How to Make a Pop up Book

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Pop-up elements add an exciting new dimension to any book (sure wish textbooks had them). If you are looking for a craft to make for a young child you know (or anyone!), you can create your own pop-up book rather simply. All you need is a story, a couple of hours, and a few simple materials.

Planning

• It can either be fiction or non-fiction. If choosing fiction, you can either go with a short yet classic folk tale or you can write your own story. If choosing non-fiction, look for a subject that a child might find appealing, like space, dinosaurs, or animals.
• You don't need to think of this as a tried-and-true "book." It can double as a letter, proposal, or a thoughtful addition to any gift.

• Feel free to add other craft elements to make it better. But even too many of these can make your pages look busy and weigh them down unnecessarily.

• Before you actually create the book, it is important that you know how many pages you will need along with how many pictures you will need and where to put them.

Construction and Design

• The paper must be thicker than an ordinary sheet of printer paper. Fold the paper in half horizontally to create the book's cover. [2] X Research source

• Open your paper. Position it vertically so that its height appears longer than its width. Use your finger or a thin pencil or pen to gently pry the tab forward.

• Make sure that the pictures you create or use roughly correspond to the size of your book page. Also make sure that you have all the characters and images you need for your entire book, rather than the single page. [4] X Research source
• Set aside an empty space at the bottom of the page for text. If you plan on having a child write the story out, you may want to use a ruler to draw lines to make it easier for him or her. You could also glue a portion of lined notebook paper in the space.
  • If you plan on writing it out yourself, however, you can leave the space blank or print text out from your computer and paste it onto the page later.
  • Review your story. Make sure that you have the illustrations and pictures planned out accurately as well as the text. Also make sure that you have enough pages created!
  • If you have more text than you have room for, attach a piece of paper that folds out upon opening to the too-small text area. Problem solved!
  • If you have a good eraser, go back and erase your pencil lines after completion.
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  Assembly

  • If you're using runny glue, be sure not to use too much. Apply the glue to the tab and not the picture; that way you won't risk getting glue above or below the tab. [5] X Research source
  • Do not glue any of the pop up tabs together, though, since doing so will prevent them from popping up.
  • This, of course, is entirely optional. If you're using it as a story-like letter or other purpose, a cover may be unnecessary.
  • Enjoy! Once the glue has dried completely, the book is ready to be read.
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  Community Q&A

  What kind of glue should I use to make my pop up book? Community Answer

  Use a good glue stick as that won't seep through the page and ruin your drawing (it doesn't wet the page like liquid).

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  What is the best type of paper to use and can colored cards be used for the base? Community Answer Card stock or other thicker paper is advised and, yes, you can use colored cards.

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  Is the cover supposed to cover the entire book? Community Answer

  The purpose of the cover is to cover the whole book and make it so glancing at the book won't cause people to already be reading the story. The whole book must be covered, but some can be sticking out, although it will look unprofessional.

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  You can also have more than one pop-up picture per page. Simply cut multiple pairs of slits along the fold, spacing them evenly apart, until you create the number of tabs you need for your illustrations.

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  1. ↑https://www.imagineforest.com/blog/easy-pop-up-book-tutorial-images/
  2. ↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsaPAvBRWiM
  3. ↑http://www.greatschools.org/students/activities/641-make-a-pop-up-book.gs
  4. ↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsaPAvBRWiM
  5. ↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsaPAvBRWiM
  6. ↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsaPAvBRWiM

  About This Article

  wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 50 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 961,429 times.

  287 votes - 77% Co-authors: 50 Updated: May 30, 2024 Views: 961,429 Categories: Making Books

  To make a pop-up book, start by folding a sturdy piece of construction paper in half and cutting 2 parallel, horizontal slits in the center of the paper to create a tab. You can follow the same process to create as many pages as you want. Next, write your text on the bottom half of each folded sheet and create the background on the top half. Then, draw your illustrations on separate pieces of paper, cut them out, and glue them to the tabs. Finally, glue the pages of your book together in the correct order. For tips on creating a cover for your book, read on!