Use stamp-collecting envelopes
to display your treasures.

• 1 Redishade
• 24 3-1/4 x 4-7/8 inch Glassine envelopes
• 1 piece watercolor board or mat board
• Decorative paper (we used Natural White Thai-embossed Leaves and Branches)
• 1 yard of 5/8 inch-wide satin ribbon
• Button twist, thread and a needle
• Crafts knife
• 1-1/2 inch-wide double stick tape (we used 3M #415 tape)
• Carpet tape
• Ruler
• 1/2 inch chisel
• Hammer

1. Download the free pattern for this project. (Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.)

Book Diagram

Download Adobe Acrobat

2. Cut the Redishade to 6-5/8 inches across the pleats. Reserve the remaining shade for additional books. Cut the 6-5/8-strip of pleated shade into 2 pieces with 14 panels each. Discard the remaining strip.

3. Nest together the 2 strips of 14 panels. Mark the center of the folds and sew the two strips together with a running stitch along the center. Adhere the ends together with double-stick tape.

4. To attach the envelopes, begin at the second panel and attach one envelope to each pleat using double-stick tape (12 envelopes total). Attach the envelopes as shown in Illustration A, right. Attach the other 12 envelopes on opposite sides of the pleats.

5. Cut two 6-3/4 x 10-1/2 inch watercolor board or mat board pieces to use as covers. Cut decorative paper slightly larger than the cover boards. Adhere the decorative paper to the boards with carpet tape. Trim excess paper.

6. Trim each corner of the accordion-fold shade with envelopes at a slight angle. Use double-stick tape to attach the pleated shade to the insides of the covers, with the fold next to the edge. Cover the inside of the covers with contrasting paper, using double-stick tape. Trim away excess.

7. On the back cover, make two slits for the ribbon along the center and about 1 inch apart. Use the chisel and hammer to make cuts. Thread ribbon through the slits and tie the book closed.