Matchbox Mini Books

I must confess, I had full intentions of making another one this week for the Stampotique recycle challenge but this is my first prototype that I came up with and it's structure is too cute not to share. 

If you like math (wink) you can use any size matchbox, but I have worked the math kinks out for you using two 2 1/8" x 1  7/16" matchbook boxes. 

 

The "drawers" hold a mini book each and the concertina fold which attach to each box also have a booklet in the center. When I measure, I allow for scoring and folding as you want your text pages to sit comfortably in the book spine.

 

 

Materials:

• 2 matchboxes
• 4" thin wire
• 2 beads (elongated) for drawer pulls
• 2 pieces of cardstock for mini book covers 2.5" x 1 6/8"
• 1 piece of cardstock 5 9/16 x 2 1/2" (concertina fold)
• 6 text pages (2 for each book but you can add more) 2 7/16" x 1 15/16"
• 26" thin ribbon
• Beads for ribbon ends
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Paints, papers, stamps, inks
• Ruler
• Bone folder
• Paper Cutter
• Awl ( or something to piece small holes)
• Needle and thread

1. Paint and decorate boxes and drawers or cover with paper.  Set aside to dry.
2. Book Covers:  After you have cut your cardstock to size, distress, stamp, decorate as desired. The long piece is to connect the boxes and the other two are the tiny book covers.   Keep in mind that  about 1 1/2 inches in on both sides of the longer piece will not show as it will be glued to a portion of the box.
3. Color and stamp your text pages as desired. When dry, fold pages in half and allow two sheets (folded) for each booklet.
4. Measure, score, and fold the longer cardstock into four ( 1 3/8") equal sections(three folds).  Zigzag fold.
5. Align the two layers of text pages in the center fold.  With all the pieces together, pierce two holes about 1/4" from the top and bottom.  Sew the text pages into the spine.
6. Covers for the mini books:  Find the center of the 2.5" x 1 6/8" cardstock with your ruler -- (this will be your sewing line) measure and score 1/8" on both sides of the line.  Sew your text pages on the center line.
7. Glue ribbon ends to the center of boxes first, then glue the plain ends of the folded cardstock to cover the ribbons and attach the two boxes.
8. On one end of each "drawer" poke two holes the length of the bead and attach from the inside with a bit of twisted wire.
9. Tuck the little books in the little drawers -- add a charm for a surprise.
10. Add some bead embellishment on the end of the ribbons.  The assembly collapses into a tidy container -- wrap the ribbons to and tie to close.

If you are not a math person you can eyeball the picture above and use the boxes to trace onto your cardstock to approximate your measures. Please feel free to ask me any questions if these directions are not clear.