How to Make Paper Rosettes (Accordion-Fold Medallions)

For one rosette about 4 inches across, cut two strips of patterned cardstock that measure 2 inches by 12 inches. Run each strip through a scoring board or a rosette scoring die so it picks up evenly spaced score lines all the way down.

Even scoring is what gives you clean, matching pleats later. If you are scoring by hand, keep the spacing tight and consistent - roughly a quarter inch between lines works well for a piece this size.

Take a scored strip and fold it back and forth along the lines, alternating mountain and valley folds. Run a bone folder or your fingernail along each crease so the pleats stay sharp and stack up into a tight little bundle.

Fold the second strip the same way. When you let each one relax, it should open into an even fan of pleats. Two matched bundles now give you the two halves of your rosette.

Bring the two short ends of one accordion strip together and glue them so the pleats fan out into a half circle. Sarah runs the end pleat across the tip of a hot glue gun, then presses the two ends into each other and holds until the glue grabs.

Do the same with the second strip. Now you have two matching half fans, each a semicircle of pleats, ready to join into the full rosette.

Set the two half fans next to each other so their open edges meet. Glue those edges together and the pleats close into a complete circle. Line the folds up as you press so the two seams blend in and the rosette reads as one continuous ring.

Hold each join for a few seconds. Paper under tension wants to spring open, so give the glue time to set before you move on.

Here is the tip that makes the whole thing work. Push the center of the ring in so every pleat meets at one point and the rosette lies flat like a medallion. Run a thin bead of glue across the back seam where the pleats gather and hold it down.

That little bit of glue on the back is what keeps the rosette from relaxing back into a loose spiral. Once it sets, your medallion holds its shape on its own.

Cover the middle where the pleats meet with a punched paper circle, a rhinestone, or a button glued right over the hole. This hides the center point and gives the rosette a finished focal detail.

Make a handful in different papers and sizes. They lie flat on cards and scrapbook pages, and a cluster of them turns into an easy party backdrop or gift topper.