A stepper card opens to a little staircase. The middle of the card folds forward into steps, and each step is a tiny frame you can fill with paper, a greeting or a picture. Sam Calcott from the Mixed Up Craft channel makes a four step Christmas version here with a die set, a red 6 by 6 card base, silver mirror card and a festive paper pad. She finishes with a matching envelope and a pink wax seal.
It stands up on a shelf by itself. That is half the charm.
How a stepper card works
The insert is one piece of white card with a fold down the left and a row of cut stairs on the right. The left score is a valley fold. Each stair gets a mountain fold, and the folds behind them turn into valleys as you pinch them. Glue only the outer side panels to the card base. The stairs and the small panel behind them stay free, so they pop up every time the card opens and fold flat when it closes.
Making a stepper card without a die
Sam uses a four stepper die, which cuts and scores everything in one pass through a standard die machine. You can cut one by hand. Fold a long panel of heavy white card in half, then cut a few slits in from the fold at staggered lengths with a craft knife and a metal ruler. Score between the slit ends and push each section forward. Two or three steps is an easy first try. Measure twice so the steps line up straight.
Mats and layers
Every panel gets a silver mirror mat and a patterned layer slightly smaller, so a thin shiny border shows around each piece. The little squares on the steps look square but are a touch rectangular, so test each one before you glue. For the front, Sam cuts a 5 3/4 inch square and a 5 1/2 inch square, then layers scrap strips from the same pad: roughly 4 1/4 by 1 3/4, 4 by 1 1/2, 1 1/4 by 4 3/4 and 1 by 4 1/2, topped with a Warm Wishes tag.
Theme ideas
- Stairs next to a fireplace, with tiny presents on each step.
- A birthday card with one photo per step, oldest at the bottom.
- Four words of a greeting, one on each stair.
- A spring garden with a flower stamped in every frame.
Grandchildren can help pick the paper and stick down the small squares. Keep the glue stick for the grown up so the steps stay free.
Troubleshooting
If the card will not close flat, glue has crept onto the stairs. Open it and peel the step free while the glue is still wet. If the steps lean, the insert went in crooked. Sam checks this by closing the card, then opening it again before the glue sets. Burnish every fold well, or the steps sag over time.
Sealing the envelope with wax
Sam's tip for a card you still need to write in: close the flap, slip a piece of wax paper under it, then pour and stamp the seal on top. It pops off clean once set, ready to stick on with double sided tape later. If bubbles appear, a short blast from a heat gun clears them.
New to card making? Start with how to make a card. For more fold out cards, try a pop up card or a waterfall card, and fold a paper envelope to match.
