Badge: Minibooks

Looking for a little gift? Perhaps you’d like to present material for your girls to keep. Minibooks are one option. Learn about the basics of minibooks.

Steps

1. What is a minibook?

A minibook is just what it seems . . . a miniature book. While that sounds quite simple, the variety of sizes and shapes may be overwhelming. You can download printable minibooks or create your own. Explore the Web to see what kinds of minibooks are available.

You may also wish to check out the Enrichment Project minibook supplements available on Scribd.

2. Themes.

Your minibook can contain a variety of items or a single theme. For example, you can make a minibook from a nursery rhyme featuring your own drawings. You might enjoy collecting jokes for your minibook. You can include photos or altered art. Just like any other project, there are no limits to your creativity.

3. Half-page books.

Half-page books are 5.5″ x 8.5″ (from a standard US letter size of 8.5″ x 11″). These are the easiest to lay out electronically. Put together a couple folded sheets and sketch out a minibook.

NOTE: See the supplement list below for printables.

4. Quarter-page books.

Quarter-page books are 4.5″ x 5.5″ (from a standard US letter size of 8.5″ x 11″). These start getting complicated. The easiest way to design one is to cut down your paper, fold it to size and note what you want on each page. Then, you can take it apart and see what spreads go together.

To do it digitally, remember that for each spread, you should be able to add the page numbers together and get one more than the total page count. For example for an 8-page minibook, the front cover (1) plus the back cover (8) equals 9, or one more than the page count. Also remember that the odd page numbers are on the right side.

5. Eighth-page books.

Eighth-page books are designed to print on one side of a sheet. Add a cut in the center of the sheet and a few folds to make a smaller minibook.

6. Pendants.

Some minibooks can be used as pendants. Of course, they will need to be very small and you’ll need to decide if you want it readable or more “artistic.” Find out more about pendant minibooks.

7. Coupon books.

Though not quite “minibooks”, coupons do fit into this category. The coupon idea is to have multiple sheets stapled together for removal later. Coupon books do not have to be “coupons” but could be a collection of inspirational sayings or jokes you like to share. Brainstorm ways of taking a traditional coupon and making it something fun.

8. Mini scrapbooks.

Don’t have the time to make a traditional scrapbook? Do it mini! Mini scrapbooks incorporate all the archival materials, photos and memories of traditional scrapbooks without the large size. Because of the reduced size, you can focus on smaller stories or give them as a special gift.

9. Post-It® notebooks.

Add a cover and you have a notebook. You might keep notes in it or use it to leave notes for others. Try creating your own.

10. Envelope book.

Envelope books are unique in that you can place items into the envelopes. You can use these to store items for a project or share mementos and photos of a special event. Your choice of envelopes can be as small as a coin envelope. Try making your own envelope minibook by assembling a number of the same size and shape envelopes.

11. Box book.

How can a box be a book? When the sides and bottom are all “pages” and the top holds it closed. You can also have it slide into a box so that the spine is a part of the box. Boxes and books work well together. Explore online how these hybrids can be made.

12. Tag book.

Tag books are “pages” that come in the form of tags. You can hold them together with ribbon, string, rings or anything else you choose. Try making a simple tag minibook.

13. Lapbooks.

Lapbooking is making multiple minibooks of a specific area you have studied. After making a variety of mini books, you then put them into a large folder, called a lapbook. For homeschoolers, it serves as a review tool for your child and documentation for you. Create your own “lapbook” for a subject, craft or activity you enjoy.

14. More complicated.

Special bindings, shaped pages, altering, layered pages, accordion folds and more all make your books more complicated. After you’ve tried making a simple minibook (or a few), try adding some of these or those you find online to bring your minibook crafting to a higher level.