Category Archives: Instructions

Halloween Cut and Fold Books Free for You to Make and Share

I made these years ago for a class I was teaching and enjoy offering them every year about this time. Feel free to print and make as many copies as you’d like.  The images and jokes are from around the web. Obviously they are not for commercial purposes… In case you haven’t made this kind of book before (sometimes called an X book), there are instructions at the bottom of this post.

gHOST

Ghost Humor

pumpkin

Pumpkin Humor

skeleton

Skeleton humor

Mini book assembly instructions

Wishing you a fun and not-too-scary Halloween!

~Ginger

http://www.gingerburrell.com

In Response to Hobby Lobby: A Flutter Book for You to Make and Share

This flutter book is my response to the recent Supreme Court decision on Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby. It is dedicated to my father who taught me to have my own opinions, despite the fact they are often different from his. And to Karen K. who inspires me to be myself.

Hobby Lobby Book no lines

To make this book, download the PDF.

Ginger Burrell Private Decisions (Hobby Lobby) Book

Please feel free to copy, print and make as many of them as you’d like. You’ll find the directions, below, and also printed on the book (the margin you cut off).

Do you have a different opinion about the ruling? I encourage you to make your own books. Art is a marvelous format for stimulating conversation and discussion about difficult topics.

Use your power as an artist (and as a consumer) to have your voice heard.

To assemble your book, first print on the highest print quality that your printer will produce. If you’d like a paper that feels velvety and more special than plain copy paper, try Hammermill Color Copy. (Trust me, you’ll fall in love with this silky paper.) Be careful when you print – my print dialogue kept defaulting to “fit to page” which changes the dimensions and will make your book turn out catty-wampus. It is designed to have the rose photos and haiku centered on each page.

After printing your page, fold the paper in half  (with the images on the outside). Use a bone folder to make the crease sharp.

Private Decisions  (1 of 8)

With your paper still folded, fold each end into the middle fold.  Remember to crease every fold. Unfold.

Private Decisions  (2 of 8)

 

Private Decisions  (3 of 8)

Now fold your paper in half lengthwise and unfold. Again, crease carefully.

Private Decisions  (4 of 8)

With your paper still folded in half lengthwise, cut your paper 3″ from the fold.

Private Decisions  (5 of 8)

Re-fold your paper in half, with the images on the outside, and cut with scissors, very carefully, from the top of the fold, down to the horizontal fold.

Private Decisions  (6 of 8)

Keeping your book folded, use the outer two folded halves and push inward. The cut halves will fold the other way, so you have an X. Lay flat and press, starting with the back page. Voila!

Private Decisions  (7 of 8)

Private Decisions  (8 of 8)

Your comments on what you think of the book, what you will do with it and/or the response you get, are appreciated.

~Ginger

http://www.gingerburrell.com

 

 

A Valentine’s Flutter Book for Your Sweetheart

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (2 of 7)

I love Valentine’s day. I know many people scoff and I certainly would be the first to argue that you should be telling your loved ones a lot more often that they are special to you… That being said, I can’t resist sentiment, red hearts or glitter!

Last year my Valentine’s gift to you was the instructions for a book with a  Polymer Clay Mosaic cover. This year I thought I’d make you a Flutter Book (also called an X Book, Maze Book, or a Cut and Fold Book).

Ginger Burrell Flutter Book Roses Are Red 2014

 

To create the graphics for this book, I took a basic red heart and used Adobe Illustrator filters on it. This simple technique creates both the variation and the similarity that hold the book together. In a nod to the Valentines of our youth, the text is an assortment of “Roses are Red” sayings that were collected from around the web. The heart on the last page is white in the middle so that you can write in a message of your choice. (Feel free to add glitter…)

Here is the file, print as many as you’d like. Click the link to get the PDF.

Ginger Burrell Flutter Book Roses Are Red 2014

To assemble your book, first print on the highest print quality that your printer will produce. If you’d like a paper that feels velvety and more special than plain copy paper, try Hammermill Color Copy. (Trust me, you’ll fall in love with this silky paper.) Be careful when you print – my print dialogue kept defaulting to “fit to page” which changes the dimensions and will make your book turn out catty-wampus. It is designed to have the hearts and poems centered on each page.

After printing your page, fold the paper in half  (with the images on the outside). Use a bone folder to make the crease sharp.

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (1 of 7)

With your paper still folded, fold each end into the middle fold.  Remember to crease every fold. Unfold.

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (3 of 7)

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (4 of 7)

Now fold your paper in half lengthwise and unfold. Again, crease carefully.

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (5 of 7)

Re-fold your paper in half, with the images on the outside, and cut with scissors, very carefully, from the top of the fold, down to the horizontal fold.

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (6 of 7)

Keeping your book folded, use the outer two folded halves and push inward. The cut halves will fold the other way, so you have an X. Lay flat and press, starting with the back page. Voila!

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (7 of 7)

Ginger Burrell - Valentines Flutter Book Directions (2 of 7)

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones!

~Ginger

http://www.gingerburrell.com