Modified Concertina Book Format

Here is one of those lovely WC Maruman accordion books Laura has be raving about on her blog.

WARNING: This is a VERY LONG post!

But suppose it’s hard for you to find this book? Suppose you’d like to mix up different papers for a traveling journal? (Wink to FPPers) Suppose, like me, your accordion folding skills do not allow for perfectly aligned gate folds?

Here is a tutorial for a modified concertina book form.






First, establish the grain of the paper you have chosen. The grain of the paper offers less resistance when gently bowed like this. The grain should be aligned with the spine of the book. In my case, I’m making a landscape format book so I’m aligning the grain with the short end.







Determine your page size. Cut the pages as high as you want and double the width.







Divide the page in half and score it with a bone folder or a blunt letter opener. Scoring the paper makes it easier to fold the page in half.





Use the bone folder to press the fold in both directions






Cut the hinges (as high as your pages and about 5 cm or 1 ½ inches wide.






Score and fold the hinges in half.





You can see where we are headed with this.











Glue both sides of the hinge and glue down two consecutive pages












You don’t want your hinge to stick up like this. I’m just trying to illustrate the under layer for your.











Your front and back cover needs to be .5 cm or ¼” larger in both directions. Glue them on now or after the book is completed. You can use matte board, firm plastic, card stock, or covered book board.

And there you have a simple to construct book filled with exactly the paper you wish to have.