Dungeons & Dragons Inspired Dragon Eye Fold
Hi everyone!
After taking a short, much-needed break from book folding to recharge, I’m back! The motivation to pick up my ruler and scissors again came from the March theme over on the Facebook Group, which was Dungeons & Dragons (D&D
While there are countless fantasy elements I could have chosen, nothing feels more iconic or menacing than a dragon. Instead of folding the whole beast, I wanted a design that was intensely focused—like an ancient creature staring right out of a spellbook at you.
The Fold: An Inverted Dragon’s Eye
To get that deep, penetrating look for the pupil and the scales, I used an inverted cut and fold technique with a 180 fold.
To ensure maximum contrast, I inserted black cardstock into the folds to ensure maximum contrast. and to make sure the final book was exceptionally neat, I deliberately designed the pattern with a 2cm border at the top and bottom. This gave the cardstock a decent amount of page to stick securely to, instead of trying to attach the card to a small fold at the top and bottom of the book, resulting in clean, crisp edges.
The Bowing Struggle
I am really pleased with the striking final result; the black cardstock makes a massive difference, and the eye really stands out. However, this book came with its own set of structural challenges!
My main worry was having long strips of cardstock in certain places without many folds to anchor them. In the past, this can cause the card to bow or warp, ruining the flat look of the book. To combat this, I made sure to pull the card very tight when sticking it down. Using quite wide strips of card also helped give those sections the rigidity they needed to stay flat. While the bowing of the card is not absolutely perfect, it really doesn’t detract from the finished work.
AI-Enhanced Imagery & Pattern Release
Another part of this project that I really enjoyed was the final stage: the photography. Usually, I take plain product shots against a neutral background. However, for a Dungeons & Dragons theme, I wanted the photo to tell a story. I had a great time playing around with using AI tools to make some unique images for this post, adding a ton of atmosphere to the finished piece. This is something I want to play around with more in the future.
Despite the initial worries about the cardstock, the dragon is sitting proudly on the shelf. If you would like to tackle this challenge yourself, or if you want to grab the finished piece for your next DM gift, they are both available! Also, be sure to check out the Facebook group for hundreds of free patterns and a new theme every month.
You can find the digital download pattern, as well as the finished physical book, on my Etsy shop right here:
