Free template for iris folding

View all free iris folding patterns. I've put together some of my most popular patterns into these amazing digital bundles to save you money on your card making. You can pay by card or PayPal.

Card payments handled securely by Gumroad. I have over iris folding patterns available in my Craftsuprint shop , so check it out if you're looking for one design in particular. Traditionally the paper strips form a 'swirl' shape similar to the iris of a camera, which is where the technique gets its name. Iris folding has evolved in recent years and there are now different variations including advanced iris folding, fancy folding and paper piecing.

These newer patterns may not have the spiral shape, but still feature the traditional paper strips and numbered pattern.

It can look a little bit complicated when you first see an iris folding card, but don't worry - it's actually super simple to make and only needs basic card making supplies that you probably already own!

Please note that some of the links included in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page. Prefer to read rather than watch? Scroll down for step-by-step iris folding instructions, including a photo of each stage of the process. Follow along with these step-by-step iris folding instructions to make your own watering can greetings card.

First, print the free iris folding template onto normal printer paper. Take your white card and turn it over so that the back of the card is facing up. Try not to move the pattern around when you are drawing, as you want to draw a smooth, accurate outline of the iris folding pattern. I like to use a rotating blade craft knife to cut out iris folding shapes.

The blade turns as you cut, which makes it really easy to cut smooth shapes and wave the knife around the outline. Place your cut-out on top of the pattern and line it up so that the cutout in the card matches the shape of the pattern. Use some more masking tape to secure the card.

Make sure you only put a small amount on the white card, as you will be using most of the space on the back to stick your coloured paper strips to. Thin coloured paper , wrapping paper or even wide florist ribbon are all great choices for iris folding strips.

Cut the pattern out around the outer edge. Position the pattern where desired on a piece of cardstock and trace around the outer edge. Create an opening in the cardstock by cutting away the traced shape with a sharp craft knife.

This will be your aperture or frame. Turn the cardstock over. You will be working on the wrong side of the cardstock to create your design. Position the pattern in the aperture and lightly tape both the pattern and cardstock to your work table with removable tape. Using a paper trimmer, cut patterned paper into strips, a little more than twice as wide as the largest section of your pattern. Fold the strips in half lengthwise, creating strips with one folded edge. Assemble the strips into piles, one pile for each paper design.

Assign each pile a letter that corresponds with your pattern: A, B, C, and so on. TIP: To create an attractive pattern, you can either alternate light and dark designs, or arrange your paper designs from lightest to darkest. Start working your pattern with section 1A. Place the folded edge of paper A against the 1A line closest to the edge of the aperture, covering section 1A completely.

Keep following the pattern, working your way around, one paper at a time, covering each numbered section in order. It's very important to follow your numbers and letters. The design won't look very pretty from the back side, but that's OK. It will look lovely from the front. Resist the temptation to pick up the piece and peek at the front side, because it's often difficult for beginners to realign their pattern once it's been moved.

Gently remove your cardstock from the work table and turn it over to reveal your iris, with an opening in the center. Use a pair of scissors to cut out your design window. You may find that the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter is the perfect tool for cutting many simple shapes. We used the Cricut Designer's Calendar Cartridge, which offered this heart design and many other basic and interesting shapes.

Trim down your cardstock to whatever size you want for your finished design. We chose four different papers for the square template and used a paper trimmer to cut them into strips approximately 2" x 6".

The measurements do not have to be precise. If you use fabric, we suggest using a rotary cutter and cutting mat to cut your strips. Next, you will fold your strips in half, lengthwise, to get a clean edge; this will also make your finished project thicker. If you want your finished project to be thinner, cut your strips approximately 1" x 6". The folded edge will show inside your design window.

This gives it a crisper, more distinct edge. If you are using fabric strips, use an iron to get a crisp seam along the folded edge. The only problem with folding your strips in half is that it makes your finished project thick. For a thinner finished project, cut your strips so they are approximately 1" x 6" and then do not fold them in half.

You can experiment with both ways and use whichever one suits your need for each project. We already cut out the iris folding design window we wanted; now we will prepare it. To do so, simply position the window over the iris folding pattern you printed out. You can turn your template or design window to different angles to see how you like it best. You can also center the middle of the design the white part or experiment with it being off-center.

There's no rule—whatever way you want is the right way. Use small pieces of cellophane tape or blue painter's tape to hold your cardstock still on the template.

The part of the cardstock facing up will be the back of your design so don't worry about tape marks. In the photo here, you can see we assigned the light pink paper to the blue section on my template. Use pieces of cellophane tape to hold the strip in place. Tape the strip to the cardstock, not to the template. We covered the purple sections of our template with white paper.

As with the first strip, line up the folded edge of the strip to the first line of the purple section on the template and tape it in place. Again, make sure to tape the strip to the cardstock or even the other strip, not to the template.