I printed off the instructions for this cool project almost a year ago but just recently re-found them and decided to try it this weekend. You can find full step-by-step instructions on Taylor's blog. Taylor made hers into a mini book/album. I was going to make mine into a stationery keeper but ended up with this idea instead . . . a grocery shopping list & coupon keeper! Thanks for the cute idea, Taylor!
This is the keeper all folded up, it measures approximately 5" x 7-3/4". It's made out of a regular office supply manila folder. Even though Taylor shows you step-by-step folding instructions, I was a little confused (probably just a blonde thing!) until I actually started folding along with the instructions. So I thought I would show you how I folded mine (in just a bit), with the papers on it . . . maybe that will help with the visualization a little.
On the tabs, I used the new JustRite Stamper Brayton font that will be available mid-September (you can preorder it now at the JustRite site), to spell out "Coupon Keeper" and "Shopping List" on my Harmony Rectangle Stamper -- this is a straight wood block that will hold the letters. I love that I can spell out ANYTHING I want with the JustRite products -- not just monograms!
I've found fluid chalk inks and VersaMagic inks to work very well with this stamper and on this project I used Dark Brown ColorBox Fluid Chalk cat's eye pad. Papers are from The Robin's Nest.
Here it is, all opened up:
When I was folding this, it just struck me that the pockets would be a good size for most grocery store coupons and the pad of long paper that I usually write my grocery list on will fit in the far right pocket (where I've shown a mocked up "LIST" circle attached to a piece of cream cardstock -- my pad of paper didn't match and look as pretty for the photo!).
I used a border from the Elegant Border/Special Occasions set and the 1-5/8" Wooden Stamper with the Times New Roman font to spell out my coupon categories: Meat, Veggies, Bread/Dairy. Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Circle (third smallest in the large set) is a perfect fit to cut this 1-5/8" stamped image. I used the Nestabilities Classic Scalloped die (second smallest in the large set) to make a chocolate mat.
Now for the folding:
Lay your 1/3-cut tabbed (left position) manila folder on your work surface and open it to the left (I've marked the original middle fold here):
Score and fold up from the bottom of the folder (at the bottom of the photo above) 4". This will form the pockets along the bottom and will now look like this (after it's covered with paper). Later, you'll want to secure the bottom pocket(s) into place by either stitching up the ends, taping them, or I used brads:
Now fold the left side in to meet the original middle fold. Important: You want the top straight part of the folder to meet the middle, not the lower tabbed part. The far left part will be the front of your folder:
Now flip the far left piece that you just folded (the front) to the back, so it's laying flat on your work surface. Fold the far right side in to meet the the middle fold; but you'll also want to be sure the back spines align and the lower right straight part of the folder aligns with the middle fold:
Here's what it will look like when you make that last fold. The front of the folder is still laying flat on your work surface:
Here's another view of the front and back of the folder laying flat on my work surface and the middle fold sticking up:
And a view of the left two pockets, all finished:
And the right two pockets:
If you use this folder idea to make something, be sure to link back here -- I'd love to see what you create with it! And don't forget to enter the JustRite Stampin' Champion contest . . . in the spirit of the Olympics, there are some Bronze, Silver & Gold prize packages that will be given away!
