Mini Scrapbook

Sara Hindmarch is a real hack artist.

Those are her own words. This project is an example of, what Sara and some of her bookbinding buds like to call, hackbooking.

Hackbooking refers to the practice of using tools traditionally associated with other crafts, such as scrapbooking, printmaking and sewing, for bookbinding.

This Atlanta, Georgia, artist is very involved with her local craft scene. “With organizations like the Indie Craft Experience and all of the local galleries and neighborhood festivals, there are a ton of opportunities to buy and sell handmade here,” she says. “You can find opportunities anywhere—check to see if you have a local chapter of the Craft Mafia or build an Etsy shop. Once you plug into the community you’ll find support all around you!”

When Sara’s not hackbooking, she’s a photographer who dreams of transferring images onto traditional Japanese Washi papers. Sound interesting? Be sure to check her Web site and Etsy shop for these creative treasures.

Make your own album with an old board game!

The Bingo! project was created with supplies from the popular game, including the box the game is housed in. “I really do like working with old board games,” Sara says. “Each one is it’s own little bookbinding kit. The board and the box made great covers, and then you’ve got cards, pieces, spinners and other fun bits to try and incorporate.”

Supplies

Game board or game box
Ribbon (36")
Heavy weight paper, at least 30" long (pastel, printmaker or watercolor paper)
Supplies
Craft knife
Ruler
Tape (acid-free artist’s tape)
Bone folder
Glue (acid-free PVA)
Glue brush
Scrap newspaper
Wax paper
NOTE: Sizes are based of the sizes of your photos. In this example my photos are 4 x 6".

Follow these easy steps

1. Find a board game box top that has special meaning to you or a good graphic. Select ribbon and paper to match or complement the box top or graphic.

Using a sharp craft knife, cut your board into two pieces, each 5 x 7" (or one inch larger than your photographs). Keep in mind, one board will be your front cover and one will be the back.

Set your front cover face down. Place your ribbon horizontally across the center of the inside to cover approximately halfway up, so that the length of the ribbon extends evenly off the left and right side of the cover. Secure ribbon with tape. Set boards aside.

2. To create the accordion book, figure out how many pages you want your resulting book to be (you must use an even number so that the book will fold correctly once finished). Each sheet must match the size of the front/back covers so that the book will have flush edges. My book contains six pages, so my strip of paper is 30 x 7".

To create the folds, measure and mark lightly with a pencil each 5" increment along the top and bottom of the long strip of paper. Line up each top and bottom mark with your ruler and score the paper with the bone folder along the line.

Fold your paper at each score mark, alternating forward and backward folds to create an “accordion” with the paper. After each fold, rescore the fold with the bone folder. When completed and folded, your paper accordion should be 5 x 7".

Place your front cover face down on newspaper. Apply a thin, even coat of glue, starting at the center of the board and brushing outward to the edges. Be sure to glue over the tape and ribbon where attached to the board. Transfer cover to a clean sheet of newspaper.

3. While the glue is still tacky, place one end of the paper accordion down on the glued board and smooth down with your folder. Place a small sheet of wax paper in the first fold to prevent glue from getting onto the pages. Repeat same gluing process with your back cover and other end of the accordion.

4. Place book under a heavy weight (like a stack of books) and let dry at least 30 minutes.

5. Open your completed, dried book and remove wax paper. Embellish as desired. Use the ribbons to tie your book closed, or proudly display book open!

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