Tutorial - Teabag Folding (alota Style)

Since I featured the alota teabag folding stamps as my flashback Friday this week I thought I would do a tutorial on the folding of them.

A note on Paper: You need to stamp on paper not card to create the teabag folding medallions, the paper you chose is up to you. Try some of these ideas: photocopy paper; rainbow colored origami paper; vellum. Experiment and have fun!


Equipment needed:
Teabag Stamp from alota rubber stamps
Black Ink pad
Photocopy Paper or paper of your choice
Markers to color image
PVA Glue
Toothpicks




1. Using the black ink stamp your teabag image onto your paper 8 times.





2. Cut out all the images. You can do this two different ways either by cutting out all around all the intricate images on each side of the image or if you do not want to bother with all that cutting then just cut around the one image and then cut the other ones off square.









3. Lay one of your cut out images on your table so the image side is face down. Fold the shape in half diagonally.











4. Unfold the image and refold, folding it diagonally in the opposite way.
Unfold again.






5. Lay the image on the table again this time image side facing up.

Fold image in half (bee in this photo will be over the top of the other bee when folded & the two bees on each side of this image will be folded in half)

















6. Hold the image in both hands with your fingers placed on each side of the image holding the bees that have been folded (the valley fold).









Move your hands in so that they meet and then squash the image flat.









































7. At this stage I would color in my image, as only the front image will show when you have completed your teabag medallion you only really need to color the front image. However if you wish to color every image you can - do this after cutting out the images and prior to folding.



8. Take the right edge of the teabag shape and fold this underneath itself so it meets the centre.


Repeat this on the left edge.

9. Repeat steps 3 to 8 on the remaining 7 teabag images.






10. Assembling the medallion.

Use a toothpick to place a dot of glue on the flap of the teabag folded image.








Slide a 2nd shape into the 1st shape as per photos.


Continue doing this will all remaining pieces.















11. To place the 8th piece into the medallion. Apply glue to the flap as you did for the previous pieces and slide the shape into place.









You will now have the right side of this piece overlapping the first teabag piece you started with. Carefully apply glue to the flap as you did previously, lift up the 1st piece and slide it into place.
































12. Your teabag medallion is now complete and ready to decorate your card.