Handmade Accordion Album

Like many avid scrapbookers, I love to make mini albums and simple scrapbooks. Smaller, themed albums provide numerous benefits—they can be completed in less time and often for less money than a traditional chronological album. Once I discovered this mini-album phenomenon, there were so many people I wanted to create gifts for, and so many things I wanted to celebrate simply for myself, that the pile seemed way too large to tackle. I needed a simple solution to help me make some progress on my mini-album “to do” list! Enter the accordion album.

Accordion books have been around for centuries. They were originally used for religious texts nearly 1,000 years ago. Since then, the accordion has evolved into a common structure for both publishers and book artists. This past year, the accordion album hit the streets as a hot product for scrapbook artists, and it’s easy to see why. Accordion albums are simple and quick to create, and beautiful to look at. It is always a delight to see someone look through an accordion album for the first time. Since accordions open like standard albums, it usually takes a minute for the viewer to realize that the book actually expands, flips, and turns, producing an amazing effect.

Creating your own accordion album is actually quite simple. You’ll want to start by gathering supplies. You should be able to find all of these supplies at your local art or hobby supply shop. The supplies and directions in this article will produce a 14-panel 6” x 6” album.

• Two 6¼” squares of heavy mat board or binder’s board
• One or two large sheets of 18” x 24” drawing paper. (This is usually sold in large spiral-bound pads, retailing at about $12 for 25 sheets.)
• Pencil
• Eraser
• 18” Metal-edge ruler
• Bone folder
• Strong dry adhesive, such as a tape runner
• Glue stick
• 2 sheets of ” patterned paper of your choice for the cover. (The papers must be at least 7” wide in both dimensions.)
• Any extra embellishments you want to use to decorate the cover

Once you’ve gathered the supplies, you are ready to begin.

Step 1: Tearing the Interior Pages
To create the pages for the inside of the album, start with the large sheet of drawing paper. Typically, paper this size has one clean, straight edge and one torn edge from where it was removed from the pad. Start by measuring from the straight edge.

Measure 6” across from the edge of the paper and make a mark with a pencil. It is easiest to make one mark at each edge of the paper.

Next, lay the ruler down across the marks so it lays parallel to the straight edge of the paper. Fold the paper up against the ruler and make a crease. Remove the ruler and crease the paper all the way down using the bone folder. Fold the paper back and forth until it is very creased. Then carefully rip the paper along the crease line. You will have torn off one 6” x 18” sheet.

Repeat this process twice, so that you have three pieces this size. Don’t worry if the tearing isn’t perfect—handmade book artists agree that the natural, soft torn edge is part of the look.

Next, take the remaining paper and measure in 2” from the edge, and tear this off to create a 2” x 18” piece. You now have all the pieces you need.

Fold each of the 6” x 18” pieces into thirds. You can do this by measuring in 6” from each edge. Using a bone folder, fold one side toward the front of the paper, and the other side to the back. This will allow the accordion to unfold properly.

Take the 2” x 18” piece and fold it into thirds also. This time, tear the three sections apart so that you have three 2” x 6” pieces. Discard one.

Step 2: Assembling the Accordion
The hardest part is over! Take a deep breath, because the rest of the project is quite simple.

Gather the three 6” x 18” folded pieces and lay them on top each other. The middle piece should be turned upside down from the way you fold it. Check and see that each fold is alternating, as if the three pages were joined.

Once you know that the pages are in the correct order, you’re ready to assemble the accordion.

Take one of the 2” x 6” pieces of paper and crease it so that you have a 1” x 6” piece when folded. Then open the fold and set it aside. Pick up the accordion and find the first two pieces that need to be joined together. The 2” x 6” sheet is going to serve as a hinge to hold those two sections together.

Run a straight line of double-sided tape from top to bottom on the edge of the last page of the first folded section. Then attach one side of the hinge to the paper. Repeat on the other side of the next section to attach the sections together. Do this again with the last two sections, and the accordion will be complete.

Step 3: Creating the Cover
The cover of the album is made from heavy mat board or binder’s board. This can be purchased in a variety of sizes and colors. Do not select a color that is darker than what you plan to cover it with, as the board may show through the patterned paper. You are going to want to have two 6¼” square pieces cut from the board. You can have this professionally cut at a framing store, which may be the easiest option. A heavy-duty rotary trimmer will cut through basic mat board, or you can cut by hand using a craft knife.

First, cut the patterned paper you chose for the cover to approximately 7” square. Glue the board to the back side of the paper using heavy-duty tape adhesive. Do not use glue stick or liquid glue as it may bleed through the paper.

Cut the corners of the paper on a diagonal so that you have created a flap on each edge. Next apply tape adhesive to each flap, fold in, and adhere to the board. Repeat this process for the second piece of board, and you now have the front and back cover. You may want to embellish the cover before the final step, but that is entirely up to you.

Step 4: Putting it all together
You’re almost done. All you need to do now is to attach the accordion to the cover. Lay the front cover in front of you, face down. Take the folded accordion and cover the entire top page using a glue stick. Using glue that is colored until it dries is recommended so you can be sure of full coverage. Carefully lay it down on top of the cover. Be sure to press firmly to get a strong, complete bond. Now flip the entire piece over so that the back page of the accordion is on top. Again, cover this piece with glue and attach it to the final cover piece. Let the pages dry, and you’re done!

A Final Note
While the process sounds fairly complicated, rest assured that making your own accordion album is quite simple. Following the above instructions, you should be able to complete your first book in just over an hour. All it takes is one large sheet of paper, two squares of mat board, and some patterned paper. It truly is an inexpensive and fun alternative to traditional albums, and a keepsake that the recipient will cherish forever.

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