Easy DIY Mini Accordion Book Photo Tutorial

My advanced bookbinding class last spring took on the big project of coptic stitch books and so to reward them for all their hard work and patience as I worked out the kinks of teaching a group of people a very tricky stitch, I made everyone in the class these fun little accordion books! Here’s a step by step photo tutorial to make your own mini accordion books – it’s super easy and fun. Details and instructions on each step are below the photos.

If you’ve made some tiny books, I’d love to see them! Leave a link in the comments – Ruth

 

Materials:

• Scraps of thin decorative paper for covers
• filler paper (this can be regular computer paper – I used antique laid resume paper)
• thin cardboard for the covers (the kind on the back of a sketchpad will work fine)
• glue (I use PVA but any white glue would work fine)
• 1/8″ thin ribbon (you can also make it without the ribbon)

Tools:

• Heavy duty mat knife, or scissors
• metal ruler
• cutting mat (or cardboard, to protect your table)
• Foam brush (for glue)
• bone folder (optional, for folding paper)

Instructions:

1. Cut cardboard covers slightly larger than the size of your accordion, folded up. I made these strips of paper as wide as printer paper (8.5″) and about 2″ tall, then made the cardboard covers slightly larger than the inside paper by about 1/8″. I folded the paper first, then measured the folded size to determine the cover. I cut the cardboard with a utility knife and metal ruler.

2. Cut decorative cover paper for the cardboard so that it overhangs all sides by 1/4″ and trim off the corners so they’re mitered (at a 45 degree angle) that way there’s less bulk in the corners when you glue them (third photo down from the top on the left). Apply glue and fold opposite sides together, long sides first, then top and bottom sides.

3. Gluing the inside is the trickiest – fold up your accordion inside, and put glue on the back of the last sheet – the side that will come in contact with the back cover of your book, and carefully center it on the back cover (large photo in the middle). For the front cover, put glue on the sheet facing you and then lay the cover on top like you’re putting together a sandwich, keeping the accordion folded (second photo up from the bottom, on the left).

4. Viola! If you like, cut a short piece of ribbon and glue it to the back of the book for a tie. Make sure there’s no glue sticking the pages of your book together before you tie it and leave it to dry.

If you’ve made some tiny books, I’d love to see them! Leave a link in the comments – Ruth

*pssst* I ‘m also on Pinterest – check out my Handmade Books and Journals Board

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