If you've ever wanted a quick paper project that's genuinely useful — something you can fill with tags, bind into a booklet, tuck inside a journal, or gift with a few specialty tea bags — this tutorial is for you. Using a single square sheet of scrapbook paper (12x12, 8x8, 6x6, or 4x4), I'll show you the complete fold from start to finish, plus how to add a closure, a little string tag, and an optional pamphlet-stitched booklet inside.
What we cover
This tutorial walks through the full process of making a tea-bag-shaped folded book from square scrapbook paper — the diagonal fold, trimming and scoring the shoulders, inking edges, gluing the hinge, making a sturdy closure piece from book pages, attaching a brad and crochet thread, and binding a simple signature inside. I make all four sizes on screen so you can see exactly how each one behaves.
What you'll learn
How to fold a square sheet of paper into a tea-bag shape, including:
- Folding diagonally and aligning the points as precisely as possible
- Measuring half the sheet length from each end to mark the shoulder fold (6 in for 12x12, 4 in for 8x8, 3 in for 6x6, 2 in for 4x4)
- Folding and burnishing the shoulders so the folds are perpendicular to the spine
- Trimming or scoring away excess rather than folding it in, to keep bulk out of the closing edge
Why lighter-weight scrapbook paper works better than heavy cardstock here — with three or four layers of paper stacking at the shoulders after folding, thick cardstock creates scrunching at the fold points that stops the book from closing cleanly. Flimsy single-sided paper, the kind you might not reach for first, is actually the better choice.
How to ink edges at the right moment — all outside edges need to be inked before anything is glued down or folded away, so no raw paper edges are left visible once the book is assembled. The shoulder folds on the inside are the only other visible area, and those get inked separately after refolding.
How to glue the hinge and why drying position matters — a small amount of glue on the seam closes the book, but the hinge still needs to move. Letting it dry in the closed position means it will open enough to be functional. Letting it dry open causes gaping when you try to close it with anything inside.
How to make a sturdy closure piece from book pages, including:
- Gluing two book pages together (or four for very thin paper), folding in half, and gluing again for a four-layer piece with real structure
- Cutting it to a tea-bag or tag shape with small shoulder cuts for symmetry
- Using the cut piece as a template for making a second, matching topper piece
How to attach a brad and crochet thread closure, including:
- Piercing through all layers with something thin — an awl or even a needle — keeping the hole small so the thread knot won't pull through
- Threading the brad through the top layer only, leaving the back layer free
- Making a layered knot (knot over knot, at least twice) so it's big enough to catch behind the hole
- Looping the thread through the hole three times, finishing with a knot over all threads, to create a secure wrap-around closure
How to bind a simple pamphlet signature inside the tea-bag book, including:
- Choosing paper large enough — the diagonal fold makes the 12x12 version just over 14 inches tall, so standard A4 printer paper is too short
- Trimming folded pages to fit with a small margin, and cutting matching shoulders so the signature mirrors the cover shape
- Using a three-hole pamphlet stitch to bind the pages in place
Ways to use the finished book, including:
- As a junk journal element with tuck spots and a built-in pocket
- As a gift holder for tea bags, hot chocolate packets, candy canes, or coffee sachets
- As an embellishment folder or tag book with the pages left unbound
- As a journal topper, especially when several sizes are layered together
Tips & gotchas
Use lighter-weight scrapbook paper rather than thick cardstock. The fold stacks three layers at the shoulders, and heavy paper will scrunch at those points and resist closing properly. Save the beautiful heavy cardstock for another project.
When gluing the hinge closed, apply just a little glue along the seam — then close the book and leave it to dry in that position. If it dries open, the two sides will want to stay apart and the book will gap when you try to close it with anything inside.
Keep the hole for your brad and thread small. A thick awl makes too large a hole; use something finer, or even a needle. The thread knot needs to be bigger than the hole to catch — if the hole is too wide, the knot pulls straight through no matter how many times you've tied it.
Ink before you glue or fold anything away. Once the shoulders are folded down and the hinge is sealed, you can't reach the edges anymore. Do all your inking on the open flat sheet, and come back for the shoulder insides after refolding but before gluing.
If you're adding stamps, do it before the topper piece is glued down so you can work on a flat, open surface without navigating bulk and layers.
When using glue stick and craft glue together — which I do for the closure piece — go with the glue stick first for full coverage across the whole surface, then follow with craft glue along the edges for a stronger hold. Glue stick alone can leave dry patches; craft glue alone can miss coverage in the middle.
If your diagonal fold leaves a small discrepancy at the points, you can trim it — but you must trim both sides, or you've just moved the discrepancy to the other edge. For a minor gap, honestly, I usually just leave it.
Score heavy paper before folding. If you find the paper resisting at the shoulder fold, score the line first rather than forcing it. Unscored heavy paper folds unevenly and the crease never quite lies flat.
Different papers read completely differently in this format: vellum makes something quiet and delicate; a vintage postcard topper makes something that looks like it belongs in an antique market. A few of these in different sizes, nested together, would make a lovely journal topper. I'm already thinking about what that looks like — and I suspect once you've made your first one, you will be too.
