Do you know the art of folding books? here are step by step instructions to transform a book into a work of art.
You are reading: Folding pages in books
There are moments in life when you realize that even the ordinary….
….it can become extraordinary.
(total aside: I know you may not have had a cup of coffee yet, but I wanted you to know we’re going to dig deeper this morning)
really.
I like this simple kentucky law book.
outdated. destined for the trash. disregarded. underrated sad.
okay… you get the picture.
but with a small folded book, these simple pages transform into something that looks more like this.
is the state of kentucky.
I know… right?
Isn’t that amazing? the weekend before last, my sister gave a class on how to make these and how to fold a book and how to transform an old outdated book into something wonderful.
I folded this book in kentucky, but you can do other states, words, monograms, hearts, arrows or… or… or… or the possibilities are endless.
and it’s easy. It takes a lot of time, yes. but really easy. if you can fold a sheet of paper… you can make this book.
And the best part? my sister of former book folding fame wrote instructions for all of us. But before we get started, here are a few questions I’ve been asked about the whole book folding situation:
Q: Is it easy to fold a book?
yes. book folding is really very easy. It is one of those crafts that seems much more difficult than it really is and with a little patience and perseverance, you can transform a book into a work of art. all you need to get started is a book and a template. Below I show you what a template looks like and how to use it. you can create a pattern or template on the computer, or on your own with a little patience. you’ll want to add lines/stripes to your design as fold guides. I like to use illustrator or photoshop to do this, but you can also mark it with a ruler and pen.
here is a link to custom book folding patterns you can order.
p: how much is 180 times?
This is another way to create folded book artwork with an extra step. 180 folding is simply folding all the pages towards the spine before you start marking and creating the project.
p: how many pages should a book have?
Typically, you’ll need at least 300 pages for a complex folding project. the more pages you have, the more pages you can fold and the design will be defined through the multiple folded pages. just remember that a page in a book is really two pages (front and back), so if there are 400 pages in the book, there are only 200 folds available.
q: how long does it take to create a folded book?
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It usually takes 3-4 hours to complete the folded book project. there’s a short learning curve that takes a bit of time, but once you get started, it goes much faster.
q: what do you do with the pages of old books?
I love the pages of old books. They are one of my favorite things to decorate. here are some suggestions for some crafts with old book pages:
- book page garland
- bird and nest project
- paper christmas tree
- fall leaves and rabbit hutch decoration
- book page projects
here is an easy and simple tutorial for folding books.
DIY folded book
tools needed:
old book
pencil
ruler (optional)
pattern
patience
here is a link to custom book folding patterns you can order.
instructions:
1. choose your book
You probably want one that is at least 400 pages long, unless you have a more complex layout. in which case, you’ll want one with 600-900 pages.
2. choose what you would like to create with book folding
print the font/photo on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper. you’ll want to match the size of the book and make sure you have margins of about an inch/inch and a half from the bottom and top of your book .
This will allow you ample room to fold.
3. create a pattern for the book folding project
You can do it on the computer or on your own with a little patience. you’ll want to add lines/stripes to your design as fold guides. i like to use illustrator or photoshop to do this but you can mark it with a ruler and pen. remember that a page of a book is really two pages (front and back), so if there are 400 pages in the book, there are only 200 folds available. each fold needs a stripe, so you’ll need at least two different colors of contrasting stripes (use highlighters).
here is a link to custom book folding patterns you can order.
If you would like to have additional pages before and after the folded sculpture, be sure to account for those. so for a 400 page book you would want a pattern that had about 150 folds (or 150 ruled), so that you could have 25 pages on the front and 25 on the back. if you wanted a fold for each page, you would need that to be 200 folds (or 200 ruled)
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4. start folding
Well, you have your pattern, you have your book. how do you start?
first, fold down the top of the pattern sheet so you have a guide for the top of the page. this will ensure that the folded section is even at the top.
5. make a fold mark
Take a pencil and, with the book closed, make a mark on all the pages approximately halfway between the spine and the edge of the book. do the same at the bottom of the page. these will be your folding guides.
6. fold the first page
Next, tuck the pattern under the first page you want to start folding and align the top guide with the top of the book. you’ll want to make sure the first stripe of your pattern is parallel to the outside edge of the book.
7. mark the stripe after you have folded that page
To make the first fold, you’ll take the top right corner of the page and fold it in toward the center to form a triangle. the angles of the triangle will be determined by the two guides you have: the mark you made at the top of the book as a corner, and the top of the first line as the second.
8. complete the folding of the book by pressing and folding
9. keep folding
now take the bottom right corner of that same page and repeat the process using the bottom of the first stripe as a guide and the bottom mark you made.
10. make another hash mark
make a hash mark on your pattern to indicate that you have completed that stripe. then push the pattern to the second of the book so that the second line is parallel to the edge of the book. repeat the process.
11. keep folding until you have folded all the contour lines
12. tell yourself you’re brilliant when you’re done
ps here are a couple of project notes:
1. turn on a TV marathon. this project took me about 3 hours from start to finish.
2. At first, you may be convinced that your book will never look the way you planned.
trust me.
at first it looks like a bunch of folded papers and then halfway through it all starts to look amazing.
3. if this is all a bit overwhelming and your eyes are glazed over.
don’t worry. I totally get it.
There are tons of other book projects waiting to be created.
That’s why I put together an entire pinterest board of simple book projects just for us.
ps here is a link to custom book folding patterns you can order.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used in this post. If you buy something through my links, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. thanks for supporting thistlewood.
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