Loo Roll Book Tutorial

I have been asked by so many people how I made the Me To You bear tag books so I have written this tutorial and taken photos to go with it in the hope it will all make perfect sense and you will be inspired to have a go!

Mini Album Using Toilet Rolls ©AngieMacWillson MARCH 2012

Basic pack:

5 steam pressed toilet roll inners

5 sheets of co-ordinating 6x6 papers

lots of embellishments

1m narrow ribbon

1 length broad patterned ribbon

2 pieces card approx 21cms x 12 cms

1 piece card approx 21cms x 6cms

1 piece square Bazzill type coloured card

Die-cut scrolls in white

5 large tags

5 eyelets

You will need:

Double sided tape (DST)

Corner rounder

Scissors

Wet glue

Bone folder

Eazi Score Board (Blue board)

Decorative border punches

Hole Punch

To make your book...

Take the loo rolls and lay out on your workspace with short sides at top and bottom. Place a piece of double sided tape (DST) down the right hand side, across the top and across the bottom but leave approx 1.5cms without tape on the LEFT hand side only. You can add a piece of tape in the centre of the roll if you wish. Flip the roll over and repeat making sure there is NO dst at the left edge – both left edges should be free of tape!!

Take a sheet of paper, line the edge with NO DST to the left edge of paper and fold the paper over and crease it, you should leave an equal amount of paper above and below the loo roll. Next open the paper up and remove the backing from the DST on the bottom only, be sure to line it up to the very edge and press it down. At the bottom of the loo roll remove the tape, fold the overhanging paper UP so sealing the bottom opening of the loo roll. Place another piece of DST over the turned over paper – avoiding that left edge still. Ensure the folded paper at the bottom wont be lower than the roll by folding over – adjust if needed, remove the backing from the tape and secure the paper to the roll. You should now have the roll covered (you may find there is a section not covered along the left side – don't worry) And the top of the paper should still be overhanging. So now we need to cut the corners from the overhanging paper – then simply tuck these pieces down inside the roll neatly. You need to do this with all 5 rolls.

Lay out the covered rolls in the order you want the book – so a cover, 3 inner pages and the a back cover....be sure all the unstuck edges are at the left and all the openings are at the top.

The Hinges

You need to take the piece of card that is approx 21cms x 6cms, lay the long left side up against line 3 on the Eazi score board, and score on lines 5 & 6, turn the card so the scored lines are at the left – but the left edge against line 3 and score on lines 5 & 6. This piece now needs to be cut in half width ways as well as length ways to give 4 pieces of card with 2 score lines and blank card to either side of scores. Lightly fold all the score lines ready to make the book.

Take the front cover of your book and one of the hinges, slip the left side of the hinge into the back of your cover page – that's between the loo roll and the paper – that's why we didn't add any DST to that edge! If you are happy it fits then remove it, add either DST or a blob of wet glue and push back in – you might find you need to trim the hinges down in order they fit...do that to all hinges before you add glue and then remember!

Take page 2 and slot the hinge from the back of the cover page into the front of the page – remember to add the glue! Continue this way until you have used the 4 hinges to attach the 5 pages – all openings at the top and all bottom edges sealed!

So far so good!!!

The Cover

Stick a couple of pieces of DST across the centre of the book – on the front and the back – take the long length of pink ribbon and find the centre – you need to attach the ribbon all around the book leaving both ends of the ribbon at the right hand side. Remove the back of the DST and press the ribbon into place!

DO NOT put the DST over the hinges!!!

Take the co-ordinating square of Bazzill type card and trim it to fit the book spine – top to bottom...it may be a perfect fit already. When I did my cover I decided to punch the edge for the front of my book – if you want to do the same punch it now.

I placed DST along the back of the Bazzill card just behind the punched border – and then attached this to my book – over the ribbon - I guess it came over the front of the cover by about 3.5 cms. This was then taken over the spines and secured on the back again with DST – be sure not to pull too tight, if you stand your book up your pages should naturally splay open and be just right to add the spine cover!

The Tags

Take the 2 pieces of 21cms x 12cms card, simply cut each piece into 3 – so you end up with 6 pieces which measure approx 7cms wide x 12cms high. Before rounding all the corners check the tag will slip into one of the pockets – if it needs trimming do it now – to 5 of the tags, then round all corners. You need to now punch a hole through all 5 tags at the top and then add the eyelet so the tag doesn't tear when you add the ribbons. Cut the white ribbon into 5 short pieces - and slip then through the eyelet and hoop to finish it.

To Decorate

Now its down to your own imagination!

You have lots of embellishments in the bag to decorate the pages and the tags – and I am sure you will have suitable things in your own craft stash too... If you have pages that are still showing the loo roll, take some paper or card and punch a border strip and add that to the edge....

I used a flourish that I coloured with a distress ink pad and then used a couple of large paper flowers!

Inside my book I used mini tags, ribbon sliders, flourishes, die cut butterflies, sentiments, peel off pictures, buttons and anything small that I could find!!

After making this book I bet you want to make more – all you need to remember is 5 toilet rolls of the same size – or you could use empty rolls from a kitchen roll – just cut down so all pieces are the same height and width!

Next you need to steam press with the iron – this is the quickest and easiest way to be sure they are flat!

If you need any help just get in touch – and once you finish your book, I would love to see it and with permission like to add it to my blog

The photos may help you if you are struggling with the written tutorial....

And remember - the loo roll inners must be steam pressed - this way they will go flat - and stay that way!!

Thank you

Angie x