Accordion Photo Card

example accordion photo card tied up with ribbon sitting on top of blue glitter

This delightful accordion photo card makes for a perfect valentine, or a thoughtful sentimental gift for any occasion (or, you know, just because). I actually created my example with my mom’s birthday in mind. I have a feeling she’s going to love her card this year…

And while this Photo Fun project packs quite the punch in terms of gift-giving, you’ll be thrilled to know that it’s also incredibly easy to make. Check out how below.

Materials:

A sheet of 8.5×11 inch paper
Tape
Ribbon (two 16-inch pieces)
Self-adhesive photo corners (or you can use washi tape)
5 – 8 Instax Mini prints (or photos that are 54 x 86 mm)
Fine point permanent marker
Embellishments of your choosing (i.e. paint, stickers, glitter, etc.)

Directions:

First, take your piece of paper and fold it lengthwise (or the hotdog fold, if you remember from elementary school). I used regular printer paper, but construction paper might be nice if you want some color. Just be sure that your paper isn’t too thick, as we’ll be folding it several times. Next, fold it into fourths like an accordion (with the opening edge at the bottom). Then, gather your Instax prints or regular photos. (If you’re not familiar with Instax Mini prints, click here to read about one of my favorite toys.) Decide which photos you would like where (perhaps your favorite on the cover), and use the photo corners to adhere them to the front and inside sections of the card. If you have a lot of photos, you can also place them on the back. The card will hold up to 8 pictures (if you use all the front and back spaces). Once you have your card fully adorned with photos, take a piece of ribbon and tape it to the inside of the front cover, and another piece to the inside of the back cover (i.e. open up your hotdog fold a bit and tape it to the blank area directly behind your front cover). This way, your taped ribbon will be hidden and you can tape an ample amount of it down (at least an inch) so that it’s secure. Last, embellish with decorations and maybe write little notes on the bottom of the photos, or on the pages of your card. And then you’re all set! Wrap the ribbon around your card, tie it with a bow, and gift it to that certain someone. I’m pretty sure they’re going to think it’s amazing.

PS: I painted my printer paper before I added my photos and let it dry while I picked out which ones to print.