If you've never heard of the Turkish map fold before, this tutorial is a good place to start. I show the fold step by step — twice, once with a 6×6 piece of scrapbook paper and once with a 12×12 — and then take it in several directions: a finished pop-up book made from multiple folds glued together, a small tag with a secret journaling spot, and a way to tuck these folds into an existing journal page for extra writing space. Once you have the fold down, which really does only take a few minutes, you can do a surprising amount with it.
What we cover
This tutorial covers the Turkish map fold from scratch — how to make the fold reliably with square paper of any size, how directional paper changes your approach, and how to build the folded pages into finished books or interactive journal inserts. I also show cover construction, gluing decisions that affect how each page opens, and a quick cover decoration with a closure.
What you'll learn
How to make the Turkish map fold with square paper, including:
- Starting with a 6×6 piece and working through all eight folding steps
- Repeating the fold with 12×12 directional paper, with the adjustment needed so the design opens the right way up
- Pushing the center point up to form the triangle — the moment the fold clicks into shape
- Folding all four corners in to complete the piece
Why the first fold needs to run vertically when you're working with directional paper — if you fold horizontally first, the image ends up sideways or upside down when the book opens. A small decision at step one that saves a lot of frustration later.
How to handle paper that isn't a perfectly true square — slight overhangs happen, especially with craft paper. I show why they don't affect the fold and how to trim them cleanly at the end rather than fighting them mid-process.
Three ways to use completed folds in finished projects, including:
- Gluing each fold into its own individual cardstock cover so the pages open and lie flat independently
- Gluing multiple folds together into a single cover for a continuous accordion-style pop-up book
- Using the fold on a tag as a self-contained secret journaling spot, folded down into an envelope shape and held shut with a small embellishment
How to glue multiple folds together into one block — I work through building a book of two folds, then decide to add a third, then a fourth, using both a glue stick for coverage across the whole surface and a stronger craft glue for the bond between pages.
Cover construction for the finished book, including:
- Sizing a folded cardstock cover to fit the block of pages
- Attaching the fold block into the cover so both the front and back pages are anchored
- Adding a closure using whatever is on hand — keeping it simple rather than hunting for the perfect piece
How to decorate a cover quickly using paper offcuts and sticker embellishments — I pull from scraps already on the table rather than starting a new search, which is always the better move when you just want to finish the project.
Tips & gotchas
Crisp creases are everything with this fold. If you rush through them, the collapse into the triangle shape at step seven won't go cleanly, and the corners won't fold in accurately. With thicker paper especially, run your fingernail or a bone folder along every crease before moving to the next step.
When you're working with directional paper — anything with a clear up and down — make that very first fold a vertical one. Fold the paper so the crease runs top to bottom, not side to side. That single decision determines how the design sits when the book is open, and it's much easier to plan for than to fix.
Trim any overhanging edges after the fold is complete, not during. Things that look uneven midway through tend to land in the right place by the end, and trimming too early can take off paper you actually need.
There's a meaningful difference between gluing each fold into its own cover versus gluing all the folds together before attaching them to a single cover. Individual covers mean each page opens flat on its own. A single shared cover means the whole block opens together as one — which looks impressive but limits how you can access individual pages. Neither is wrong; it just depends on what you want the book to do.
Once the book is assembled, leave it under something heavy for a while — a stack of books works perfectly. The folds want to spring open at first, but they settle down once the creases are flattened. Skipping this step means the cover stays slightly bowed.
The same technique that makes a small pop-up book also works as a single insert glued flat into a junk journal page, or folded down into a tag that closes like an envelope. Once you've made it two or three times, it really does become second nature — and then it's just a question of where you want to put it next.
