Resourceful Scrap Sketchbooks.

 In my own art making process and in my art classes, I find that a critical component in the creative process and in documenting creative and critical thinking, the sketchbook is a very utilitarian tool and one of my necessities. I am always looking for new ways to create sketchbooks with my students of all ages.  Instead of requiring kids to go out and buy a sketchbook, we make our own out of scrap materials I have saved in a big box each school year. (I usually write a school wide e-mail asking people to bring in cereal or any other thin cardboard food boxes.) Last year, as I was teaching middle school, making a sketchbook was our first art project.  I gave a basic demonstration and examples of several creative page ideas and then challenged students to see who could construct the most unique sketchbook.  Basic steps follow.

Recommended Resources:
cereal box or other thin cardboard
copy paper
scrap construction paper
glue
clothespins
scrap art or unfinished projects
lined paper
envelopes
calendars
magazine pages
craft/butcher paper
scissors
fancy cutting scissors
any other scrap craft materials

On the first day of class, I gave my students homework: Raid your recycle box for scrap materials like thin cardboard and junk mail paper.  Students can usually share one box between two people. Or, if its a small box, you will need to use the front and back panels as the covers for your sketchbook.

Step one: To get started, you will need to cut out the front or back panel of a box and make sure you have two pieces that are the same size.  Then choose the scrap paper you would like for the front and back covers and cut the paper so it is about half and inch bigger than the cardboard pieces on all sides.  Next, cut two pieces of paper slightly small than the cardboard pieces.  Place the cardboard, printed side down, with glue onto the cover paper.  Cut the corners so they will fold neatly onto the cardboard and glue down.  I find it helpful to use clothespins to clamp down the edges.  To finish the covers, glue the smaller paper so that it overlaps the cover paper and covers any visible cardboard.

Step two: Make the spine or binding of your sketchbook. Use a piece of copy paper and accordion style fold it.  Try to make sure that each crease is even and less than half and inch wide.  Trim the paper so that it is a little shorter than the covers of the sketchbook.

Step three: Make the pages.  This part will require some problem solving and creative thinking.  I give the students several basic ideas and leave directions very open ended.  When making your pages, I recommend that you cut and fold them so that they will be protected by the covers.  I usually require students to put in five or more pieces of trimmed, lined paper for any vocabulary or special notes they may need.  Next I show how to use one of the covers as a template to ensure some plain paper can be cut and added as normal sketchbook paper.  Trace around the cover onto a sheet of paper. Then make a stack of three to five papers and cut them at the same time. You can encourage students to try this with any kind of paper or scraps.

Next start to make the more creative and interactive pages for the sketchbook. For instance, I use paper that is obviously too large to fit into the sketchbook and show how it can be folded in a variety of ways to fit inside the covers.  By contrast, you can cut papers that are too small to fill the binding and add multiple pieces or overlap them to make a collaged sort of page to draw on.

 Pieces of old maps make fun printed pages to draw on and can be folded to create longer, landscape surfaces.  You can do the same thing with tall paper.  Fold the tall paper in half and trim the open edges so it will fit the sketchbook.  Instead of gluing the paper into the binding the landscape direction, try to glue one edge so that the tall paper unfolds up or down beyond the edges of the covers to create a much bigger drawing surface.

Envelopes also make nice pages to draw on and double up as a storage pockets to keep a collection of mini drawings or even an artist trading card project.  You can also use old junk mail papers and envelopes and re-purpose them as sketchbook pages.  Another idea students liked was making folder pockets on the insides of the covers to hold papers and even pencils.  Simply cut paper about half as tall as the cover pages and just as wide and then glue the sides and bottom down, leaving the top open.

 Once you have assembled a collection of cut and folded pages of all kinds, you are ready to glue them into the accordion folded binding. To do this, start with the first "v-shape" of the binding.  I usually start by adding five or more lined papers for notes at the beginning.  Add a line of glue in the "v" of the first fold and attach the first page. Then add a thin line of glue on the edge of the lined paper that is in the binding to adhere the next piece on top.  I recommend adding about five to eight papers per crease.  Once you have the first set of papers glued in, add a line of glue the the other side of the "v" and fold that one section of binding together sandwiching the paper inside and securing them.  Then move on to the next section until you have an accordion style binding with sets of papers secured within.  (It is important to keep folding the binding together as you continue gluing each section to make sure that the pages and binding stack on top of one another and not side by side.)

                                       The finished bound pages should look something like this.

 To secure the bound pages into the covers, put a generous line of glue on the front and back of the accordion fold and place your front and back covers on top and underneath the bound pages so that everything is neatly stacked and lined up.  Next cut some straps from scrap papers to glue from the front and onto the back of the the covers. I usually make three straps for the top, the middle and the bottom.  As you glue them on, be sure to pinch each strap tightly around the binding and the spine of the book.  If you would like to attach a closure you can glue a rubber band or ribbon underneath the straps on the back cover.  I like to use string or ribbon so it can tie the book closed on the front.


 Obviously there are many ways you can add to or change the sketchbook to make it your own. For instance, the overall shape of the sketchbook doesn't even have to be a square or rectangle. (I had one student make her sketchbook in the shape of a butterfly with its wings folded.  When it was opened, you could see two symmetrical wing shapes!) The students who really got engaged with this project brought in materials of their own to make it more personal.  Overall, its important to make the scrap sketchbook a fun place to work and process ideas.  I have also made mini sketchbooks that I give as gifts and I also keep one in my purse for spur of the moment ideas and inspiration.  You can also theme the sketchbooks too.  I am working on one right now as a place to record and keep recipes.

 Keep creativity growing by filling up your own handmade sketchbook.  Until next time, happy scrap sketchbook making!