Weddingbee Blog

When this engagement first began, I thought it would be a time during which I could reflect on how much I love Mr. Bubblegum. BUT, as it turns out, I have spent most of my engagement falling in love with inanimate objects!

One of my many loves is pocket-folds. Our love affair first began when we were introduced on www.mygatsby.com:

However, for several months, I felt we were fated to be apart (Romeo-and-Juliet-style). I met pocket-folds that were very beautiful:

paper-source’s diagonal folder in “leaf”

lci paper’s pocket fold in “pine”

But I searched high and low, and I was never able to find “the one.”

I then realized that, for me to find true love - the pocket-fold to live with for the rest of my life - I would need to craft it with my own two hands.

I knew it had to be a) square, preferably 6×6 and b) pale green / sage.

I may have mentioned once or twice that the day my paper-source shipment arrived was one of the happiest of my life. Why? Because inside that giant, flat, “do not bend” package were 25 sheets of 26×20 “Sage Cover” from which I would make my 75 pocket-folds for a price of $22.50.

I started by writing myself this set of instructions, and I honestly kept it by my side through the whole process. It’s nice to have a point of reference:

Step 1: Starting with the 26×20 piece of cardstock, cut this into three 20×7 sheets. This will leave one 20×5 scrap that you can use later! It’s up to you how to do this.. for me, I just marked off 7″ increments on each side, lined up my yardstick, and cut with an exacto knife. Fancier tools do exist - I’m just cheap.

Step 2: On each 20×7 sheet, make 8 pencil marks. On the short sides, make marks at 1/2″ and 6 1/2″. On the long sides, make marks at 1 1/2″ and 5″.

Step 3: Lining up the 1/2″ marks with your yardstick (or cutting utensil of choice), cut from the top down to the 5″ mark. At the 5″ mark, cut diagonally outwards. Repeat this with the 6 1/2″ marks. (I’m left-handed, so this is what worked for me - it may be easier to cut downwards starting from the 5″ mark).

Step 4: Turn your yardstick 90 degrees and line up in order to cut off the bottom 1 1/2″. Once it’s off, you’ll need to draw new 1/2″ and 6 1/2″ marks at the bottom. From these, cut diagonally up and outward to form this shape:

Step 5: Working up from the old 5″ marks, make pencil marks at 6″ and 12″ on each side.

Step 6: Using a ruler as a guide, begin folding. First fold the flaps in. Then, fold up from the bottom, at the old 5″ mark, the new 6″ mark, and the new 12″ mark. What’s important about this step is that you don’t abide by the marks 100% - each fold should be based on the last so that, at the end, your pocket-fold folds! If you have a bone-folder, this is a great time to use it!

Step 7: Unfold & erase pencil marks.

Step 8: Attach pocket flaps. A great way to do this is with Scotch Tape Runner. And finally, if you’re like me and can’t stop rounding corners, go for it! I rounded the corners of the the pocket and the outside flap.

And here are the results!