BOOK FOLDING TEMPLATE

- BALLET SHOES -

An introductory guide to book folding and how to

create this specific book folding design using the
template and pattern

Designed and produced by Jo Smewing

- The Folded Book Company -

UNDERSTANDING THE PARTS OF A BOOK

left hand (bottom) edge

right hand (top) edge

front
cover

front edge to fold

1 leaf = 2 pages
(If a book has 100 pages there will be 50 ‘leaves’ available to fold)

For those starting book folding with no previous experience it is recommended that
you follow a ready-made pattern. Using a template and pattern that has been tried
and tested is certainly the best way to get started to build your confidence and to
understand how the template and pattern work together to produce your folded
design. Once you have folded a few books using a template and pattern you will
start to grasp what may or may not work for any potential folding design ideas you
may have of your own.

©The Folded Book Company

 CALCULATING THE STARTPOINT IN
YOUR BOOK
For most designs you will wish to locate the folded design in the centre of your book. However each
book has a different number of pages so it is impossible for me to tell you to just start on page 10., for
example. To work out where your first page fold is to occur you must first calculate how many ‘actual
pages’ that your book has. Most books have numbered pages but not all of them are included in the
count. Turn to the back of the book and find the last numbered page. Continue counting from this
number until you reach the last ‘actual’ page in the book. Write this number down.
Turn to the front of the book and find the first numbered page. Count the number of pages that are in
the book before the first numbered page and add this to the number you wrote down. You should now
have an exact calculation of the number of workable pages that the book really has.

Here is where you need to be mindful of ‘number of pages’ and ‘number of leaves’. Follow the example
below to work our your own starting point.

Let’s assume your book has 200 pages.

Divide the total number of pages in your book by 2 e.g. 200/2 = 100
The answer (100) equals the number of leaves in your book to work with.

Let’s assume the pattern for your design requires 56 leaves in your book.

Subtract the number of leaves required for your pattern from your total number of available leaves
100-56 = 44

This number (44) is the number of leaves you will not require for the pattern.

Divide this number by 2 to calculate the leaf number you should start on 44/2 = 22

You should then start counting 22 leaves from after the cover of your book.

The 23rd leaf will be the first leaf you fold and should be folded according to line one of your pattern.

(NOTE: If your pattern requires an odd number of pages add one to that number for easier calculation.)

©The Folded Book Company

 PREPARING YOUR TEMPLATE
1. Print out the Design Sheet which contains
your template and pattern.
2. Cut out the template along the horizontal
guide lines right to the edge of your printed
page.
3. Place the template on the edge of a page
of your chosen book and situate the
template lines so that the entire pattern
sits centrally on the page (if not slightly
higher for artistic balance).
4. Either remove any excess or add an
additional paper strip so that your
template strip has a left hand edge that
ends exactly on the bottom end of the
page. (Note: each book will potentially
require a different length of template).

Once you have calculated your start-point

(see earlier), lay the template on your
starting page so that the bottom edge of
your template is exactly in line with the
bottom of your page.
It does not matter about the right hand
side of the template but you may wish to
trim the excess length if it overhangs the
top edge of the book.
You are now ready to start folding!

Gaps in your template represent folding points in your pattern that are not required.

©The Folded Book Company

 FOLLOWING THE PATTERN & FOLDING THE PAGES
o Each line of the pattern represents the instructions for the folding of each page in turn – for
example, 1. 12-19 is the instruction to fold the left hand of your page to the line marked 12
and then the right hand side of that page to the line marked 19. The simplest folds are
those in which the edge of the page can exactly sit on the line of the template.

Normal fold 12-19 creating open edge Left and right edges folded at 90°to
front edge (in line with text on page)
with different fold locations

o However, more complex folds will not allow this and therefore the fold should be performed
with the corner of the page situated close to the spine and the bottom of the fold lined up
with the bottom of the template line number.

Tricky folds 1-4 and 28-31 creating Pattern requires fold that cannot be 90°
open edge due to fold location

©The Folded Book Company

 FOLLOWING THE PATTERN & FOLDING THE PAGES

When you have located the top or bottom edge of the page on the correct line of the template
start by squashing the fold at the front edge of the book and then slowly push your finger along
the folded corner (making sure you hold the corner in place with your other finger so that its
location does not slip.

Folding the left hand (bottom) edge)

Folding the right hand (top) edge

©The Folded Book Company

 TOP TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME

Notes Before Commencing

Before you commit to your chosen book it is important to try out
at least a few basic patterns to get to grips with the way the book
folding technique works. Indeed it is recommended that you
first of all choose an old magazine or cheap book that you no
longer wish to keep or use for your completed book art design to
gain practise as once the pages have been folded they are not
easily folded again without compromise of the quality of the 3
dimensional art.

o The accuracy and perfection of your finished design

will depend upon the accuracy with which you placed
the bottom edge of your template strip with the
bottom of each page. It also relies on the template
remaining in this accurate position during the folding
of both edges of each page – an inaccurate location of
the template will produce a distorted design.

More Notes:
o Don’t put your nail at the edge
of the paper before folding as it
will tear the edge of the fold
and will spoil this otherwise
neat sharp edge.

o Make sure you have clean,

grease -free hands.

o Mark off each line with a

pen or pencil as you go so
you can remember where
you are up to.

©The Folded Book Company

 BALLET SHOES DESIGN
Ballet Shoes Template

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54

Ballet Shoes Pattern

1. Half fold 41. 46.5-50 81. 41.5-52 121.24.5-39.5
2. Half fold 42. 3-17.5 82. 8-19.5 122.27-41
3. Half fold 43. 36.5-44 83. 34-40 123.28.5-43
4. Half fold 44. 46.5-50 84. 42-52 124.29.5-45.5
5. 23-26 45. 3.5-17.5 85. 7-20.5 125.30.5-45.5
6. 21.5-28.5 46. 36-44.5 86. 34-39.5 126.32-45.5
7. 19.5-30.5 47. 46-50 87. 42.5-52 127.32.5-45.5
8. 17-34 48. 3.5-18 88. 6.5-22 128.33-44.5
9. 13-35.5 49. 35-45 89. 33.5-39 129.33.5-44
10. 9-37.5 50. 46-50 90. 43-52 130.34.5-43.5
11. 7-26.5 51. 4-18.5 91. 6-23.5 131.35-43
12. 34.5-41.5 52. 34.5-50 92. 33.5-38.5 132.36-42.5
13. 5-23.5 53. 4.5-19.5 93. 44-52.5 133.36.5-41.5
14. 35-42 54. 33.5-50 94. 5.5-24.5 134.37.5-40
15. 44-45 55. 6-20.5 95. 33-38 135.Half fold
16. 4.5-22 56. 33-37.5 96. 44.5-52.5 136.Half fold
17. 35.5-42 57. 38.5-41 97. 5-25.5 137.Half fold
18. 43-46 58. 42.5-50 98. 32.5-38 138.Half fold
19. 4-21 59. 7.5-22.5 99. 45-52.5
20. 36-47.5 60. 32-36.5 100.5-27 NOTES:
21. 3.5-20 61. 38.5-41 101.32.5-37.5 Pattern requires at least 138
22. 36-51.5 62. 44-50 102.46-52.5 leaves (276 pages)
23. 3.5-19.5 63. 10-34 103.5-28 Pattern height: 96mm
24. 36.5-51.5 64. 14-31 104.32-37.5
25. 3-19 65. 19-27 105.46.5-52.5
26. 37-51 66. Half fold 106.5-29.5
27. 3-18.5 67. Half fold 107.32-37 Skill Level: 7
28. 37.5-46.5 68. Half fold 108.47-53 Patience Level: 6
29. 47-51 69. Half fold 109.5-30.5
30. 3-18 70. Half fold 110.32-36.5
31. 38-45.5 71. 49-50 111.47.5-53
32. 47-50.5 72. 47-50.5 112.5.5-36.5
33. 3-17.5 73. 42.5-51 113.48.5-53
34. 38-45 74. 38.5-51 114.6-36
35. 47-50.5 75. 36-51.5 115.48.5-53
36. 3-17.5 76. 35.5-51.5 116.6.5-35.5
37. 37.5-44 77. 14.5-21 117.49-53.5
38. 46.5-50.5 78. 35-51.5 118.7-36
39. 3-17.5 79. 10-18.5 119.49.5-53.5
40. 37-43.5 80. 34.5-40 120.8.5-37.5 ©The Folded Book Company
 MORE PATTERNS AT:

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Dear Crafter
Please do not distribute, copy or resell this template,
pattern or any portion of this publication without the
express written permission of the publisher.
If you wish to contact the designer (Jo Smewing) then email:
jo_smewing@hotmail.com