How to Fold a Chapbook

This is the first post in the new Chapbook category so I can link back instead of posting  “how to fold one sheet of paper into a little book” instructions on every post.

The photo is just a guide… fold on dashed lines, cut between the dots on the solid. If you want to print it out to practice, here is the pdf:  chapbooktemplate

Please note: it is JUST a guide and your average home inkjet printer does NOT feed paper in precisely, so ALIGN YOUR PAPER EDGES (ignore the lines) as you fold.

Okay, here’s how to fold:Fold paper in half lengthwise.Open it up and fold in half the other way.Fold in half again, but only pinch it in the middle (where the dots meet). Cut along the fold (on or near solid line) between the pinch fold (near dots).Open it up and fold it back in half lengthwise. Then pull the folded edges apart and flatten to align those folded edges with the outside edges.Another photo to help explain that pull apart thing.Fold in half with cover side out.

Do NOT expect perfection.  All edges will not perfectly align because it is a folded piece of paper. There is no stretch in the folds.  Thin paper yields the best results.

Now that you know how to fold a single sheet of paper into a mini-chapbook, you can make your own. Blank books made of plain paper are fun for the kiddies, too.

Have fun! Thanks for reading!

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Youngstown

Ytown

Hi, Nancy here… this is Youngstown, as read at Suzie’s Dogs & Drafts on October 7, 2015, so it was typed to fit one sheet of paper, not to look like a pretty poem. If you have old eyes, click on the image to view full size. Thanks for reading!

PS: please excuse the typo’s… there is at least one misspelled word, actually a wrong word due to the wrong vowel. Find it, win a prize? IDK… suppose I could mail a button to the first person who finds it. Please, do NOT leave your address in the comments!

UPDATE August 2019: Youngstown, the poem, has been added to my “free to download as a PDF to print & fold your own copy” mini chapbook series of bad poetry. Here’s the link: Ytown.pdf How to fold instructions can be found here. Maybe I should go back and double check to see if I fixed the vowel thing. Humm… maybe another day.