Unusual Books and a Hot Dog

by Susan Green March 24, 2014

Here's all the information from my PTLLS micro teach workshop on 'Unusual Books and a Hot Dog'. It was fantastic good fun showing you how to make a book out of a single sheet of paper, thanks for providing such a 'safe and supportive learning environment' (sorry, no Harvard reference!).

Unusual Bindings: Sewn 

1. Longstitch with Linkstitch
2. Secret Belgian
3. Japanese Stab Stitch
4. Coptic

Unusual Bindings: Folded

1. Accordion (aka Concertina)
2. Double Accordion
3. Blizzard
4. Turkish Map Fold
5. Tulip Fold
6. Hot Dog

You can Google these and check out my Pinterest board of interesting bindings for examples. 

Hot Dog

Instructions handout copyright Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord, 2008

YouTube instructional video by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

 Hot Dog Tips:

1. Square paper gives a tall, narrow book
2. Oblong paper gives a short, wide book
3. Patterned paper: start folding with the pattern face up if you want the pages to be patterned
4. Experiment with different dimensions, types, weights and patterns of paper

Extension activities:

1. Identify page layout with front and back covers and pages 1-6. Great for publishing your own zines, books and marketing material.
2. Larger Hot Dog: make additional booklets and glue them on front cover to back cover, to extend the number of pages.
3. Nestled Hot Dog: make a larger booklet, glue smaller booklets inside each page (did you see Sky's awesome approach to this?) 

Ideas for use:

1. Notebook for one-off college / training session, field-trip, etc
2. Holiday scrapbook
3. Creative presentation of a document e.g. reflective learning journal
4. Marketing brochures for events
5. Storytelling / graphic novels
6. Single project sketchbook e.g. drawing, collage, mixed media
7. Photo album (cut a slit in the four corners of each page to slip the corners of the photos in to)
8. Publishing your own zines & books (use page layout software to produce digitally, or make by hand then photocopy several copies)
9. Teaching children how to make a book with drawing & writing activities (I did this very successfully with my 7 year old goddaughter, she loved it!)
10. Wedding invitation (Sarah's idea - such a good one!)

I hope you find these resources useful and enjoy experimenting with your own adventures in bookbinding! If you've got any questions or if you'd like to be kept informed of workshops, please email me: info (at) boundbyhand.co.uk. Meanwhile, I'll be in my kitchen extracting DNA from strawberries!

Susan 

---

---

Also in News