Envelope Books.

[Ralph]

I got the idea for this from the Australian magazine Stamping and Papercraft (vol. 9 No. 2, if anyone is interested). Here are some pics of the one I made:

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These are only some of the pages as I'm more interested in throwing this idea out there for other people to use than I am interested in showing off.

Here are the instructions:

Materials:

140mm x 80mm money envelopes
Assorted remnants of text, decorative paper etc.
Glue stick

Method:

1. Lay the envelopes together with fronts to fronts and backs to backs. Six is a good number as this leaves you with eight pages to decorate plus a front and back cover, although use as many as you like.

2. Prepare various paper remnants such as text from an old book, decorative paper etc to be placed over the joins between the envelopes to bind them together. Make sure you have enough to keep the design consistent.

3. Place the envelopes side by side with the flaps facing up and begin to paste paper remnants over the gap using the glue stick.

4. Fold the right-hand envelope over the left-hand one and place another envelope next to them on the right, this time with the flaps facing down, and join them together as before. Continue doing this until you have the number of pages you desire, then decorate!

This is so easy and fun to do. I did mine with a butterfly theme just to start me off, because I have so many butterfly things around. I am currently working on two more, one that will be like a vintage field guide about dragons, with letters and maps and such in the envelopes and another with lager enveopes to use as a memory book for a trip I'm taking to Melborne, but I'd love to see what all the amazing crafty people here can do with this project!

I've posted a tute for the accordion fold butterfly on the cover here:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=233667.0

-Ralph

 

[annette]

these look very cool, but i'm not sure i understand how they are put together--is it sort of an accordian fold idea?  and then you can tuck stuff into the envelopes, right?
yeah, i'm going to have to figure this out--thanks for sharing the idea!

[cheesedip]

I made one of these today! it's not decorated, like yours, it's simply practical, but still great! I love yours, so pretty.

[hellokinky]

oh i totally get how to make that now! lately i've been envelope-crazed! this project reminds me sort of the 'envelope memory keep' someone else posted here. LOVE IT!

[IceCreamCone]

Those colors look great together, good job!

[Early Bird Special]

Those are very beautiful.   

[littleone1098]

Can we say, Gorgeous? Indeed we can.

[JazzyBee]

It;s soo good. Such a great gift for someone who regularly keeps a journal..innovative and diff way of doing so.
However I am not sure i get how to do this...can someone explian a little more...i don;t understand how to put them together so that they bind together like a book!

Jas.ns

[wendyhead]

that looks very very very beatiful, its something i would buy. i dont know if i would attempt to make this though, looks too complicated for me.

[Ralph]

Thanks for all the compliments, its really not that complicated at all.

Let me see if I can explain it a bit better...

Place two envelopes side by side so that the edges are touching then glue a piece of paper over the join. This now becomes the equivalent of a double page spread. You then turn the page (so to speak), place another envelope next to the book to make another double page spread and continue like this until your book has the desired number of pages.

I also like to glue an extra piece of paper around what becomes the spine of the book to make it sturdier and lookmore uniform, but thats just personal preference.

I hope that helps, if not tell me and I might attempt a picture tutorial.
-Ralph