Folded X-mas Tree Card Tutorial — Based on the Folded X-Mas Tree by Misusu Patterns
I’m not the ugly Christmas Sweater type, but since I saw the Folded X-Mas Tree by Misusu Patterns I loved it straight away. So I had to find other ways to use that pattern, and I came up with cards. I love using my sewing machine when making cards or snail mails, so it wasn’t a big step for me to take.
I’ve had several questions how I did it, so I asked Elles from Misusu and she told me I could explain you how I did it, so here I am 😊
And at the start I want to excuse me, I tried my best but English isn’t my mother tongue. But I hope you all will understand what I mean. And if not, feel free to ask!
And my second excuse, I made this pictures quickly and during the evening, so they definitely are not the best, but they work!
First order the free pattern if you haven’t already. Download the file for the Folded Xmas Tree Pattern Size Small.
Read through the tutorial and watch all 3 videos on YouTube how to make a regular size Folded X-Mas Tree, so you have an idea how it is coming together.
I had to find a way to have it printed smaller, preferably on one single sheet, to save paper.
Because I use a projector for my sewing, I knew that the PDF Stitcher program could do that for me. It is very easy, so if you want to do it too, I’ll explain for you how I did it and you can follow the instructions.
Go to https://www.pdfstitcher.org/ and download the latest release. At the moment that is v0.5. I downloaded the pdfstitcher.exe file.
Open the program.
At ‘Select input PDF’ browse to the Folded Xmas Tree Pattern Size Small. Make sure you haven’t opened the file in another program, or it will report a false when you generate the stitched PDF.
At ‘Save output as’ browse to the folder and give the new file a name.
Go to the second tab and put a 4 at columns.
Click ‘Generate PDF’ at the bottom, and you are done.
Open the new file and you’ll see the program magically stitched your pages together to one big PDF.
Now you have to print that file. Because it has 4 columns and 3 rows, it will only fit 1 sheet when printed quite small. I wanted it a little bigger.
I opened it in Publisher because that is what I use a lot, and I could simply resize it so the length of the tree piece would fit the length of my page. The block pattern will not fit the page, so you will have to print that on a second page. You could do that in any kind of photo editing program where you can open a PDF.
If that isn’t an option for you, I found another option. It isn’t ideal, because it makes it a little smaller, but it is an option.
Open the PDF in Adobe Reader. Go to File / Print. Select ‘Tile all pages’ in Page Scaling. Find the % that makes it print as high as possible on one sheet in height. For me that was 37% and that will give you 2 pages, one with the pattern pieces and one with the block template. You need both.
Apart from cutting the pattern pieces, the last thing you have to do is to decide how big your block needs to be and adapt the block template. Since I made my pattern 17 cards before I decided to make a tutorial, I have no actual pictures of this step. But it isn’t hard at all.
I went for regular double 10,5 x 15 cm cards, a half A4 folded. I wanted my tree block to be 10 x 14,5 cm. I used the centre front for the centre of my card. I redrew the line below the tree to be straight and not curved. And I drew lines 5 cm left and right from the centre line, and one 2 cm under the redrawn bottom line. I measured the top edge from the bottom edge. To have some room for errors, I drew a line 1 cm all around to give me some wiggle room while attaching the pieces, knowing I would cut them straight and square in the end anyway.
Make sure to mark the markings for the tree, as explained in the original tutorial. One for the beginning of the tree, and one for the tree top. And I add one for the right edge of the tree trunk.
I cut the block template on those outer lines, and on the pink lines. Except for the pink line in the centre under the trunk.
When I sew paper, I do not make a seam as I do when I make clothes, I only add seam allowance to the bottom piece and stitch the top piece right over it. I marked al the lines that would go under other pieces with a brown marker, so I knew I had to give them some extra room. I went for an eyeballed 5-6 mm / ¼ inch.
I didn’t reinforce my paper tree pattern pieces, but after drawing around it 17 times it is kind of over used. So if you plan on making more than 10 trees, I highly advise you to stick your paper tree pattern on some cardboard, or cut a sturdier plastic one.
So, now you are all set and prepared to actually make those cute Folded X-Mas Tree cards!
What do you need?
Regular sewing supplies
Sewing machine needle you don’t bother ruining, because sewing paper will dull your needles. I have an old one I use for sewing paper only. I coloured the top green with a sharpie, so I know exactly what needle to use when I want to sew paper.
Paper for the trees. I used regular paper, glossy paper, glitter paper, used wrapping paper, origami paper, sheet music, glassine paper (? That is what Google Translate tells me. It is the white see through paper in this picture, from photo albums, the sheets that go in between the actual pages. I like that paper for those trees, because you can actually see even more how the tree is made). I bet newspaper would be fun too. Or a page from a book in a foreign language. Or maybe a sheet from a comic, an atlas or maybe from a regular book. Even fabric would work… Use the same for the stem, or use something different to have it stand out. Both is fun!
For the block I would advise thicker paper or cardstock. Use plain, use printed. Have fun. Maybe use several colours. I haven’t used that option
Cardstock for the card
A pencil or pen for drawing around your tree pattern
Scissors for cutting the trees
Ruler and craft knife or exacto knife for cutting the straight lines. I prefer using my clear acrylic quilting ruler
Glue stick
Draw around your pattern pieces on the wrong side of your paper. Make sure your pattern pieces are wrong side up!
If your paper isn’t long enough for your tree in one piece, don’t hesitate to use it. I have made one tree using a 15 x 15 cm piece of paper. It was in 3 pieces but because of the design you won’t see it. In this picture, my brown paper wasn’t long enough. I stopped the tree at the fold between the last two tree pieces. I drew the last piece and added 1 cm ‘seam allowance’ to glue it to the longer piece. Worked fine, and I’ll show you later where the seam will be. If you make a seam at one of those lines, it will end up being on the inside of the fold, and you will definitely not see it. Even if the pattern doesn’t line up 😊
Cut those pieces. No extra seam allowance is needed, I cut on the inside of my line, so my tree piece is as exact as I can get it.
If needed, glue your tree piece back together, allowance glued on the back of the piece with no allowance. Use the pattern to make sure the shape is correct.
Fold the trees as explained in the original tutorial and on the YouTube video.
Then it is the easiest to make the folds from the corner to corner now, before sewing.
I fold the little flaps out and make have the fold start and stop as exact on the corners as possible.
Now you can see your tree take shape.
The edges look a little wonky, that is because of those flaps, that will be attached under / in the tree while sewing. It will work out fine 😊
The trunks are made different than the original design because they are not attached in the seam. Fold them on the dashed lines. Even when you don’t draw them, it is easy: take the lowest and the highest point on the pointed edge, and use that as starting point for the fold, and make the fold parallel to the long edge. I just eyeball that.
Now over to the blocks. Use the pieces and lay them on the cardstock you want to use. When using a directional print, take care you place them all correct. This one isn’t directional, so I was able to place the bottom piece besides the top left corner, to save some cardstock. Or better, have some more usable cardstock leftover.
Pay attention to add seam allowance where needed. I added about 5-6 mm. Easy to see with an acrylic ruler!
Apart fromt the top edge, I do not bother cutting the outline exact to pattern piece size, since I have to square them up at the end. I do want my inner edges and top edge straight.
Make sure to mark the markings for the tree, as explained in the original tutorial. One for the beginning of the tree, and one for the tree top. I add one for the right edge of the tree trunk. Mark them at the edge of the seam allowance, so they won’t show if you are a little off.
Now the fun is going to begin. Sewing the actual trees 😊 I choose thread to match the trees or to match the background. It doesn’t make a big difference, it only shows on the seams that form the block piece. Since I made three blocks with a white background, I chose white. But if I would make 3 red trees, I probably would have chosen red.
For the tree trunks, put glue on the shortest back side. Glue them on the middle block piece with the right edge at the marking. They are a little shorter than the piece, but make sure you have the extra room divided between the top and the bottom. Make sure your top is parallel to the edge, so the trunk is in the right direction.
I like to stitch them down.
It isn’t necessary, and it won’t show, but I just like the idea. When I stitch paper I set my stitch length a little bigger then usual, to 3,5. If your stitches are too close together, it might rip the paper.
Take your tree piece. Dab a little glue on the back and stick it in place. Bottom at the marking. Same space from the edge of the block piece as the tree trunk is. Make sure the bottom of the tree is parallel to the bottom of the piece.
Make sure the little flap of the second piece (pointing up at the moment) is at the outside of the tree, so not in between the two layers of the bottom tier, but touching the cardstock (if you make a mistake in this step, a little flap will show when you fold the next tier down, you can easily cut it off without it effecting the tree. I have no picture of this, but I have made this mistake 😊 )
Start sewing on the corner of the tree. Sew just on the inside of the fold, that makes the tree more neat. I sew 2 stitches forward, 2 backwards to secure, and then go all the way to the corner and I like to stitch the open top down too.
Now I take the right top corner block piece and run the glue stick at the edge that will go over the middle block piece.
I like to press the top edge to my cutting mat, to make sure it will form a straight edge. I make sure the right top block piece will overlap about the seam allowance I cut, and I sew that edge.
Make sure your unsewn tree part is out of the way 😊 I do not secure the begin and end of those seams, as they will be trimmed at the end anyway.
Now go for it, actually just as the fabric Xmas tree would be made. I always start sewing at the edge that will be folded in the next step and stitch to the corner and all over the open end.
And so on
And so on
All the way until the last piece has to be sewn.
Take your top piece, the fold on the right, the littlest edge at the top. I make sure the bottom corners meet, and have the little top edge be parallel at the edge of the cardstock. Sometimes I have a little gap, sometimes a bigger gap, and sometimes a little overhang. But make sure they are parallel, because it will affect where your top piece will end up!
Sew from corner to corner. For me, it is exactly my foot width. Lucky me 😊
I clipped it down just for the picture, but this is how it will end up.
Take your top left block piece and add glue to the longest side.
And again I press the top edges against my cutting mat (that is why I wanted to make sure those edges are straight) and have the seam allowance overlap.
Glue the bottom piece over the bottom edge. I make sure the overlap is parallel.
And stitch those two seams down.
There you are! I hope it was more fun than complicated 😊
Oh, this is where I had to add the extra piece. Do you see the seam? After stitching and folding, it will be perfectly hidden under the tree.
Now you have to trim your block piece down.
I start trimming the bottom, 2 cm from the top edge of the bottom piece.
Then I placed my ruler perpendicular to the bottom edge, having the 5 cm line in the middle of the tree trunk. I cut the right side.
I did the same to the left side.
Since all cards are not exactly the same size, I do not measure the height with a ruler, but on the actual card. I took my card, placed the block piece centred with the same space on the bottom, left and right side. I made a small mark with my knife where the top had to be trimmed to have the same space, and I cut on that mark, taking care my block was square.
I dabbed the glue stick on all the corners and on all the trimmed seams, to help keep the stitches in place.
Glue the block on the card and stitch it all around, making sure I have a tail at the begin and the end. I like to begin somewhere in the middle of the edge at the folded edge of the card.
Pull the threads to the back.
Tie them off. I always do a double reef knot.
Trim the threads to have them at the same length, thread them through a needle and go under 4 – 5 stitches. To make that easier, I ‘fold’ the card inside out, so I can steer my needle to the outside of the card.
Pull the threads and trim them of. I leave them like that, I think it is fine for a handcrafted card. If you don’t like that, you can cover the inside with a piece of paper.
And you are done!
Enjoy making lots of cards! Or just one. But have fun!
And if you want to share, feel free to tag me (www.instagram.com/sibbeldientje ) and use the following hashtags
#foldedxmastree
#foldedxmastreecard
#misusupatterns
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