A Cozy Fall Four-Panel Accordion Fun-Fold Card
Hello, crafty friends!
Today I’m sharing a cheerful fall accordion fun-fold card created with Stampin’ Up! Calypso Coral cardstock and the Painted Patch Suite Collection. The pumpkins, warm autumn colors, and coordinating patterned papers work beautifully together. The large front panel gives you plenty of room for a bold focal point, while the card opens to reveal a message panel, a narrow decorative hinge, and one more patterned panel. It looks impressive standing on display, but it begins with a single strip of cardstock and three score lines.
## Supplies
- Stampin’ Up! Calypso Coral cardstock
- Stampin’ Up! Painted Patch Suite Collection
- Coordinating patterned papers from the Painted Patch Suite Collection
- Basic White cardstock
- Pumpkin stamps and coordinating dies from the Painted Patch Suite Collection
- A circle or stitched-circle die
- Dark ink for the greetings
- Coordinating Stampin’ Up! ink or markers
- Small embellishments or enamel dots
- Paper trimmer, scoring tool, and bone folder
- Strong adhesive and dimensional adhesive
## About the Painted Patch Suite Collection
The Painted Patch Suite Collection features hand-painted pumpkins and playful motifs in soft pastels for a fresh, lighthearted take on autumn. Its mix of coral, pale peach, warm rust, golden yellow, deep blue-gray, and light aqua inspired the color combination used throughout this card. I paired the collection with Stampin’ Up! Calypso Coral cardstock, which provides a warm frame for each patterned panel and helps the pumpkin designs stand out.
The coordinating papers make it easy to give every section of the accordion fold a different look while maintaining a unified design. I used a bold multicolored pumpkin pattern on the large front panel, a deeper leaf-and-acorn pattern on the narrow hinge, and a smaller repeating pumpkin pattern on the final panel.
## Cutting and scoring guide
### Card base
- Cut one piece of Calypso Coral cardstock to 11″ × 4¼″.
- With the 11″ edge across the top, score from the left at 4¼″, 7″, and 8¼″.
This creates four panels from left to right:
- Front panel: 4¼″
- Message panel: 2¾″
- Narrow hinge panel: 1¼″
- Back panel: 2¾″
### Decorative layers
- Front Painted Patch patterned-paper layer: 4″ × 4″
- Message layer: 2½″ × 4″
- Hinge Painted Patch patterned-paper layer: 1″ × 4″
- Back Painted Patch patterned-paper layer: 2½″ × 4″
- Sentiment circle: approximately 3″
## Directions
1. Cut the Calypso Coral cardstock base to 11″ × 4¼″.
2. Score at 4¼″, 7″, and 8¼″, measuring each score line from the left edge.
3. Fold the first score line forward, the second score line back, and the third score line forward to form the accordion shape. Burnish each fold with a bone folder.
4. Adhere the 4″ × 4″ Painted Patch patterned paper to the large front panel, leaving an even Calypso Coral border.
5. Adhere the 2½″ × 4″ Basic White layer to the message panel. Using images from the Painted Patch Suite Collection, stamp a small vine near the top and the greeting near the lower portion, leaving room for a handwritten note.
6. Add the 1″ × 4″ Painted Patch patterned-paper strip to the narrow hinge panel.
7. Add the final 2½″ × 4″ Painted Patch patterned-paper layer to the back panel.
8. Die-cut a Basic White circle. Stamp “Hey” near the upper center and add a few small coordinating embellishments.
9. Stamp, color, and die-cut three pumpkins with the Painted Patch Suite Collection. Arrange them across the lower half of the circle, overlapping the shapes slightly.
10. Attach the finished circle and pumpkin cluster to the front panel with dimensional adhesive.
11. Stand the card up and adjust the accordion folds until all four decorated sections are visible. Check that the card closes neatly before pressing the adhesive firmly in place.
## Helpful tips
- Mix several patterns from the Painted Patch Suite Collection for a coordinated look.
- Use the boldest pattern on the large front panel and quieter patterns on the smaller sections.
- Keep the narrow hinge embellishment-free so the fold remains crisp.
- Concentrate dimensional pieces on the front panel to help the card close easily.
- Repeat two or three colors across the card to connect all four sections visually.
I love how this card becomes part greeting card and part fall decoration. The unusual panel sizes create lots of visual movement, while the hand-painted look of the Painted Patch Suite Collection adds cozy seasonal charm. Best of all, the entire structure is made from one 11″ strip of Calypso Coral cardstock.
I hope this project inspires you to pull out your favorite autumn papers and try this easy fun fold!
Happy stamping!
Mommy Stampin Creations
