Tutorial for Mini Book with Pockets

Mini Book 

        Thank you so much for all the supportive comments on my daughter's video tutorial on creating mini books.
Sharing more mini books we had made to gift my daughter's teachers.
We created the cover and pages of the mini book first as demoed in this  Mini Book Tutorial  

Mini Book with texture past whipped spackle

I used a Memory Box stencil and texturing media Whipped spackle to create a subtle texture on the cover of the book [ gorgeous papers : Ornate Annie from Bob n Betty].

Whipped Spackle

Here is a more detailed post on how to create a mixed media style book cover : Mixed Media Mini Book Tutorial  

Mini Book 

Added a few of my favorite heat embossed flowers[ Heartfelt creations  Sun kissed fleur ] and a few scattered pearls using my favorite new toy the Crystal Katana !

Mini Book Tutorial 

I wanted the gorgeous paper to be visible so kept the embellishments minimal with just a pearl mat, a few chipboard hearts and a fuzzy cut butterfly.

Mini Book Tutorial 

The hinge of this particular mini book has 2  thin ribbons instead of one broad ribbon I had shown in the Mini Book Tutorial  shared earlier.

Mini Book Tutorial 

  The photo above shows the inside of the book with the  pages all fanned out[ papers are from Indian brand Papericious and is from the stack Bird Songs]
In case you missed my daughter's video tutorial on how to make the pages of the Mini Book here it is once again

How to make pockets in your mini book
You can create 7 pockets in your mini book to hold little tags or other knick knacks.
Materials required to make a Mini Book with Pockets and Tags

• Good Adhesive- use liquid glue or thin red tacky tape. 
• Circular Punch - if you don't have one don't despair - simply hand-cut a wedge shaped opening instead of the semicircle you can make with a punch
• Punches or dies to make tags - again of you don't have the fancy dies to make tags- simple hand cut thick paper into a size that will easily fit into your pockets

Follow the video tutorial shown above or the pictorial shared in my earlier post : Mini Book Tutorial  to make an accordion folded mini book

Mini Book Tutorial 

In the picture below the top red arrow shows where you can create your first pocket. It will fall between the 2nd and 3rd pages and you can use it to make a pocket that will open up. 

The bottom red arrow shows where you can create your 2nd pocket and it falls between the 4th and 5th pages of your mini book and you can use it to make a pocket that will open towards the side.

Mini Book Tutorial 

The picture below shows the 2nd and 3rd pages and how to apply adhesive[I have used thin red tacky tape here] so that you can create a pocket that opens up.

Mini Book Tutorial 

I like using red tacky tape as it gives instant adhesion and the adhesion area is predictable unlike wet glue which can seep and involves a bit of waiting and mess!The red arrow in the picture below shows the first pocket created once you adhere the 2nd and 3rd  pages along its lower and back borders.

Mini Book Tutorial 

The folds of the mini book are such that the pockets will alternate opening up and to the side.

 In the picture below the red arrow shows the site where you can create the 2nd pocket- it falls between pages 4 and 5 can be created to open to the side.

Mini Book Tutorial 

Apply adhesive as shown in the picture below. Apply wet adhesive or red tacky tape on 2 sides so that the pocket opens to the side.

Mini Book Tutorial 

Once you adhere the pages here is how your mini book will look- the first pocket opening up[ [top red arrow] and the 2nd pocket opening towards the side[ side red arrow]

Mini Book Tutorial 

Your next pocket [marked as 3rd pocket] will open up and apply adhesive between the pages[ will be between pages 6 and 7] like you did to create the first pocket.

Mini Book Tutorial 

Once you have created all the pockets in alternate up and side opening fashion here is how your mini book will look like. The red arrows denote pockets that open up and the blue arrows denote pockets that open to the side.

Mini Book Tutorial 

For easy removal of tags which you may want to insert inside the pockets create hand cut wedges or punched semicircles on the pages which form the pockets.

Mini Book Tutorial 

Tip : I used to get confused on where to apply adhesive to create the pockets. If you too are getting confused--simply mark with a pencil the sides where you need to put the adhesive ...this makes it quicker and avoids confusion!

         Sharing the last of the mini books we gifted my daughter's teachers.

Mini Book Tutorial

I used the pretty Floral logs from Bob n Betty [an Indian Pattern Paper designer company] and added a parchment butterfly heat embossed in gold

Mini Book Cover

        Heat embossed my favorite Heartfelt creations Botanical Wings  in copper on parchment paper and added store bought paper flowers to the centers. The leaves  [from Winnie and Walter In Bloom Elsa's Flora Stamp Set]were heat embossed in gold and colored with Distress Inks.

Mini Book Tutorial 

Here is how the book looks from above with its pockets and tags.

Mini Book Tutorial 

And here is the complete set of mini books we gifted to my daughter's 4th standard teachers.

Handmade Mini Books

I hope you enjoyed seeing the mini books and hope the tutorial to create the pockets will be useful.