The Art of the Fold: Blizzards

Welcome to the third entry in my series of posts detailing my adventures working through Hedi Kyle and Ulla Warchol‘s new book, The Art of the Fold: How to Make Innovative Books and Paper Structures. In this post, we’ll look at the structures included in chapter two, Blizzards. This chapter is full of structures I made when I attended Hedi’s workshop at North Country Studio Workshops this past January.

If you’re new to my blog, then you should know that I’ve been posting my structure of the day on Instagram, so be sure to follow me there. You can click on the name of each structure below and you’ll be taken to its related post over there. No pressure though – as you can see by this post, I’m also writing roundups on my blog on a biweekly-ish basis.

Here come the blizzards!

12. Blizzard Book
It all started with this structure. Like the Flag Book, this is one of Hedi’s better known structures. She invented it while stuck at home during a blizzard, hence the name. This book is great because its folded flaps secure the pages with no need for adhesive or stitching. This project results in a book that can hold business cards (2″ x 3.5″).

13. Wheel of Fortune
I made this book with an intense orange Echizen washi that I picked up in Japan a couple of years ago. I love it sooooo much and I think it really suits this structure. The instructions give you the option of making it with one or two strips of paper – with two, you join them end to end to get a poofier wheel. And just like the Blizzard Book, you can add pages to the pockets. If you wanted to have larger pages, you’d have to scale up the size of your starting sheet(s).

14. Blizzard Box
It’s mind-blowing that by modifying the Blizzard Book you can create a three section box. Hedi has an amazing brain. A tip – it’s easier to hide any structural flaws when using a paper with a busy pattern. Oh, and about patterns – definitely a consideration with the Blizzard Box. Whether the print is double-sided or not, pay attention where you want the pattern(s) to end up. If you don’t get it right the first time, it’s easy enough to (carefully) unfold the box and reverse everything. 

15. Crown Book
If the Blizzard Book were stretched out on a rack, you’d end up with the Crown Book. In this project, you create the accordion spine first, then add the pages. The folding of the accordion includes creating an integrated cover, which is awesome. In the book, you’re presented with two options for attaching pages to the book – one uses separate folios and the other uses one long accordion.

16. Crown Greeting Card
This structure is created just like the Crown Book – the covers of the card are essentially the covers of the book. The main difference between the two is that you only use four accordion sections for the card instead of a full 16. Be thoughtful about the paper you use for the folio. If it’s too thick or folded against the grain, the paper could crack at the spine when folded and that’s just not good.

17. Blizzard Pocket
When you fold this structure, you skew your folds a bit, which results in the creation of gussets – this allows for expansion and the cramming of things into spaces. For this project, you need a piece of paper that’s 11″ x 52″. This is very wide and there are few options for getting a piece that size other than cutting it off a roll. I have to tell you – I spent more time wrestling with the paper than I did actually making the structure. It really helps to use a weight when making this structure because the paper can get unruly while you fold.

Congratulations on surviving the blizzard of Blizzards! 

The next post will feature the wonderful world (at least half of it) of One-Sheet Books.