Project of the Week ~ Center Stair Step Card

It’s my turn to share a Project of the Week at The House that Stamps Built and I am going to show you how to make a new kind of center stair step card. Many of us have made center stair step cards and they are available here on the Repeat Impression’s website ready made for you. I discovered a new kind of center step card on a website recently and wanted to try making one, but the directions were not in English and the measurements were in centimeters. I created my own template with easy measurements (inches and half inches) and here is how you can make one too:

Cut card base 5” by 7 ¼” to make an A2 sized card when completed and folded. On back of piece, mark 1”, 2”, 3” and 4” on both shorter sides of card. (These marks are later erased.)

We are working on the BACK of the card so everything is opposite of what the front will look like. The picture below shows what it should look like from the back.

From the BOTTOM LEFT, draw pencil lines from:

1 ½” to 3 ½” on the ONE inch line

2” to 4” on the TWO inch line

2 ½” to 4 ½” on the THREE inch line

3” to 5” on the FOUR inch line (see picture)

Cut these lines with ruler, utility knife and cutting surface.

From bottom left, SCORE DOWN from each inch line at:

1 ½” and 3” (not necessarily the end of the cut line, so pay attention to the measurements for each line to score.)

2” and 3 ½”

2 ½” and 4”

3” and 4 ½”

3 ½” and 5”

Turn card over and Mountain Fold the first scored lines and Valley Fold the 2nd (or furthest right of the score lines) to form stairs. Erase your marks and decorate as desired. I followed these instructions and created a kraft patterned and a blue card base.

For my first sample shown above, I sponged all the sides and the stairs with a brown distress ink. I paper pieced the Christmas kitty stamp, 1013-J Kitten Christmas Stocking, and hung her from the stairs. Then I stamped and attached a beautiful Christmas sentiment, 2209-I Happy Memories from Repeat Impressions.

My second center stair step card shows how you can decorate the stairs to make the card even more fun. To start this sample, I embossed the blue card base with a snowflake embossing folder. Then I stamped the 4703-I Snowball Sequence set of snowmen tumbling down and attached to each stair. I added some punched snowflakes and another beautiful holiday sentiment, 8810-H Snow Much Fun (from Repeat Impressions, of course.) The cards lay flat to mail and fit into an A2 sized envelope. Here is a picture of the blue card closed.

I hope you try this fun folding card sometime soon, and that your holiday season is blessed with peace and joy.

Stamping smiles,
Karen