DIY Pocketfolds

The wait is over! Here are the DIY pocketfold instructions so many of you have been waiting for. Obviously these same instructions can be adapted to do different size and shape pocketfolds. But here are the basics for how I did them.

For the supplies, you'll have to adjust the amount of things you need based on the number of invitations you are making. I made 130 pocketfolds to be safe--it looks like we only need a little over 100, but I wanted to have plenty of extras for last-minute additions to the guest list, if some got lost in the mail, etc. And of course, we want a couple to keep.

SUPPLIES:
- Custom cut cardstock. For more info on my paper order, click here.


- Paper cutter with a scoring blade (mine is a Fiskars I bought at Michael's)
- Scissors (make sure they are decent ones)
- Bone folder (aka bone/boning tool)
- Adhesive tape (I used Super Tape, 1/8", purchased from Paper Source)
- Pencil

- Flap templates (optional) -- You only need to make these if you want to do the points. This adds more work to the pocketfolds, obviously. Some people just use the straight edge of the paper as it is. Totally up to you. I made these out of scrap paper.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Start by scoring your paper where it will need to be folded. I scored my paper at 3" for the pointed flap.

2) Score again for the outside fold (the section you are making is where the invitation will be pasted). I did this at 5 1/8".

3) Make your final score for the pocket itself. I did this at 5".

4) Once scored, trace the templates for each end. Here I am tracing the template for the pocket.

5) And here I am tracing the template for the pointed flap.

6) Carefully cut along your pencil lines.

7) Use a bone folder to fold along your scored line to make the pocket.

8) Once you have folded the pocket and you've made a good crease, unfold it again. Add adhesive tape. I had trouble getting my adhesive to stick for an extended period of time. I found that the solution was to put SuperTape on BOTH sides of the paper so that when adhered together, tape is sticking to tape. It gives that extra bond. Here you'll see my SuperTape (the red lines) applied to the four sides of the pocket.

9) Remove the plastic backing from the adhesive tape. In this photo, the red color is gone because I have peeled the backing off the tape.

10) Fold over the pocket to adhere the tape together.

11) I went over my taped sections with a bone folder to make sure everything was stuck together and as flat as it could get.

12) Make your middle fold, using the bone folder to crease the paper.

13) Make the top fold for the flap, again using the bone folder to crease. The bone folder really helps give you flat, neat folds.

14) Fold the whole thing over itself, and tada! Done.

As you can see, this is not a difficult project. However, I have to caution everyone out there--it is EXTREMELY tedious, and definitely much more time consuming than I ever thought they would be. On average, it took me about an hour for every 10 pocketfolds. When you add together all the scoring, tracing, cutting, applying the adhesive, folding, etc. the work does add up. If you're good with paper projects and you have some time on your hands, go for it. If not, do yourself a favor and buy the pocketfolds premade at www.cardsandpockets.com.

Good luck!