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Reverse Waterfall Card Tutorial

How to make a reverse waterfall card --with a push tab instead of a pull tab. This variation is useful if you don't want the growing pull tab to distract from your design.

My waterfall card is based on a design by Michael Jacobs, from his book Cards that Pop Up, Flip & Slide See his tutorial on HGTV.
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The sample card finished size is 4.25 by (just short of) 9". Pieces are color coded for clarity.
Cut the following pieces
--Flipper (white) 4.25" x 11" --Band (yellow) 2.75" x 10-12" (doesn't have to be exact) --Tab (red) 4.25" x 5.25". You can round the bottom corners if you like. --Cover (blue) 4.25" x 8.25" --Pictures, one each of: 4.25" x 2.75" (pink), 4.25" x 3.75" (green), 4.25" x 4.75" (orange), 4.25" x 5.75" (purple).

Flipper
Lightly pencil a small x on one end of flipper. This is the bottom of the face of the card. Measure up from the bottom front, and draw horizontal lines at, 4½", 4⅞", 5¼", 5⅝", 6", 6⅜".

Score and pre-crease each of these lines.

Attach Push Tab
Turn flipper face down. Measure up from the bottom of the card (the end with the penciled x) 2.75" and draw a horizontal guideline.

Glue tab to card with top edge of tab aligned with guideline.

With the card still in the face-down position, fold down the top of the flipper.


Attach Band
Somewhere near the center of the band, measure and draw two vertical guideline 4.5 " apart. Score and prefold along the guidelines.
With the flipper still in the face-down position, stack the flipper on top of the band. Center the flipper between the guidelines on the band. (The distance between the guidelines is slightly wider than the flipper.) Line up the bottom of the band with the top of the tab.
Spread glue on both ends of the band. Fold in each end of the band, gluing it to the back of the card and to itself.



Turn card face up. Holding the card by the band you should be able to push and pull the tab freely.


Attach Pictures

Glue the largest picture to the card, aligning the top of the picture with the second guideline up from the bottom (4⅞" from the bottom).


Glue the next smallest picture to the next line up, and so on, finishing with the smallest picture.


There will be one guideline remaining. Glue the cover to the card, aligned with the last guideline.

Run your finger along the glue line of the cover. Slowly open the card, encouraging each crease and pressing along each glue line. Reclose card and allow to dry.

If you want to glue the waterfall mechanism to a base card be sure to spread glue only on the band as it is the only part that does not need to move.


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