If you've been looking for a book construction that's quick to make, needs no sewing, no binding, and no special tools — and still produces something genuinely fun to flip through — this tutorial is for you. I'm making an infinity book using the trifold technique: folding scrapbook paper into a Z shape, gluing the panels together harmonica-style, and ending up with a book that appears to flip endlessly through its pages. It's the first of seven projects I'm building around this one folding technique, and it's a great place to start because the construction itself takes very little time.
What we cover
This tutorial covers the full construction of a trifold infinity book using six sheets of scrapbook paper — from calculating your fold increments and cutting your pages down to size, through gluing the panels together in the right order, to shaping the finished book and beginning to embellish it. I also walk through the panel count maths (yes, with a calculator) so you know exactly how many pages you're working with before you start filling them.
What you'll learn
What the trifold technique is and how it works — a single sheet folded into three equal panels, either as a standard brochure fold or as a Z (zed) shape. The infinity book uses the Z fold throughout.
How to calculate your scoring increments for any paper size — for a standard 12-inch-wide sheet, divide by three: score at 4 inches and 8 inches. This keeps all three panels equal and ensures the book sits flat when assembled. If you're working with a different paper width, the same logic applies.
How to cut and fold multiple sheets consistently — working one sheet at a time rather than stacking them, and scoring with a scoring board for clean, precise folds. I show a freehand fold method too, for anyone who doesn't have a scoring board.
How to glue the panels together in the correct orientation — always joining a single panel to a folded panel, checking the spine edges (not the individual page edges) for alignment after each join. This is the step where directional paper matters: all pages need to face the same way before you start gluing.
How to calculate how many usable panels your finished book will have, including:
- Starting count: 6 sheets × 6 panels = 36 panels total
- Subtract: 5 glued hinges × 2 panels each = 10 panels lost
- Result: 26 panels to work with
This matters if you're planning to fill the book with a specific number of photos, tags, or writing pages.
How to shape the book into a tag form — using a handmade tag template to mark and cut the shoulder slope on both sides after all panels are glued, giving the finished book a rounded top rather than a straight rectangular edge.
How to ink the edges of each panel — going around each individual page, both sides, to give the book a finished, cohesive look. It takes longer than the construction itself, but it makes a real difference.
How to start embellishing the interior, including:
- Gluing down tea-dyed paper or packaging paper over busy patterned pages to create writable surfaces
- Adding pockets, tuck spots, and belly bands
- Using paper offcuts from your size-trimming step to keep the interior cohesive with the cover papers
Why I use craft glue rather than double-sided tape for joining panels — double-sided tape doesn't give you enough working time to check alignment, and the bond can be less forgiving if a panel shifts slightly during pressing.
Tips & gotchas
Avoid card stock. The Z fold needs to flex cleanly at the spine, and card stock fights you at every hinge. Lighter scrapbook paper — heavier than copy paper but definitely not card stock — gives you the right balance of structure and flexibility.
Stick with craft glue, not double-sided tape. Double-sided tape seems like the faster option, but it grabs immediately and leaves you no room to adjust. Craft glue lets you check alignment before committing.
Check the spine edges after every panel join, not the page edges. Individual pages may vary slightly in width — some "12-inch" scrapbook papers are actually 11.85 inches — and that's fine. What you don't want is the spine drifting sideways over six joins and ending up with a book that slopes. A quick check at the spine edge after each glued panel keeps things straight.
Sort your directional papers before you start gluing. If any of your papers have writing, images, or patterns with a clear up/down orientation, make sure every sheet is folded the same way so nothing ends up upside down once the panels are joined. It's much easier to catch this before gluing than after.
Make a prototype first. A few sheets of magazine pages or any scrap paper folded through the same process will show you how the Z folds join together before you commit your good papers. I only got a few sheets in before I'd worked out the logic, but even that was enough.
Score at exact increments. Even a small inconsistency at the scoring stage compounds across six sheets. Taking an extra moment to mark and score precisely at 4 inches and 8 inches means your panels will sit flush when glued.
Think about writability before you choose your papers. Heavily patterned scrapbook paper looks beautiful but is genuinely hard to write on. If you want a journaling book, choose plain or lightly textured papers, or plan to glue writing surfaces (tea-dyed paper, plain offcuts) over the busier pages as part of your embellishment.
The offcuts from trimming your sheets to height are worth keeping. They're already coordinated with your cover papers, and they make perfect pocket liners, tag backgrounds, and writing-space inserts throughout the book.
Six sheets gives you 26 panels, but there's nothing stopping you from using eight, ten, or more. The harmonica construction has no spine to limit it, so the book grows as long as you keep gluing. Tags, pockets, photo pages, belly bands, tuck spots — all of it works, and the offcuts from your own papers keep everything looking like it belongs together.
