If you've got a collection of 6x6 or 12x12 scrapbook paper pads you've been meaning to use up, this tutorial is for you. I show you how to turn four 6x6 sheets and a few strips of copy paper into a small flip booklet with tag pockets, a mini notebook, and a twine binding — the kind of thing that makes a lovely little gift or a fun inclusion in a junk journal. You can work with any paper you have on hand, and the orientation, pocket placement, and embellishments are entirely yours to decide.
What we cover
This tutorial walks through building a flip-up mini booklet from 12x12 scrapbook paper (cut into 6x6 squares) or any 6x6 paper pad, including how to cut and prepare the pages, make the internal pockets and tag pockets, bind everything together with a simple twine closure, and embellish the cover. I also show a second variation — the same booklet rotated so it flips to the side instead of up — so you can see how a small orientation change opens up completely different layout possibilities.
What you'll learn
How to cut and prepare your pages from 12x12 or 6x6 scrapbook paper, including:
- Cutting a 12x12 sheet into four 6x6 squares to match a 6x6 pad
- Numbering each page so you always know the correct orientation as you work
How to make a mini notebook insert from copy paper, including:
- Cutting copy paper to fit inside a page without sticking out
- Sewing a zigzag stitch along the edge to bind the sheets together
- Stapling the signature if you don't have a sewing machine — using an open stapler on a mouse pad as a substitute for a long-reach stapler
How to make a sewn or glued pocket on a page, including:
- Trimming a coordinating paper slightly smaller than the page
- Using a circle punch to cut a rounded opening so the pocket is easy to use
- Sewing three sides closed (not the top) on the sewing machine, or gluing the same three sides if you prefer
How to make tag pockets with an extra inner strip, including:
- Cutting small strips of matching paper and distressing the edges
- Adding a smaller pocket layer on top of the tag pocket for extra interest and extra places to tuck things
- Sewing or gluing the layered pocket onto the page
How to score and fold pages so the booklet lies flat when open — scoring page one first, then using that fold as your guide for the remaining pages so every fold lands in exactly the same place.
How to bind the pages with an eyelet and twine closure, including:
- Punching three holes along the spine fold and setting eyelets (optional, but they add a nice detail)
- Threading twine through the outer two holes from the front, then bringing both ends back through the middle hole to create a wrap
- Tying off with a knot and bow at the front
How to fill the pockets with handmade tags and booklets, including:
- Folding and stapling copy paper offcuts into a small signature booklet that slides into a pocket
- Cutting scrapbook paper into tag shapes, inking the edges, and layering on trims and embellishments
- Using eyelash trim, die-cuts, ribbon, and punched shapes to personalise each tag
How to embellish the cover, including:
- Making a simple bookplate from scrap paper, rounding the corners, and inking the edges
- Adding bling to the corners and lace trim along the bottom
- Choosing twine colour that reads clearly against a patterned cover (this is one I learned by making it wrong first and changing it out)
How to change the orientation to make a side-flip version — working the same project horizontally instead of vertically, which shifts the pockets from horizontal to vertical and changes the whole feel of the booklet.
Tips & gotchas
Score before you fold, and use your first fold as a guide for the rest. If you score each page independently on a scoring board, small differences in measurement mean the folds won't line up — and the booklet will feel uneven when it opens. Score the first page, make a crisp fold, then use that fold as your reference line for all the other pages. The book lies much flatter this way.
Number your pages before you start. It sounds small but it saves real confusion at the binding step. You want to know at a glance which way each page is oriented — especially after you've been working on them in a non-sequential order (which is exactly what this project asks you to do, so that all the sewing is done before you bind).
Only glue three sides of any pocket — leave the top open. Every time. It's easy to forget when you're in a rhythm and apply glue all the way around. Let the glue dry before inserting tags or booklets; if you rush it the pocket walls can pull away.
Measurements don't have to be precise. The only real rule for the notebook insert is that it fits inside the page without sticking out. Measure loosely, or just hold the paper against the page and trim until it clears the edges. Working in centimetres instead of inches? Just use centimetres — the number doesn't matter, only the fit.
No sewing machine? Glue works just as well. For the bound notebook, apply a thin line of glue along the edge and press the sheets together. For the pockets, glue the three closed sides. The finish looks slightly different but holds well.
No long-reach stapler for the mini notebook insert? Open your regular stapler flat, place a mouse pad underneath the paper, and press. The staple goes through and folds itself against the pad. It's not the most elegant workaround, but it works, and I've been doing it this way for ages.
Pick your twine colour against the cover paper, not in isolation. I used a natural twine on one version and it completely disappeared against the busy patterned cover. Switching to a different colour twine made the whole closure readable. It takes about thirty seconds to undo and redo — so if something feels like it's blending, just change it.
They work beautifully as standalone gifts — tuck a little money in one pocket, a photo in another, a handmade tag in the third — or as additions to a junk journal you're putting together to sell. And once you've made one with the flip-up orientation, trying the side-flip version starts to feel obvious: it's the same project, just rotated, and somehow the two together make a very nice matched set.
