This project is similar to litterbug notes, but on steroids. It’s a mini book made from one full sheet of paper that is folded up to create a book with 8 small pages.
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| Note: The yellow booklet was not glued. |
THEME - I am sticking to a theme with this one, but it could also be a mix of messages. The booklet I created is about the uber rich. My cover page “THERE ARE NO ETHICAL BILLIONAIRES” probably sums up my attitude with only a few exceptions. I have a number of themes I plan to use in the future.
COMPUTER - I used Keynote to create my booklet. If you have Windows, it could be created in PowerPoint. I used memes in each area that would be a page in the book. I am building quite a collection of memes and in this case had about 20 memes to choose from on this topic.
BLANK BOOK OPTION - You don’t have to print out anything to create one of these booklets. You could get really creative and fold a blank piece of paper to create the booklet and then do the writing and illustrations yourself. OR you could glue small pictures to each page. You could also do a combination - a few preprinted messages and some created by hand.
PAPER - You don’t have to use an unused piece of paper. You could instead repurpose scrap paper that has printing on one side, as long as it is blank on the side that will show up in your book. I have a stash of used paper that will be perfect for turning into mini books.
WATCH THE VIDEO
If you are going to make a mini book, I recommend first watching this video that shows how to create and fold a mini book. You may need to watch parts of it a couple of times. It might also be good to practice using paper destined for the recycling bin a couple of times. Once you get the hang of how it folds into booklet form, you’ll love doing this.
Video: How to make a 8 page MINI BOOK with 1 sheet of paper, no glue, very easy
ARE YOU READY TO CREATE A MINI BOOK?
This is my printout. If you want to print this one out to use, hopefully this will work on your computer - Right click on the image and choose to open the link (or file) in a new tab. Go to FILE and choose print. Look at the print preview to make sure it’s filling the entire page. You may need to change the print setting to LANDSCAPE. Then PRINT.
ADD COLOR
I don’t have a color printer so I used colored pencils to add bits of color here and there. I actually prefer the DIY look of that. Since it’s obvious someone worked on it, maybe it will raise more curiosity. It feels more personal. Things that look mass produced are more easily ignored.
FOLD
There are very light guidelines on the printout, but it’s possible they won’t line up perfectly to the fold. Just ignore the lines and concentrate on folding carefully. You do a lot of folding in half. Line it up carefully as you fold. One extra fold tip from me. Wherever there is a fold, I make that fold as crisp as possible. You could use a bone folder for that or a credit card or even, like I do, the flat part of my fingernail. I also fold it in the opposite direction and do it again. I hope that made sense.
CUT
There is a dashed line to show where to make the cut. You are NOT cutting the whole page apart. Just where the dashed line is.
FOLD TO CREATE THE MINI BOOKLET
There’s no way to explain how to do this, but the video linked earlier in this post shows how to do it. After you get it in booklet form, crease the lines again and make it as flat as possible. As you create the fold, make sure you pay attention to how it’s done so that after you do the glue, you won’t end up with a dud.
GLUE
Open it back out and apply bits of glue all over the back, especially near the edges. This doesn’t have to be perfect. For that matter, you could even skip this step, but it reads a little better if glued. If the paper had other printing on the back, the glue will be more important.
PUT IT BACK TOGETHER
Do this quickly before the glue makes it hard to adjust the pages.
WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE?
I use these much as I use my litter notes, leaving them in odd places as I run errands. I went to the dentist yesterday and left behind a little present tucked into one of the magazines. I can also see leaving these behind for family, friends, or acquaintances to find. Imagine a book with messages curated specifically for that person you really wish would become a little more enlightened.