Stick At It!

Making minibooks

Minibooks or Hobby Books are a cheap and amazingly effective way of motivating boys to become enthusiastic writers. You may need a little patience when you first introduce the idea but the project rapidly becomes self-fulfilling as the children take over the creative process.

What kind of paper is best?

Folding books can be made from any size paper.

Cartridge paper gives the ultimate in quality but has its disadvantages.  It is very expensive and too dense for underlays.

White photocopy paper is cheap, folds easily and is thin enough to allow easy use of underlays/templates. Coloured photocopy paper also works well, with some of the pastel shades also being suitable to allow the use of underlays.

Thin card (up to 160 gsm) can be used for special books but children do find difficulty in making neat folds.

Why are they good for motivating boys?

Origami books are superb for turning boys into authors!  Because all the writing is one side they are suitable for photocopying.  A successful book can be copied many times, then refolded and cut.  Illustrations may be individually coloured at home.  Any boys who consider themselves to be experts on any topic can be encouraged to produce reference books for every class in school - thus increasing their self confidence, status, and writing motivation.

The Zigzag, Origami and Trouser books referred to below, start with the process of 'folding to eight'.

Folding to Eight

• Fold in half (landscape) - open out
  
• Fold in half (portrait) - leave folded
• Fold the paper in half again - take the existing fold up to the open end

Zigzag Book

• Your paper is already folded to 8
  
• Fold in half (landscape)
  
• Fold into zigzag (some folds will be the 'wrong way' and will need refolding in the opposite direction)

Origami Book

• Your paper is already folded to 8.
  
• Fold the paper in half (portrait) and cut from the fold along the centre (landscape) crease to the next crease.
  
• Open out, then fold in half along the landscape fold.
  

• Hold the paper at both ends and push towards the centre.  As the two folded parts are about to touch to form a cross you will notice that the 'verticals' of the cross begin to lean one way. Squeeze these two sections flat on top of one of the sides you have just pushed in.  Bring the other section round to join the flat 3 and you have your 6-page origami book.

Other Minibook Ideas (40 kb)

Key Contact Details

5-minute activities

Resources for other Stick At It! activities

Frequently asked questions

And then... what happened after the first project finished