Twelve
Simple
Books
1-One Sheet Book
2-Accordion Book
3-Flutter Book
4-Simple Sewn Book
5-Explosion Book
6-Flip Flap Book
7-Flag Book
8-Dos-Á-Dos (Z-cover Book)
9- Slit Book
10- Fold Out Book
11- Palm Leaf Book
12-Japanese Stab Book
1-One Sheet Book
Step one
Fold the paper over longways so that the
corners meet. Crease well and then unfold.
Fold the paper over in the other direction.
Place the corners together and crease well.
Do not unfold.
Step two
Fold back one side as shown in figure 4.
Place the corners together and crease well.
Repeat with the other side.
Step three
Unfold the last two folds. Holding the
folded side in your hand, cut along the
center line until you reach the first vertical
fold
Step four
Open the paper so that eight sections are
showing. Fold the page over longways. (If
there are pictures or words on the paper
they should be on the inside.)
Step five
Holding on to each side, gently push the
ends together to form the pages of the
book.
Step six
Fold the front and back covers around so
that the corners meet. Crease well. You
should have six pages inside for writing
and artwork.
2-Accordion Book:
Alternate Method for Accordion Book
Materials Needed:
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1 sheet of white bond paper -- 8 ½" x 11"
2 pieces of cardstock, mat board or poster board - 4 3/8" x 2 7/8" each
20” of narrow ribbon
glue stick
clear tape
Method:
1. Cut bond paper in half lengthwise into strips 4 ¼"
x 11".
2. Fold each strip in half the short direction.
3. Fold each strip in half again to form an accordion
or fan fold.
4. Tape or glue strips together to form one long strip
that is 4 ¼" x 22".
5. Glue to mat board covers.
6. Glue ribbon to outside back cover, wrap around
and tie in the front.
1- Cut a piece of text-weight paper (the kind you find in
a copier or printer) -- 17” long by 5 ½” wide.
(You can get 2 books out of 1 piece of 11” by 17”
paper.
2- Cut 2 covers of poster board cardstock—5 ½” long by
3” wide.
3- Mark the 17” by 5 ½” paper as follows:
1”
3”
3”
3”
3”
4-Fold paper like an accordion.
5-Number your pages and plan your
illustrations. Pick a theme—animals, foods,
countries, toys, candy, family, balloons,
animal tracks, pets-- any thing you like.
Keep shapes simple and small. Silhouettes
work very nicely.
Could use stamps or a stencil to illustrate pages.
3”
1”
3-
4-Simple Sewn Book:
Materials Needed:
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5 sheets of white bond paper -- 8 ½" x 11"
1 sheet of lightweight cardstock -- 8 ½" x 11"
1 needle
1 thread (quilting thread works well if you don't have book
thread) The thread needs to be three times the height of
the booklet
about12 to 18 inches.
3 or 4 paper clips
Method:
1. Cut bond paper in half lengthwise into strips 4 ¼" x 11".
Fold these strips in half the short direction to form a page 4
¼" x 5½". Stack the folded pages one inside the other to
form a signature of 10 pages total.
2. Cut lightweight cardstock in half lengthwise into 2 strips 4
¼" x 11". You will only need one of the strips to make the
cover. Fold this strip in half the short direction to form a
cover 4 ¼" x 5 ½".
3. Place signature inside of cover, lining up the center creases.
Clamp together using paper clips.
4. In the center crease, mark the center and two more holes
spaced about ½" from the ends. Pierce with needle through
all pages and the cover.
5. Using the needle and thread. Double thread and ties a knot
at open ends. Start sewing by going through the center hole
from the inside to the outside. Then go in one of the other
holes, going from the outside to the inside. Run the thread
down the center inside crease, past the center hole to the
third hole and out. Then go back to the outside center hole
and go in. Carefully pull thread tight. Tie a square knot and
clip the tag ends about 1" long. (see illustration below)
5-Explosion Book
5. Fold cover stock in half
(hamburger fold). Apply glue to
outside and place on one half of
cover. Apply glue to other half
of text block and fold cover
over. Open gently to explore.
Materials:
1 8 ½ x 11 inch text paper
1 8 ½ x 4 ¼ inch cardstock cover
Tools:
Glue stick
Scissors
Method:
1. Fold text weight paper to
form a rectangle and
unfold.
6-Flip Flap
Book
2. Fold text weight paper
square across the diagonal
to create a triangle.
3. Refold into a
triangle shape and fold
the tip of the triangle
until it meets the center
fold. This short fold
should run parallel to
the center fold. Do all
four corners. Unfold
and paper should look like illustration.
4. Fold in corners and sides until it collapses into this shape.
Grade Level: K-3
Subject Area: All
Materials Needed
Cardstock--unlined paper,
various sizes
crayons, markers, colored
pencils
scissors
glue
tape
Method: Fold in paper in half the longways. Unfold and mark equal
sections along edge. Cut slits to center fold.
Five Senses Instructions
Have students label the flaps as
follows: I See, I hear, I Taste, I
Smell, and I Touch. Ask them to write
and illustrate facts about each of the
five senses inside. Or, they can list
descriptive words under each flap
such as sweet, spicy, sour, and salty
under I Taste
7-
Smaller size flag book
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Cardstock for accordion spine, 4 ¼ X 11 inches, one per
student
Cardstock for cover, 4 ¼ X 5 ½ inches, two per student
Text paper for flags, 2 1/8 X 5 inches, six per student
8-Dos-'A-Dos or Z-Cover Book
9-Slit Book
Materials Needed:
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6 sheets of white or colored bond paper -- 8 ½" x 11"
1 sheet of lightweight cardstock -- 8 ½" x 11"
1 needle
2 threads (Each length of thread needs to be three times
the height of the booklet—about 12 to 18 inches.)
3 or 4 paper clips
1. Use two sheets of 8 ½” X 11”
paper.
2. Fold first sheet and cut 1 ½” in
from each end.
(Add more sheets here for more
pages in the book.)
Method:
1. Cut lightweight cardstock in half lengthwise into 2 strips 4
¼" x 11". You will only need one of the strips to make the
cover. Fold this strip in thirds across the short direction,
forming a Z.
2. Cut bond paper in half lengthwise into strips 4 ¼" x 11"
each. Fold bond paper into thirds. Cut off 1/3 to make a
sheet. (Discard single sheets or use them for scratch
paper.) Stack 6 of the longer folded sheets together to form
a signature.
3. Place the signature inside one of the folds of the cover,
lining up the center creases. Clamp together using paper
clips or binder clips.
4. Follow instructions 4 and 5 from A Simple Book for sewing
book together.
5. Create a second signature and sew it inside the other valley
in the cover.
3. Fold second sheet. Measure 1 ½” from
each end and cut between the marks as
shown.
4. Gently roll the edges of one half of
the first sheet toward the center.
5. Slip the rolled edges carefully through
the slit cut in the second sheet.
10-Fold Out Book
This is a fun form. Great with second and third graders.
You Need:
1 piece 12" x 18" paper
1 piece 6" x 18" cover stock or oaktag
1 piece 24" yarn or ribbon
Glue stick and scrap paper
Hole punch
Pony beads (a fun extra)
7. Glue the folded pages to the
center of the cover.
8. Fold the bottom cover up over
the pages and the top down. Be
careful not to fold the pages.
9. Punch a hole in the center of the
top flap. Thread the yarn through
the hole. Pull it over the top of the
cover so that there is yarn in the
front and back of the book. Make the ends even. Tie the yarn at
the bottom with a double knot. Don't make it too tight. The yarn
slips on and off for a closure. Add beads to the ends for decoration
if you want.
1. Place the large paper
sideways so that it is a
rectangle.
2. Fold it into thirds by
measuring 6” panels.
3. Unfold it and fold it into thirds the
other way using 3” panels.
4. Open the paper. It should have
squares
5. Cut out the four corner pieces to make a large plus sign.
9
11-Palm Leaf Book
1. Print and cut pages to the desired size. Pages can be any
shape. Rectangles and circles work well. A small box works well
to keep the book in.
2. Punch holes in the center of two opposite sides.
6. Fold the
pages in. The
order doesn't
matter.
3. Thread string or ribbon through
holes and tie loosely.
12-Japanese Stab Book
Materials and tools:
4 ¼ X 5 ½ inch paper for book block-as many as you want
2--4 ¼ X 5 ½ inch cover stock
Thread (8 times as long as book’s
height)
Needle
Bulldog clips
Awl or T-pin
Ruler
2
3
1. Using a ruler, draw a line from top
to bottom of the front cover, about
1/4"from the spine. Make two marks
on this line, one 1/4' down from the
top of the book, the other 1/4" up
from the bottom. Now divide the
distance between these marks into
thirds and mark the two middle points.
4
2. Even up the pages and clamp the book together with binder
clips, or weight down the front edge to keep the pages from
moving. Protect your work surface with a piece of scrap wood or an
old phone book as you punch a hole at each of the marked points
using the awl or T-pin.
3. Thread the needle. Open the
book a few pages and, next to
the lower middle hole, push the
needle through from the inside.
Leave about a 3 inch tail. Go
out to the front cover by
pushing the needle up through
the hole.
1
4. Now sew the rest of the book as shown in the accompanying
illustrations. Pull the thread snug each time you go through a hole.
5
6
Go into the starting hole again. Open book to where the beginning
thread is and push the needle beside loose thread. Tie a square
knot and trim ends.