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Here’s what we made at Church of Craft this month. I collect interesting playing cards, tarot cards, and loteria cards, and as it turns out, they make dandy covers for little notebooks. We made books in two styles, so I’ll do two separate how-to posts. Here we go . . . .
Style #1: Accordion Books
I use regular old 8 1/2 x 11 copier paper for the interior pages of my books, so my measurements are based on that. Feel free to use any kind of paper you like. Cut yourself 3 or 4 11″ long strips of paper to start. Their height should be 1/2″ shorter than the height of your playing cards.
Follow my tutorial over on Fall of Autumn to make the accordion. (Make your folds about 1/2″ inch shorter than the width of your card.) You can make your accordion as long as you want – just make sure that the first fold and the last fold are going the same direction, as you see here.
Depending on your playing cards, you may choose to leave them au naturel or cover them. Mine are an old Elks sale score. I love the backs, but the faces are grungy, so I glue-sticked on some scrapbook paper.
Then, glue-stick the first fold of the accordion to one playing card, and repeat this step at the other end of the accordion with the other playing card. I’ve lined my accordion up so that the folded edge is very close to the edge of the card, which will make more sense in a moment.
Now, you can leave your covers unbound like this, and have a book that opens all the way out. This might be a nice form for a child to open out and draw a long picture in, for instance.
Or, you can cut a strip of heavy paper about 1″ wide and as tall as your cards, and glue that on like this, to create a spine for your book. . .
. . . And that will make your accordion behave more like book pages! (And this is where lining the folds of the accordion up against the edge of the card pays off. It creates a natural spine for your book.)
An optional step: sometimes, if I’ve made a particularly long accordion, I’ll make the book to this stage, and then carefully lift up the accordion in the center, so I can reach the inside of the spine. And I’ll put a line of rubber cement along the inside of the spine and then press the accordion down into that. It helps the pages stay in place.
Enjoy! These little guys are great for keeping in your bag to jot notes, or as the basis for little art books.
Looking for more notebook-y tutorials?
I have lots! Such as:
How to turn a cardboard box into a splendid notepad
How to turn an old cardboard mailer into a To-Do List Holder
A super-simple way to cover a composition book
You should start a exchange with these, like the moly-x-groups, have you seen them? I’m in one but it has not started yet. I bet it would be cheaper to send these! :-)
You should start a exchange with these, like the moly-x-groups, have you seen them? I’m in one but it has not started yet. I bet it would be cheaper to send these! :-)
These would make great logbooks for letterboxes too. Great tutorial.
These would make great logbooks for letterboxes too. Great tutorial.
oh thanks! This is the best tutorial evar! i LOVE making little booksies.
oh thanks! This is the best tutorial evar! i LOVE making little booksies.
I love this idea… I just cleaned out the game cupboard and threw out a bunch of odd cards… I just drug them out of the get rid of pile and I am going to give it a try.. Thank you for the great tutorial…
I love this idea… I just cleaned out the game cupboard and threw out a bunch of odd cards… I just drug them out of the get rid of pile and I am going to give it a try.. Thank you for the great tutorial…
I love making little books – perfect for mini scrapbooks, occupying kids in car rides and the right size for little girls purses. :)
I love making little books – perfect for mini scrapbooks, occupying kids in car rides and the right size for little girls purses. :)
Wonderful idea, thanks for the tutorial, I will try it this week end !
Wonderful idea, thanks for the tutorial, I will try it this week end !
Love this. I am associated with 2 breed rescue groups and collect playing cards of both breeds. I have duplicates and this is a great way to use them and make extra funds for our groups!!!! Maybe glue a ribbon bookmark in them also?
Love the podcast!
Anne in Texas
Love this. I am associated with 2 breed rescue groups and collect playing cards of both breeds. I have duplicates and this is a great way to use them and make extra funds for our groups!!!! Maybe glue a ribbon bookmark in them also?
Love the podcast!
Anne in Texas
[...] How to Make Playing Card Notebooks: Accordion-Style at CraftyPod So sweet, such a good idea for those vintage cards with great graphics that you’ll never use.. [...]
wow! so simple, yet so neat! now i have to go find some interesting cards!
wow! so simple, yet so neat! now i have to go find some interesting cards!
Love the idea!! Very innovative! Thanks.
Love the idea!! Very innovative! Thanks.
This is fantastic! Thanks SO much for sharing :) :) :)
This is fantastic! Thanks SO much for sharing :) :) :)
So cute! I’m going to go home and use my GOOS paper on this!
So cute! I’m going to go home and use my GOOS paper on this!
Ask me if I love this. Awesome for just quick little giveaways.
Ask me if I love this. Awesome for just quick little giveaways.
[...] Playing Card Notebooks We think these small, accordion-style books would be perfect for traveling. Diane from CraftyPod gives great directions in her Playing Card Notebook Tutorial. [...]
I just started letterboxing with my kids, and this is such a great idea for a letterbox log! Thanks
I just started letterboxing with my kids, and this is such a great idea for a letterbox log! Thanks
That is just too cute! I love them!
That is just too cute! I love them!
[...] 30. Canned cakes baked with love. 31. Easy ribbon headband. 32. Cookie of the month club. 33. Playing card notebooks. 34. Sock puppets. 35. Stationery Box Video Tutorial. 36. Assemble a play detective kit. 37. Mason [...]
[...] While you’re out surfing around you should also take a look at Diane’s tutorials for adorable little notebooks made from playing cards. [...]
[...] found an instruction for a cute notebook that is simply made with folded paper as pages and playing cards as cover. That could be a nice [...]
What a great idea to use as a Casino Theme Party Invitation, and use pages for invite info and decorate with mini cards etc. Can't wait to take advantage. We have a party monthly by different hosts and they all try hard to out do each other.
What a great idea to use as a Casino Theme Party Invitation, and use pages for invite info and decorate with mini cards etc. Can't wait to take advantage. We have a party monthly by different hosts and they all try hard to out do each other.