how you position the final assembly is up to you.
The last step is to just add the ribbon or string for a pull tab.
You can also add any sentiments as appropriate to the card. I also included an ice cream cone design in the example templates.
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