Sunday, March 22, 2009

Origami Booklet

Here is the Origami Booklet tutorial that I promised you--this is my first tutorial, so I hope that I do not forget anything!

This idea came from an educational/reading workshop that I attended years ago for my job--a project for a poetry book; I have no name to credit the original idea to.

The supplies that you will need are:

Two 3 x 6 inch cardboard rectangles--

(You can use a cereal or Kleenex box, I used a lightweight piece from SU dp packaging)

Decorator paper to cover these pieces 4 x 7 inches

Three 6 inch square pieces (to create a three page booklet)

Three colored 6 inch square pieces to create the actual pages

Red tape or the adhesive of your choice

Ribbon or twine

Scoring board or bone folder

Score the three white sheets in half at three inches;

Score the three colored pages diagonally from corner to corner;

Flip over and score half way (at three inches) crossing the center point of the diagonal lines.

Flip the square back over and pinch the square into a triangular shape, creating a triangular pocket shape. You may decorate the inside of this pocket as you desire. I used SU's Baroque Motifs for a bit of added interest.

You are now going to attach the blue pocket page to the white base page. Place tape on one triangle at a time. Line the triangle up to the outer edge of the folded white piece.

Tape the second triangle the same way, lining up the edges. You now have one unit, or pocket page, for your booklet. Construct the other two pages in the same manner.

You will now attach the units together, creating the inside of your booklet. This picture shows how two units are taped together, back to back. You then attach the third page unit, readying it for the covers.

Adhere your 3 x 6 lightweight cardboard piece to the back of your decorator cardstock. I used carpet tape, seeing it's wide and very sticky. Trim the points of the cardstock so you do not have a lot of bulk on the corners. Use red tape to tape the edges down to the covers. Create both your front and back covers.

Attach your front and back covers to the page unit.

You are ready to cut a binding out of contrasting paper. I attached my grosgrain ribbon to the booklet by layering it underneath the binding strip before taping it down.

You may now decorate your booklet in any manner that you please; I chose to finish mine off with Prima flowers with brad centers.