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How to Assemble Lift-a-Flap Books

I’ve recently been sharing some printable lift-a-flap books that I have been making for my two-year-old.

The books are simple enough, and the printing, folding, and assembly instructions are built into the design and printed on the books themselves. But for those of you who would like some more visual clarity, here is a detailed picture tutorial on how to put them together.

Step One: Print and Gather Materials

1: Print out the books according to instructions (first print out the odd-numbered pages, then print out the even-numbered pages on the back of each odd-numbered page. For instance, page 2 should be printed on the back of page 1, page 4 should be printed on the back of page 3)

Gather materials:

Step Two: Create Cover Page

2-3: Trim cover page. The cover page (first page) is the only page that does not have a flap, so simply cut off the top half of the paper and discard.

Step Three: Create Binding Spacer

4: This is what the new cover will look like after you have cut the top off.

5-6: Now it’s time to create the lift-a-flap pages. For each page, cut out the rectangle near the top of the page, along dotted lines (note: I have updated the printables and made this rectangle solid grey so it is easier to tell which part to cut out and discard)

7: This is what each sheet should look like after the rectangle has been cut out.

Step Four: Fold Down Binding Spacer and Picture-Covering Flap

8-9: Fold down binding spacer. Match the star symbols so that they touch each other.

10: Fold down lift-a-flap picture cover and crease edges.

11: This is what the flap looks like when finished.

Wondering what the binding spacer is and why it is needed? See picture below:

In the above photo you can see what the book looks like with the binding spacer and without the binding spacer. The binding spacer creates thickness so that the book is even, rather than being pinched together at the seam.

Step Five: Assemble Book

12-13: After you have cut out all of the grey rectangles and folded down all of the flaps, assemble all of the pages together in order.

Step Six: Pre-Punch Holes for Paper Fasteners

 14-15: Pre-punch holds for fasteners, using either a small nail or a hole punch.

Step Seven: Fasten With Paper Fasteners

16-18: Thread paper fastener through holes one sheet at a time.

19-20: Fold down the metal flaps. The flaps should fold down vertically.

Finally, enjoy your new, free educational book with your child!

The lift-a-flap feature is great for early readers, so that you can focus on the words only, then view the picture.

Tip: if you plan on laminating your books, I recommend printing on regular printer paper. If not, I recommend printing on card stock paper.

Keep in mind that these books are meant to be read together with your child. Always supervise your child when reading these and teach him to handle with care, as paper books will tear!

I would love to hear your feedback on whether or not this tutorial was helpful, or if you thought the instructions built into the book were clear enough without this post.

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