Star Book Tutorial by roughdrAftbooks

Guest tutorial by e. bond of roughdraftbooks



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We are thrilled today to bring you a cool star book bookbinding tutorial by roughdrAftbooks.  roughdrAftbooks is a sweet little one woman book studio in the heart of philadelphia specializing in hand-made book forms that turn into journals, notepads and one-of-a-kind wonders perfect for documenting your life.  Check her out online at Poppytalk Handmade HERE or on Etsy HERE. roughdrAftbooks will be holding a live bookmaking workshop at Anthropologie in Philadelphia (part of a city-wide event called Design Philadelphia. See info and site here).  Here's the tutorial! (Thanks e.)!


This star book form is a great structure to use in many ways. I have used this form as a holiday ornament, sun catchers, gift tags for presents and even wedding favors. You can use all kinds of great materials to make your form special.

Materials Needed:
5 pieces of paper, any size as long as it is perfectly square
2 pieces of decorated paper 1.5 inches larger than the size of your boards (to cover your boards)
2 boards (mat board thickness) cut exactly half the size of the paper you are using + ¼ inch
For instance if your paper is a 6 x 6 inch square, then you should cut 2 boards that are 3 ¼ inch.
glue stick, bone folder, scissors, cutting board and a piece of ribbon or something to use to keep book closed or to hang it from



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Star Book Tutorial by roughdrAftbooks

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Tutorial: Easy Tiny Envelopes

Guest tutorial by Ruth Bleakley



 
I discovered this envelope making method completely by accident when pulling soggy rain-soaked mail out of my leaky mailbox - I had a total *eureka* moment when the envelope I gingerly opened up completely unfolded at the seams revealing an envelope "template" perfectly.


I've seen many envelope tutorials online, some offer downloadable templates, some show fancy paper folding techniques and some suggest specific measurements to create your own D.I.Y. envelopes. I'm going to show you how to replicate any interesting envelope that you might already have, no measuring involved!


1. Choose an envelope you already have that you like the size and shape of


2. Soak it in a bowl of water (lukewarm is probably best) for about one minute, or until the glue releases from the paper easily. It will not take as long as you think!


3. Pat the now unfolded envelope dry - it doesn't have to be completely dry, just not drippy - and trace it onto a thin piece of cardboard - chipboard works well, as would something like a cereal box. Try to be accurate at this stage and trace neatly.




 
4. Cut the template out with a pair of scissors, and you may want to label it so that in the future you (or whoever you live with) won't say "what is this strange piece of cardboard?" and toss it out!


5. Use your new wonderful template to trace out an envelope design on any and all types of paper! Think gift wrap, maps, magazines, old calenders, stamped cardstock - you name it! I like to trace using pencil on the side that will be the inside so the marks won't show.









6. Carefully cut out your envelope with scissors and fold it up - I like to do the sides first, then use the folded sides as a guide on where to fold the top and bottom. Use the handle of your scissors or a bone folder for really crisp edges.


7. Use a glue tape roller  to stick your envelope together, or glue stick but I find glue stick gets brittle after just a few months, go ahead and get a glue tape roller, they're like $5 and you can find them in the adhesive section of an office supply store or craft store.


8. *Bonus Points* if you've ever wanted to be able to lick and stick your envelope flaps, check out this Lick& Stick glue I originally bought from Paper Source (they don't seem to carry it anymore). If you can't find it, you can also D.I.Y. your own envelope glue (2x craft bonus points!)


9. Ta-da! Admire your finished work! Ideas for use include: penpal & swap envelopes, gift card envelopes & storing small things in your studio - if you happen to make some yourself, I'd LOVE to see them! Post a link in the comments.


Ruth Bleakley is a paper addict who probably became a bookbinder soley as an excuse to obtain more paper. She lives on Cape Cod and also designs nautical invitations and stationery (more paper!) under the name Concertina Press.

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Tutorial: Easy Tiny Envelopes

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BHLDN Paper Pom Tutorial

Guest post by Lindsey Buck of The Hive

If you’ve ever ordered Paper Poms from BHLDN, your first thought may have been something like this (especially if you’ve never dealt with paper poms before): What is this? I thought it was a paper pom and not a fan. Do I take the wire middle off? I will never get this to look as beautiful as BHLDN! I eventually asked BHLDN for help and it ended up being a very obvious process, so here is my version of the steps (after the jump):


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BHLDN Paper Pom Tutorial

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https://charlotte-lifesaboutthejourney.blogspot.com/2011/08/bhldn-paper-pom-tutorial.html

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