Crafty Crease #19: Mini Pocket Book

Inside Cocktail Book - The Recipe Tag

This little book with pockets has probably been the key reason that I got myself so caught up with scrapbooking in the first place.

In December last year, my BFF and I looked for Christmas gift ideas that were cheap to make but looked good and could be personalised for each recipient.  After a bit of research on YouTube, we decided on this mini pocket book.  We decided to do 3 different types of booklets:

1. Cocktail book
2. Recipe book
3. Garden seed book (either floral or vege)

Seed Book

Inside Cocktail Book - The Recipe

Each book has 8 tags and therefore either 8 recipes or 8 packets of seeds.  To keep the cost down we bought bulk lots of seeds where we could.  Instead of tags we used little ziploc bags placed in brown wage envelopes that we could personalise on the outside.

My BFF is pretty flash in the kitchen so she chose tried and true recipes that were quick and easy to make.  I took it upon myself to try and test cocktail recipes that utilised similar alcohol bases - its a tough job but someone has to do it I guess!!

Inside Seed Book

Some other ideas I have thought of are:

• Family photos
• Bread recipe book
• Non alcoholic cocktail book
• Voucher book (the monetary or free kind)
• Single event memory book
• My favorite things about you brag book

The Basic Pocket Book Tutorial

I was staying with my sister recently and asked my niece Sophie to help me with the photos.  We just used what we had to get the job done, so the ruler ended up with two jobs - measure and bone folder!

What you need:

• A manilla file (of course I prefer the Kraft kind)
• A pair of scissors
• A ruler
• A bone folder

Step 1: Cut off the extra bit at the side

Step 2:
Open out your folder

Step 4:
Repeat wit the right side of the
folder.

Step 3:
Fold the left edge to the centre
fold.  Crease firmly with
the bone folder

Step 5:
Open out your folder again

Step 7:
Open out your folder.
You should clearly see 8 sections.

Step 6:
Fold the whole folder in half along
the length of the open folder.

Step 8: Creating the pockets
Measure 5 cm up along the short sides.

Step 9: Using the 5cm marks as an indication, fold up along
the long sides of the folder to create the pockets.

Step 10: Repeat on other side

Step 11: You will need to make one cut only.
Take note only to cut through 6 sections (3 rows).

Step 12: Make the cut!

Step 13: Add Red sticky tape to the corners as shown above. 

Step 14: To make the booklet
Pick up the folder from the middle to bring both sides together.

Step 15: Starting from one side make a valley fold.

Step 16: Continue on to make a mountain fold.

Step 17: Finish this side with a valley fold.
Repeat steps 15-17 on the other side.

Step 18: Voila...the basic pocket book.


Finishing it off.....

Add extra sticky tape shown

The book can now stand on its own and is ready to decorate to your hearts desire!!



A special thank you to my lovely niece Sophie who willingly repeated steps, followed scant commands and all with a lovely smile and enthusiasm.