Top Tip Tuesday - Maze Book/Wrap it up with ribbon

It's my turn to provide a tutorial for you all this week at Top Tip Tuesday and it's one of my favourites - a Maze Book.


I first learned this project from an American site - TV Weekly (not sure if it's still up and running or not - must look!) a few years ago and I was so chuffed with it at my first attempt, I've made a few of them now. They're great as a little memento of a night out or a new baby or...well, just about anything really!

Maze Book

This Maze Book, is a miniature book using a single sheet of 12" 12" paperstock and a few scraps. 


All it takes is a little bit of folding, three simple cuts, some good gluing techniques and the basic book is ready for photos and embellishments. This lickle book makes a great gift or a pocket-sized scrapbook to show off those holiday photos, babies, pets or a great night out!. 


Please read the whole project before beginning to craft as there are a couple of alternative ways of using this book and it’s best to know which one you want to make before starting!


For the first one you are best using a double-sided 12 x 12 as you will see both sides of the paper. 


For the second one you could also use double sided or you could cheat like me with single-sided and put a few little liners in!







Materials


Patterned 12 x 12 heavy-ish scrap-sheet A to taste x 1 (ds if perferred)
Plain greyboard or similar  4” x 4”                          x 2 
Patterned paper B 4.5” x 4.5”                                x 2
Quantity of patterned paper B for cheat’s way.               
Bone Folder
PVA Adhesive
Foam Brush
Cutting Mat
Craft Knife
Ruler 
Ribbon                                                                 x 1 yard
Embellishments and photos to suit
Narrow ds tape

Method

Fold the 12 x 12 sheet in half. Use a bone folder to reinforce the fold. 


Fold the two edges back to the outside of the fold, making the page into long quarters.


Fold this again into quarters the other way. Reinforce the folds with the bone folder.


You should have a 3” square of folded paper. 


Open your paper out. Your paper should look like this

Open the scrap-sheet. Your 12 x 12  should have sixteen squares marked by creases.

Cutting  the “maze”. 

Unfold the cardstock on top of a cutting mat. Lay a ruler along the right vertical crease.  Using a craft knife, cut along the right vertical fold using the ruler as a guide. Start at the top horizontal fold and cut all the way to the bottom edge.

Make a second identical cut along the left vertical fold. Make a third cut along the middle fold, but this time start cutting from the top edge and stop cutting when you reach the bottom horizontal fold. The cuts in the cardstock form an “M”.

Now fold the cardstock into the book pages. 

Start folding from one end along the creases. When you reach the top of each section, fold the stack over to the next, following the natural fold. 

Continue to fold into a square following the creases you made . 

Set the pages aside.

The End-Boards

Take one of your grey-board squares (..mine are actually small pieces of cream illustration board..) and one of your patterned paper B squares.

(I'd use an old magazine or layout pad to do the pasting on so you can just tear and throw away the page - less messy!)

Place the board on the paper and score around it. This 'teaches' the paper which way you want it to bend when you've glued it.

Before you glue, cut off a tiny bit of the point of each corner of the board. Makes a tidier corner when covered.

Make a 'squiggle' of PVA on the board and using your foam brush, spread it from the centre outwards, then offer the board to the centre of the paper.

Before you glue the flaps, take your scissors or knife and cut off the corners of the paper approx 16th of an inch away from the board (not like I did - I cut them off after gluing because I forgot! LOL!)

There should be enough PVA on your foam to run it round the exposed paper but if not, add just a LITTLE more and wipe it around the edges pushing it gently into the edge of the board. Now fold the flaps over and smooth them down using the point of your bone-folder to tuck the corners in (like when gift-wrapping). Repeat on second board and put aside to dry.

Variation one - pockets

Take up your pages again and if you want to make fewer pages but have pockets in them now's the time to do it as it's harder to 'play' with the pages once they're stuck together and the ends are on.  I used my scalloped punches to make little openings and because my paper is single-sided I had to make little 'liners' from the contrasting paper to pop behind the apertures. This is where you may prefer to use a double-sided paper so you don't have to make these liners.

Once you're happy with this, take your ds tape and create your pockets. One or two are sideways ones, so don't think you've done it wrong when you come across them!

Variation two - long maze.

This one is easy! Your maze is made! Just decorate and embellish to taste.

Adhere the end-boards

Place your two boards patterned side down and evenly placed on your magazine again.  

Squiggle your pva and spread again.

Place your ribbon across the two end-boards then  place your pages in the centre of one board over the ribbon.

Place the other end-board on top and manipulate your ribbon to suit.

Fill your pockets with tags, photos tickets etc.

 Your Maze-Book is finished!

(my photo corners are all silvertone - don't know why they look gilt in the photo!)

I hope you enjoy making this book - I love them and once you get the hang of them, they take minutes to make!

Don't forget to pop over to Top Tip Tuesday to get some inspiration from the team !

We have two fab sponsors over at TTT this week

and 

so be sure to pop over to their places to have a good old nosey!
I've also made a card utilizing one of Digital Delights fun images - a lickle mouse enjoying a coffee!  I'll send this to a friend I haven't seen for a while, inviting her for coffee!

Sorry the photo isn't very good - I'll try to get on in daylight tomorrow but I'm going to be busy again until Wednesday so don't hold yer breath.....! LOL!

See ya next week!

Hugs

Ei

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