Tag Archives: craft

Weekly Photo Challenge: Create with Paper

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Create

Last Wednesday, I made all these origami cranes on a coach trip to Wales. It was a school trip with 30 children, and I was unwinding with these cranes. (Origami paper from Muji.) I always keep a pack of origami papers in my bag.

Origami Cranes: symbol of peace

When I was putting the cranes on the  grass in the front garden to photograph them this evening, my neighbour’s lovely girl, Ffion, came over and told me she loved them. I gave her a few after I’d taken the photos. Continue reading →

How to Make a Chinese Takeaway Book in 10 minutes?

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(* Link to free download on Chinese characters near the end of this post.)

I’ve written 5 posts recently about bookbinding. This one is my last post in the bookbinding series.

Today I’m going to show you how to make a book with an oriental touch in just 10 minutes (or less).

I call it a Chinese Takeaway Book.

You don’t need glue, needles and scissors.

Apart from a card and some papers, you’ll only need 3 other things: a bamboo stick (chopstick or a skewer), an elastic band and a hole puncher.

You can make an elegant book with an oriental flavour.

This book is particularly suitable for children to make. I normally get my students to make one before the Chinese New Year and I get them to add a few Chinese words on the cover.

This book is oriental as I normally use a bamboo stick or a chopstick to support it. You can of course use a strong skewer, but make sure you cut off the sharp end of a skewer, as you don’t want blood in your classroom or lounge.

I’ve found disposable chopsticks that you get from Japanese restaurants are the best for this book as their length is just perfect. Most Chinese chopsticks are slightly too long.

Now you know why I sometimes help myself with extra pairs of chopsticks when I’m at a Japanese restaurant just before the Chinese New Year.

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How to Make a Book in 2 Minutes?

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Today I’m going to show you how to make a book in 2 minutes (or less).

You don’t need any glue or needle. You may need to use a pair of scissors, but you don’t have to.

You can turn a rectangular paper (e.g., A4) into an 8 page book. Brilliant, isn’t it?

If you work with school children, you know that kids forget to bring their books all the time. When kids don’t have their homework diary, they tend to write on their arms and hands, or on a scrap paper that they would never find later.

I don’t like that. I like words written down in a proper book.

Therefore, I often provide my pupils with an emergency ‘book’, when they begin to write on their arms or on the back of their hands.

You can make this book in 2 minutes.

The instructions for the 2 minute book are:

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How to Make a Beautiful Origami Accordion Book (like a Very Hungry Caterpillar)?

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Yesterday I showed you how to make this gorgeous Origami Accordion Book.

Beautiful origami accordion book

Today I’m going to show you some simple steps to turn it into another accordion book that expands like a Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Beautiful Accordion book like a Caterpillar

There’s a step-by-step slideshow for this easy-to-make book, but here’s a quick summary: Continue reading →

How to Make a Beautiful Origami Accordion Book?

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My passion for bookbinding has run wild since my last 2 posts about bookbinding.

I’m going to write more about hand-made books in the next few posts.

Today I’m going to show you how to make this sweet little accordion book.

Beautiful origami accordion book

There’s a step-by-step slideshow for this easy-to-make book, but here’s a quick summary:

1) Square origami paper (15cm x 15cm). I used 5, you can use as many as you wish.

2) Fold all 5 papers into Preliminary base , like this:

In Origami, it’s called a Preliminary Base

3) Glue all 5 units together (making sure they all face the same way).

4) Add 2 covers (slightly bigger than the 5 units). Add ribbons inside if you wish.

5) Done!

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The irresistible Pamphlet Stitching is SMART

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Through Merge, the incredible artist from London drawings, I got to know the one in a million Jacob Degeling, who taught  Pamphlet Stitching For People Who Want To Try It.

Jacob takes a more serious and traditional approach to bookbinding. He is also “a fan of apostrophes and Oxford Commas, and using capital letters, and spelling the word ‘you’ with its full 3 letters. ”  This makes me like him even more. Jacob also keeps 4 chicken, and we have got 2 chickens in the garden.

I followed Jacob’s instructions and made this book. Here is my result. Isn’t it cool?

I love this pamphlet stitching method as it is simple. It’s easy to do. Its principles are the same as those of the Japanese Sewing that I mentioned in my previous post.

I love achievable projects.

When binding the books, I remembered the over-used mnemonic that I learnt in school — SMART: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Relevant; Time-specific.

Both Japanese sewing and Pamphlet stitching are definitely SMART.

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My Son Ben loves drawing comics Continue reading →

Bookbinding is addictive! It’s fun!

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Thanks to Merge Leon’s marvellous blog post, Bookbinding Instructions #3, I learnt about Japanese sewing.

Merge Leon’s creative blog is called London drawings.

I was so inspired that I bound a notebook last night by following all his instructions.  Here is my newly bound book! Beautiful, isn’t it?

I bound this beautiful notebook — using a needle and thread.
See instructions: http://merchesico.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/bookbinding-instructions-3/

I know you’re tempted to make one yourself, simply visit Bookbinding Instructions #3 and you’ll be entertained by Merge’s drawings, and make sure you look at the animated instructions at  the end of his post too. It is simply clever.

I used a Crop-a-dile puncher to punch out all 5 holes. It’s a powerful tool and it cut through thick layers.

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