Staying present, paying attention, and tending to memories feels elusive to me in this digital age. I crave small, tangible ways to remember. I made this accordion fold book and it is the perfect little container to satisfy me. It can be filled with photos, sketches, watercolor paintings, a story, or mementos. The outcome is an inviting compilation of memories tied up with a bow. I turned this project into a DIY kit so you can also make one. It is the perfect gift to assemble for someone, for yourself, to put out on display, and to give to a crafty person so they can make their own.

The accordion fold book DIY kit makes one 4.5 x 4.5” book that is 12 pages long. If you utilize the front and back sides, there are 22 spaces total for photos, sketches, and/or mementos. 4” square photos fit perfectly on the pages. It is available in 11 colors of plant-dyed organic cotton/muslin and includes: 

• (4) 4.5 x 21” strips of off-white 90# art paper
• (2) 5.5 x 5.5” squares of plant-dyed organic cotton muslin
• (1) 36” strand of 1” wide tea-dyed silk ribbon
• glue stick, embroidery floss, and hand sewing needle
• instruction booklet with color photos
• full page of embroidery inspiration

Once you learn the method, the possibilities are endless. You can make modifications based on the paper you have access to and/or the book size you plan to make. It is easy to add more pages for a thicker book or use larger paper for a bigger book. I love to make tiny books out of a single sheet of 8.5 x 11” cardstock.