Accordion scrapbook: how to fold, join and cover one
Fold a long strip of card into equal panels, or join strips with glued tabs. Glue a covered board to each end panel. Give each panel one moment and keep faces off the folds.
An accordion book, also called a concertina, is one long zigzag strip. It can be read panel by panel in the hand, or pulled open and stood on a shelf to show every panel at once.
Decide how it will be seen before choosing paper. A book that stands open needs stiff card; one that is only held can use lighter paper and run to more panels.
Make a digital scrapbook
Add your photos and keepsakes in tbf scrapbook, then arrange them on the pages.
One strip or several joined
A single strip folds cleanly, but the sheet limits it. A 12 inch strip folded every 4 inches gives three panels; anything longer means joining strips.
For a join, allow an extra tab beyond the full panel width. Test a 1 cm tab on scrap card, then glue it behind the next strip without reducing either display panel.
Score each fold line with a bone folder or a blunt knife against a ruler before bending it. Card bent without a score cracks along the outside of the fold.
Fold in halves, not from one end
Halving works for four or eight panels. For three or six panels, mark every full panel width with a ruler and score those marks; do not use the halving method.
Turn alternate folds the other way so the strip zigzags. Leave it pressed flat under a pile of books for an hour so the folds set before any photos go on.
How to share photos between panels
Give each panel a single moment: one main photo and a line of writing under it. Six to eight panels suit a day out; a longer trip can carry on along the back of the strip.
A wide photo can run across two panels, but the fold will cut through it. Put sky, sea or a field on the fold, never a face or a sign someone needs to read.
The back of the strip is a second run of panels. Use it for the same day in reverse, or for tickets and notes that would crowd the front.
Covers and a tie
Cut two pieces of greyboard 3 mm larger than a panel on every side. Cover them, then glue the first panel to the inside of one board and the last panel to the other.
For a ribbon tie, lay the ribbon across the inside of the back board before gluing the last panel over it. Leave equal ends long enough to wrap round the closed book and knot.
Standing it open
Stand the folded strip on a table before adding photos. Adjust its opening angle until stable, then distribute heavy copies rather than grouping them at one end.
A standing book faces the room and the daylight. Display copies of photos this way and keep originals in a closed book or a box.
Steps
Size the panel from the photos
Start from the largest print. An upright 4 by 6 inch photo needs a panel at least 4.5 inches wide and 6.5 inches tall to keep a margin.
Cut, score and fold the strip
Decide the panel count, then mark equal widths. Use halving only for four or eight panels. Add any joining tabs outside the measured display panels.
Lay out before gluing
Place the photos loose on the open strip in order. Stand it up and look from the front before fixing anything down.
Fix the covers last
Glue the end panels to the covered boards once the panels are full. Check the folded stack sits square between the boards when closed.
Questions
What card is best for an accordion scrapbook?
Try a scored sample around 250 to 300 gsm if the book will stand open. Paper stiffness varies, so test it with a photo attached before cutting the full strip.
How many panels should an accordion book have?
Count the moments you want visible, then add two end panels if those will be hidden by covers. Test a paper dummy for the length and stability you need.
Is an accordion book the same as an expandable scrapbook?
Sometimes. Some shops sell folded albums as expandable, but the word more often means a post-bound or strap-hinge album that takes extra pages.