A Dutch door is a journal page that has been trimmed shorter or narrower than the pages around it, so part of the next spread peeks through. Cut the edge in a smooth curve instead of a straight line and the spread suddenly looks layered, playful and handmade. Here is how to plan one, cut it cleanly and protect the rest of your journal.
What is a Dutch door?
It is simply a page (or a few pages) cut along one edge while it stays bound in the spine. When you turn the page, you see a slice of the page beneath, then the whole spread. Straight Dutch doors are easy with a ruler; curved ones (waves, hills, scallops) are where a swivel blade shines.
What you need
- Your journal (dot grid or plain paper works well).
- A pencil and an eraser.
- A thin cutting mat, or a piece of card, to slip under the page you are cutting.
- A precision craft knife with a swivel blade, such as the Gyro-Cut PRO or the Gyro-Cut JNR. Both cut paper and thin card with the blade they come with.
Plan the spread
Decide which part of the next spread you want to reveal: a title, a photo, a color block. Lightly sketch it so you know where the cut must stop. One door per spread is plenty to start; three stacked doors with different curves look stunning once you are comfortable.
Draw the curve
Draw the curve in pencil from the top edge to the bottom edge of the page. Keep the curve gentle at first: long waves are easier to follow than tight zigzags. Leave at least a finger's width of paper next to the spine so the page stays strong.
Protect the pages underneath
This is the step people skip. Slip your cutting mat or a piece of card directly under the page you are cutting, so the blade only goes through that one page. Without it, the blade can mark the page below.
Cut with a swivel blade
Hold the tool like a pen, upright, and follow your pencil line with light, steady pressure. The blade turns on its own, so you never rotate the journal and the curve stays smooth. If the paper is thick, go over the line a second time rather than pressing harder.
Decorate both sides
Erase the pencil, then decorate the edge on both sides of the door: washi tape along the curve, a doodled border, a sticker that sits half on the door and half on the page behind. Turn the page back and forth to check that both views look good.
JNR or PRO for journaling?
Both cut paper and thin card beautifully with the blade included. Choose the PRO if you would like to cut thicker cardstock, felt or fabric later: it takes three more blades. Compare the PRO and the JNR.
Good to know
Will it cut through two pages? It can, which is why the mat or card under the page matters. Which blade? The Standard blade that comes with the PRO (or the JNR blade) is the one for paper. Shipping? Free to the USA and Canada, and no customs fees for US orders.