{"title":"How to Make a Pop-Up Card with an Accordion Fan","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/card-making/how-to-make-a-pop-up-card","category":{"slug":"card-making","name":"Card Making"},"creator":{"name":"It's Me, JD","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC42u3DSqbDuL1_vdLVDxTFg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c4MNvCVotI"},"tldr":"Make a pop-up card with an accordion fan that springs open when the card opens. 7 steps using cardstock, paper, glue, and a few stamps for decoration.","totalDurationSeconds":949,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["Scoring board (or bone folder)","Scissors","Glue stick","Double-sided tape","Binder clip"],"materials":["Cardstock (8.5x5.5 inches)","Lightweight paper for the fan","Stamps or stickers (optional)","Decorative elements (cookies, characters, etc.)"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Score the Cardstock Down the Middle","text":"Start with a piece of cardstock about 8.5 by 5.5 inches. Run it through a scoring board down the middle so it folds cleanly in half.If you don't have a scoring board, score with a bone folder against a ruler. A clean score line is what makes the card sit flat when closed and pop open without creasing in random places."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Accordion-Fold a Strip of Paper","text":"Take a separate strip of lightweight paper - lighter weight than your card so it doesn't bulk up the closure. Fold it back and forth like an accordion, with each fold about half an inch wide.Keep the folds even by eyeballing the previous one. Continue all the way to the end of the strip. The length of the paper isn't critical - what matters is that you can fold it in half later."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Fold the Accordion in Half","text":"Once the accordion is fully folded, bring the two ends together and fold the whole strip in half at its center.The two halves of the accordion now sit back-to-back, forming the basic fan shape. This is the pop-up mechanism - it'll compress flat in a closed card and spring open when you open the card."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Glue the Fan Halves Together","text":"Run a thin line of glue (or double-sided tape) between the two innermost faces of the folded accordion - the two faces that touch when you fold it in half.Press them together firmly along the spine, then clip with a binder clip and let it dry for a couple of minutes. The clip keeps the spine glued tight while the fan still opens freely from both sides."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Stamp or Decorate the Front","text":"While the fan dries, work on the outside of the card. Stamp a sentiment, hand-letter a greeting, or add stickers - whatever fits the occasion.Doing this before assembly matters. If you stamp ink onto the closed card later, it can transfer to the inside layer when you press it. Decorating the outside while the inside is empty avoids that problem entirely."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Tape the Fan Inside the Card","text":"Add double-sided tape to the back of both halves of the fan. Peel off the backing.Press the fan inside the card so the centerfold of the fan lines up exactly with the scoreline of the card. This alignment is what makes the fan compress and spring open cleanly. Press both halves of the fan firmly against the inside walls of the card."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Add Decorative Elements","text":"Now decorate the inside. Add stamped or printed elements around the fan - characters, flowers, words, anything that makes sense with your theme. Use the fan itself as a feature too: in the example, the fan reads as an open umbrella with ducks walking under it.Glue the elements onto the flat inside areas of the card on either side of the fan. When the card opens, the fan rises and your decorations frame the scene. Close the card to test, then open it again to enjoy."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-19T14:04:35.733Z","published":"2026-04-26T13:46:45.492Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}