Free Pop-Up Z Fold Card Template SVG and Tutorial

This is a Z Fold Card tutorial along with two free z fold card templates to practice along.

I have to admit, this is one of the more complicated cards I’ve made. I thought it was going to be easy before getting started but it ended up being pretty time consuming.

If you’re just starting out with card making, I suggest one of my simple card designs to you don’t get too frustrated and quit altoghether.

What made this card so difficult was the number of different choices you can make on the exact placement of different pieces and the implications on how to cut the card given those choices. It wasn’t so much the folding was complicated because it’s not.

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Materials for z fold card ideas

Cardstock – I highly recommend medium weight cardstock for this one. There are a lot of folds and the heavier cardstock doesn’t fold as well. Here are some of my favorite brands:

• Assorted Starter Pack – Basic assorted colors, great starter pack, perfect weight for most papercraft projects
• Cricut Joy Insert Card Packs – You don’t have to use these with the Cricut Joy, they are nice material kids for cardmaking.
• Cardstock Warehouse Brand on Amazon – I love the quality of all the matte-colored cardstock with Cardstock Warehouse. It is my go-to brand for individual matte colors that I might need
• Poptone Assorted Variety Pack – This is the perfect peppy assortment of colors of heavy cardstock. It’s a heavy cardstock assortment with colors I actually use frequently for cardmaking.
• Seasonal Assorted Variety Pack – This is a slight variation on the Poptone assortment and has a quite few neutrals that complement almost any accent color.
• Stardream Metallics Line – For paper crafts, the Stardream line is the go-to for a metallic shimmer finish. It is the perfect sheen to make any project pop. The core is also colored is which hard to find for metallic paper.

Glue – I have a small arsenal of my favorite glues for cardmaking. The key is using adhesives that don’t warp the paper.

Cutting Machine – I use a Cricut. Check out my recommendations for Cricut machines and accessories for beginners for more info.

Templates – I have two free z fold card templates included in my resource library. One has a smaller base and one has a medium double z fold piece. I’ve also included the floral elements I used in my example tutorial.

Double z fold card tutorial

Step 1 – Decide on the z fold card measurements and resize accordingly

This by far was the most complicated part of making this card. So there are a few things to consider when deciding on the card size. Most of these concern surround what cardstock you are using to make the cards.

You could squeeze the largest card (which is the back of the card) into a 12x12inch piece of cardstock but your card is not going to be super big. It will be about 5.5 inches wide.

To make a finished card that is bigger, you will have to cut out your template. I decided to break my template up at a fold which you don’t need to but then it doesn’t look as nice.

I will demonstrate how to assemble the rest of this card with each of the components as one piece so you will have to figure out how to compile the cut out pieces for a single template before moving forward.

Step 2 – Cut your pieces out using the z fold card template

I use my Cricut cutting machine fore this. For this card, I like using a fresh blue mat. It’s not so intricate where I need a stronger grip mat. The blue mat is easier for cleanup.

Step 3 – Fold the base of the double z fold template

The easiest way to do this is to fold it in half lenghtwise. Then take one of those halves and hold it in half again. Use a scraper or any sort of straight edge to smooth out the crease.

Do the same for the font z strip. In this example, it is the grass strip but I’ve also included a generic rectangular piece in the templates.

Step 4 – Glue the panels onto the z fold card base

This part is optional. I like to use a printed cardstock for contrast here. I also like the panels to be offset a bit but that is up to you.

Step 5 – Glue the z fold card pieces mirroring each other.

I would hold the 2 pieces in place and make sure it is properly aligned. Then glue the ends in place before securing all other parts that are touching.

Step 6 – Add any final accessories to your z fold card

Here I added some floral elements to my z fold card. You can also customize it with a sentiment for the occasion.

You can also do a larger cutout graphic using a double z fold card template.

Z Fold Card Ideas

In addition, there are plenty of fun z fold card ideas that you can make once you download the SVG template. For example, you can make a pop-up Mother’s Day card. In addition, you can also make a card that says “Thanks a bunch!”. For these, I like attaching a flower set. Of course, you can also make z fold happy birthday cards as well.

To get started, you can download the free z fold card SVG from my Resource Library. Then, you can swap out whichever color cardstock and embellishments you’d like! Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to gain access!

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