How to Create Pop-Up Card Books

Homemade pop-up books make a great gift.

Even if you lack artistic talent, you can create a pop-up book using pictures you may already have or templates you can easily download and print out from online websites. Add in your own imagination and stories to create a memorable gift. One of the simplest methods to make a pop-up book is to create base layers onto which you paste your pictures.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock or heavy paper
• Scissors or paper snips
• Pencil
• Double-sided tape
• Crayons or colored pencils or markers
• Glue
• Paintbrush
• Cardboard
• Book cloth or decorative paper

Instructions

Pop-ups Using Base Layers

1. Fold a piece of paper in half, bringing the top down to the bottom so that the fold is even.

2. Draw a line on the paper from the fold toward the open end using the pencil. Draw a second line parallel to the first.

3. Cut along the first line, stopping where the line ends. Repeat with the second line.

4. Unfold the paper and gently push the shape in the opposite direction of the fold. Gently fold the shape in the opposite direction of the original fold, adding folds to the areas where it joins with the paper. This creates the base layer.

5. Print then cut out the shapes for your pop-up art. They should be no more than half the size of the paper.

6. Stick a piece of double-stick tape on the back and bottom of your image. Stick the image to one half of the pop-out section in the center of the paper. Gently fold the paper in half, then re-open to see the pop-up effect.

7. Decorate the background of the paper with the markers or crayons.

8. Fold a piece of heavy paper or card stock in half, then open it up. Put double-stick tape on the back of the pop-up and stick it to the heavy paper to create your page.

Create the Book

1. Organize your finished pop-up pages, keeping them folded.

2. Stick double stick tape on the back of the closed first page next to the fold and press it against the front of the closed second page close to the fold. Repeat this step with page two and three, three and four, etc., until all your pages are stuck together. For a stronger seal, use glue, evenly spreading it along the fold with the paint brush.

3. Spread out the book cloth or decorative paper face down on a flat surface and place the pages down on it about 2 inches from the edge. Make a mark with the pencil about an inch above and below the pages. Flip the pages over next to their current position, and make a mark about 2 inches from the edge of the pages with the pencil. Cut the paper along the marks to create your cover.

4. Cut the cardboard into two pieces, each equal to the height and width of the pages.

5. Position the cardboard pieces next to each other on the book cover, which should still be right side down. There should be enough space between the cardboard pieces for the spine of your book. Position the cardboard, allowing enough of an edge on the book cover to overlap the pieces, then make a mark with the pencil at the top, bottom and sides of each piece of cardboard.

6. Lay a piece of decorative paper down on a flat surface. Place a piece of paper the same size as your book pages when open down on the decorative paper and mark the edges. Cut the decorative paper to size using the pencil marks and set aside. Repeat with a second piece of decorative paper. This will be the inside of your book cover.

7. Spread glue on all four edges of the first piece of cardboard and glue it to the book cover paper or cloth, positioning it between the marks you made. Repeat with the second piece of cardboard. Let the glue dry.

8. Spread glue on the spine area in between the pieces of cardboard. Lay the pages on the back cover of the book and flip the front cover over them, then slide the pages back into the glued spine area. Press the cover against the folds gently, moving your hand up and down the spine to make sure the cover is firmly against the folds of the pages. Let the glue dry.

9. Lay the decorative paper face up on the inside of the front cover. It should cover the cardboard and the back of your first page. Flip it over so it is right side down and spread glue evenly over the back. Carefully paste it to the cardboard and the back of your first page. Press gently from the center out, drawing your flat hand across the paper toward each edge. Let the glue dry, then repeat the process with your inside back cover.

10. Open the front cover of your book. Cut a "V" in the top and bottom corners of the cover paper that extends beyond the cardboard. Spread glue along the top edge of the book cover and fold over onto the cardboard, pressing down and out from the fold. Repeat with the side and bottom of the cover paper. Let the glue dry, then repeat with back cover of the book.

11. Cut a piece of paper to serve as the book nameplate. Write the name of your book on the nameplate and decorate as you see fit. Spread glue evenly on the back and press onto the front of the book.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice the design and creation of your pop-up images on cheap paper before creating the final version on the heavy card stock.

• It may be easier to color your layer pop-ups before cutting them.

• Don't use too much glue on your cover. It may affect the pop-up pages when gluing them to the spine.

• After cutting, the connection to the paper is tenuous and could rip when you use markers or crayons, so be careful when coloring your creation. You may want to color it before you cut it to avoid tears.

• Don't make the spine space too large around the fold of your pages or it could affect how your pages open by constricting the paper's movement.

References

• Robert Sabuda: Simple Popups You Can Make
• Oracle Thinkquest: Write on Reader: How a Book Is Made: Popup Books
• "The Booklover's Repair Kit: First Aid for Home Libraries"; Estelle Ellis with Wilton Wiggins and Douglas Lee; 2000