A Pretty Little POCKET Book Tutorial!

Hi everyone!

I've been having SO MUCH fun with the newest digital line at Crafty Secrets.  It's their new SEWING line and there are so many wonderful papers, printables, ephemera and much, much more, that you'll want to pop right over to the Crafty Vintage Girl shoppe and check it out for yourself!

All page photos at bottom of this post.

Recently a friend of mine (thanks Judy - Back Porch Crafts by Judy) was showing me how she had folded double sided 12x12 size papers to create a FABULOUS pocket book.  While playing with those papers a light bulb came on in my head and I thought ... why can't I print out the beautiful papers from Craft Secrets and make a smaller version of this pocket book ... so I DID and would like to share the book & tutorial with you today and hopefully you will be inspired to give it a try! 

(CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE)

STEP 1:  CREATING THE PAGES

I decided to have 5 pages in my book so I printed out 5 different paper patterns from the Digital - Sewing Papers -DP-07 plus one more sheet to use on my front & back chipboard covers.

• After printing my papers, I cut the 8 1/2" side to an even 8" just to make the measurements easier.

• Score vertically at the half way point (4") and crease well with your bone folder.

• Then turn your paper and score again at the horizontal half way point (5 1/2") and again a quarter of the way up from the bottom of your page at (2 3/4").

Be sure to FOLD & CREASE each score line very well.  

• Now, turn your paper over so the print side is facing you ... fold the bottom up to the top (crease on the half way score line) then fold back down at the 1/4 score line and crease again.

 

This next step is a little tricky but once you get it you just repeat it on each page.

 This step will create a DOUBLE pocket on the left side of our book 

(you can do both sides if you'd like).

• On the lower quarter portion of your pocket page, fold down from the left top corner to the bottom to create a triangle (as shown below).  Crease WELL with your bone folder.

 Now lift that flap back up and 'turn inside out' to form the double pocket and crease well.

 

(side view)

 (looking from the bottom up view)

Here are the pages all folded (not taped yet) for my book.

• After you have your paper folded to create the pocket, you will want to use a strong adhesive like Scor-Tape or RedLine Tape to adhere the bottom panel (as shown below) . . .

•  As well as the full single pocket end on the right side of your book pages.  I didn't think to do that until I had my pages all put together ... DUH!  LOL!

STEP 2:  BUILD YOUR BOOK, COVERS & CLOSURE

I save all the heavy duty cardboard from things like cereal boxes or in this case, a large pack of Puffs Basic Tissues from the Wholesale Club!  The work perfectly for making covers for this type of project.

I have kept the PRINTED side to be taped down to my pages and used the cardboard side to cover for my front/back covers.  After choosing/printing the digital paper I wanted to use, I cut it to 8 x 11" ... then cut it in half ... then in half again to give me my 5 1/2 x 4" panels.  (And of course this leaves me two additional panels for the covers on another pocket book.)

Time to put our 'pages' together to create our 'book'.

Using a strong tape (I've used Scor-tape) adhere the 'back' of one page to the 'front' of another.  Be sure you have all your pockets at the bottom of your book when adhering your pages together or you will have a problem (ask me how I know ... teehee!).

This is what your 'book' will look like once adhered together.

Now it's time to put on our cover & ribbon closures

• Cut your ribbon 'triple' the length of your front/back covers to allow length for tying.  In this case, I have used TWO strips, each 24" long.

• Measure a quarter of the way down from the top & up from the bottom and draw a line on the INSIDE of your cover.

• Place a strip of Scor-tape the length of each marked line.

Below photo is the BACK COVER of your book.

• Position your ribbon (leaving the length for tying) on your adhesive strips.
• Then position adhesive strips around the outside perimeter of your cover.
• Adhere to the BACK of the LAST page of your book.

Below photo is the FRONT COVER of your book.

• Position a strip of adhesive a 1/4 of the way down from the top & up from the bottom and adhere your closure ribbons,
• Place adhesive strips around the perimeter of the FRONT cover and position/adhere to the front of the first page of your book.

This is what it will look like once your covers have been attached.

NOW THE FUN BEGINS!
This new sewing line offers SO MANY wonderful ephemera that you can add to your book as well as you can add your own touches with lace, ribbon, stick pins ... the possibilities are endless.    Below are the pages of my book using items from various files in this sewing collection.  If you need specific details please leave me a comment and I will get you an answer.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you've enjoyed this project/tutorial.

Here are a few other challenges I'd like to enter into:
Our Creative Corner - Fashion & Style
Hotshot Craft - Anything but a Card
Jellypark Challenge - It's About a Book
Craft-room Challenge - In the Library
Party Time Tuesday - Anything But a Card
Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown - Fancy Folds
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
Craftin Desert Divas Linky Party - Use buttons
The Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything Goes
Mema's Crafts - April Anything Goes
Mygrafico - Anything Goes
UnstampaBelles - Anything but a Card

AS ALWAYS . . .