Our first guest nesters! Jessie and Dee Lorimer gave me the instructions to make these adorable accordion-style books. They’re a little more complicated than my bound books, but they don’t require any specialized tools or supplies. Plus, they’re well worth the effort!

Mini accordion books

Supplies

  • 12- by 12-inch decorative sheet of paper (or fabric, wallpaper, etc.)
  • cereal box
  • glue stick
  • ribbon
  • 5 sheets of colored paper

Tools

  • scissors or paper cutter
  • ruler
  • pencil

1. Fold each sheet of colored paper diagonally into a square. Cut off the excess and discard.

2. Fold each sheet again diagonally, then fold side to side into four squares.

3. Glue the top left square of one sheet to the bottom right square of another sheet. Repeat.

4. Fold accordion style. It’s impossible to explain this, so I hope this video helps…

5. Using a square as a measurement (4-1/4 inches), cut two pieces of cardboard from the cereal box that are 1/2 inch larger (4-3/4 inches). These will be the covers.

4. Cut two pieces of decorative paper about 3/4 inch larger than the cardboard all the way around. Glue the cardboard to the center back of the decorative paper. Then fold and glue each corner.

5. Then fold and glue the sides down.

6. Cut a piece of ribbon about 26 inches long. Glue the center to the inside of one of the covers. Glue 4-1/4 inch pieces of scrap paper over to secure (shown) or 4-3/4 inch pieces of decorative paper (recommended).

7. Glue the colored pages to the cardboard by placing the wrong side of the cardboard under the outermost squares.

8. Cut two pieces of decorative paper the same size as a square (4-1/4 inches). Glue these onto the outermost corners for a clean finish.

9. Glue your pictures, text, or scrap to each square (front and back).

10. Refold accordion style.

11. Tie closed with the ribbon.

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