Fault Line Technique for Card Making

If you’re looking for a fun and unique card design, the fault line technique is a must-try! It’s a simple method involving paper tearing and layering which creates a bold focal point—without any special tools required. Today, I’m sharing 3 ways to use the fault line technique—each with its own twist!

The Technique

First let’s talk about the basics of the Fault Line Technique. This technique involves tearing two pieces of paper at the same time and then layering them together. Simple, right?

Start with a 4-1/4 x 8-1/2 inch piece of cardstock; score at 5-1/2 inches to create the base of the card. Next, cut a 4-1/4 x 2-3/4 inch piece of patterned paper. Place the patterned paper on the small front flap of the card base. Do not glue it in place. Line up the edges of the patterned paper with the edges of the front flap of the card front. Tear both the front flap of the card base and the patterned paper, diagonally, at the same time.

Adhere the bottom pieces together (the torn cardstock and patterned paper). Adhere these pieces together so the paper pattern on the bottom is the same as the one adhered to the top. The torn edges of these pieces will actually be face down. But don’t worry, you can easily fluff them up a bit once you have the card together. Be sure to watch the video for details on this tip!

Next, cut a 4-1/4 x 5-1/4 inch piece of patterned paper which coordinates with the torn pieces. Adhere this piece behind the top part of the torn paper card front. Adhere the bottom torn paper layers to the bottom of the 4-1/4 x 5-1/4 inch patterned paper. Line up the bottom of the torn paper layers with the bottom of the card base when adhering it. Decorate as desired.

Reverse Fault Line

Now that you know how to create the fault line design, let’s create some variations! The next set of cards feature what I like to call a Reverse Fault Line design. You will tear the cardstock the exact same way as the first card. However, this time we will use a 4-1/4 x 2-3/4 inch piece of cardstock instead of patterned paper. Place the dark colored cardstock on the small front flap of the card base. Do not glue it in place.

Line up the edges of the dark colored cardstock with the edges of the front flap of the card front. Tear both the front flap of the card and the dark colored cardstock, diagonally, at the same time.

Flip over the bottom pieces to expose the torn edges. This will reverse the fault line design. Adhere the bottom pieces together so the dark colored cardstock is behind the torn card base cardstock. Cut a 4-1/4 x 5-1/4 inch piece of patterned paper. Adhere the patterned paper behind the top part of the torn paper card front.

Adhere the bottom torn paper layers to the bottom of the patterned paper. Line up the bottom of the torn paper layers with the bottom of the card base when adhering it. Decorate as desired.

Double Patterned Paper Layers

The last couple of card ideas feature the reverse fault line design with two layers of patterned paper! It creates such a cool effect! For this particular design, you will start by tearing just the front flap of the Pecan Pie colored card base. Next, cut two pieces of patterned paper at 4-1/4 x 4 inches. Be sure to use the same double sided patterned paper. In other words, cut the two pieces from the same sheet of double-sided patterned paper.

Place the two pieces of patterned paper together so that you have two different patterns face up. Stack the patterned papers together and line up the edges of the patterned paper with the edges of the front torn flap of the card front. Tear both pieces of patterned paper, diagonally, at the same time following the torn pattern on the card front.

Flip over the bottom piece of Pecan Pie cardstock to expose the torn edge. This will reverse the fault line design. Since the two pieces of patterned paper were torn with the two different patterns face up, it creates a nice torn edge that fits perfectly with the torn edge of the bottom piece of Pecan Pie cardstock. Adhere the patterned paper pieces in layers behind the Pecan Pie cardstock. Add a 4-1/4 x 4 inch piece of white cardstock to the inside of the card before adhering the bottom torn paper design.

The black and white card idea simply features different patterned papers. So, grab your favorite papers and start playing around with this technique!

Tutorial & Supplies

The fault line technique is such a fun way to give your cards a little extra “wow” without a lot of fuss! Whether you keep it simple or layer it up, it’s a versatile technique that works with any cardstock or patterned paper. For a complete list of supplies and instructions, feel free to download the printable tutorial.

Give it a try and let your creativity tear loose! And be sure to watch the video to see this technique in action! Have a fun and creative day my friends! ~ Lynn