Making An A5 Concertina Sketchbook

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  Step 1

  Using your A2 paper & ruler, measure 21cm down from the landscape top. mark in pencil 4 different places along the horizontal 21cm edge.

  join up the 4 marks with a ruler to create a line

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  Step 2

  cut along the pencil line using a safety ruler, craft knife & cutting mat. ensure that you line up the end of one cut with the beginning of the next & follow the line accurately to avoid untidy edges

• Step 3

  measure 15 cm across & mark in pencil at the top & bottom, this creates the first fold line. fold the paper along the line to create your first page

  measure 15cm again & fold the paper in the opposite direction making a zigzag format required to make a concertina sketchbook. continue measuring 15cm & marking the top & bottom then folding in the opposite direction to the last

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  Step 4

  trim of any excess at the end of the completed folds

  repeat steps 3 & 4 until you have 3 concertinas

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  Step 5

  to join the concertinas, carefully line up one stack with the next...

  ... i ran out of paper (could only get two concertinas out of my A2 paper so i substituted by folding 3 pieces of A4...

  ... It is important at this stage to check that the two being joined together will create the zigzag pattern. Once this is done, carefully cut a length of masking tape & apply to create a joining hinge. Turn over & repeat on the back of the join.

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  Step 6

  making the backboards- cut two pieces of mount card (or in my case, recycled cereal box ^_^) measuring 23cm by 17cm

  if you are adding cover to the boards do it now. this should leave about 1cm around the edge of the backboard to allow extra wrap over the edges. (as you can see i used newspaper,yay for recycling!!)

  to make sure the board stays in place i used double sided tape at the corners before trimming the corners for the clean finish

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  Step 7

  the cover can be applied using a thin layer of glue

  i used PVA & literally put a line of it on the edge & folded the edge inwards which made the glue spread evenly towards the center. I used my fingers to flatten it gently to a smooth edge

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  Step 8

  Next cut two pieces of ribbon (long enough to wrap around the sketchbook & fasten allowing some extra for expansion).

  I used the ribbons that you find inside some shirts, the ones that hold it up on a coat-hanger... ease of access coming into play once more...

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  Step 9

  To fix the ribbon, use a piece of masking tape halfway down on the horizontal edge of each backboard, on the inside of course. allow at least 2cm to sit on the board so its less likely to come loose & need reattaching which would involve redoing the next step...

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  Step 10

  glue the finished concertina inserts onto the backboards. Line them up centrally covering the edges of the backboard cover (if you used one). position & smooth down to remove any air bubbles

  I chose to use double sided tape instead of glue as it has a tendency to warp the paper & make an awful looking effect whereas double sided tape leaves a smooth professional finish

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  Step 11

  TIP: to ensure that the covers are completely flat when glued so they don't warp & bend, put them under a heavy book to dry so they have a strict shape to dry with instead of opportunity to bend

  if you decided to use glue, once both sides of the back covers are glued your sketchbook is complete & ready to use!!

• Step 12

  decorate the cover if you choose to do so.

  you could -

  start using it, personalize it & have fun filling the pages...

  OR

  gift wrap it & give it away as a present

  OR

  something else :) it's yours to do with as you wish ^_^

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