Stitching a Vellum Liner and Cardstock Cover to a Card

Confession time. I may be using the term "card" a little loosely here. This form is one of my favorites, and I've used it for everything from an elaborate card, to a mini album, to a book full up of tags. However, you don't have to make the origami book guts--you can add a fancy fine translucent vellum liner paper and stitched cover to any card.

1. I started with the origami pocket fold signature below, but a simple half fold insert from a text weight paper will work just as well. However, if you'd like a go at the origami guts, you can find info HERE, on my blog.

This origami signature is folded from a page from an atlas.

2. For the vellum liner paper and stitched cover, I used a straight edge to tear a piece of vellum large enough to fold around the map guts, and a cover from a yummy piece of olive Basis Cardstock.

2. Sandwich the guts, vellum, and cover together, and clamp them together, open, with clothespins. Cradle the spine of the papers in the open center of a phone book or magazine, and poke a hole using a pokey tool or darning needle about 1 inch from the top and bottom of the folded spine.

You can mark where to stab with a pencil, if you prefer.

3. Leaving the clothespins in place, use a length of waxed book thread or embroidery floss to start a stitch from the outside of the spine . . .

4. . . . through to the inside of the spine, and back out again through the second hole . . .

5. . . . to the outside of the cover, leaving the two tails to . . .

6. . . . tie into a square knot.

I spritzed some Natural Basis Cardstock with various inks, stamped them with a passport stamp image, and tore them to fit on the outside of the front and back of the card,