So in a recent workshop, I made a bunch of different types of paper, time to try it out I thought. I had 3xA4 sheets and 2xA3 sheets pulled from the white board + Day Lilly + Lemongrass vat, so decided to have a go at folding something from that.

I remember the ladies of PAQ talking about Chinese Threadbooks – an ancient paperfolding tradition from China. Having already folded one using cheap decorative paper, I thought I would throw some handmade paper at one also.

There are examples, hundreds of years old, of clever multi-compartment paper widgets, used to store silk threads (from weavers and embroiderers), and there is some exploration of the folding theory on teh internet, but you gotta dive deep.

So I cut an A4 size square, then downsized a tad to make 6x 1:2 rectangles for the innards, then set about folding.

Level 1 are the lovely little flower handle square boxes, 4 of them in this model.

Level 2 are longer boxes, each of which hole 2 level 1 boxes, in a clever little flap lock.

Level 3 is the cover, and the largest of the boxes in this model, that locks the level 2’s in another clever little flap locking mechanism.

The hand-made paper is remarkably strong, and takes folds pretty well – I used my bone folder to crisp up the creases as I went. I misted the folded pieces with a little water and then pressed them under a big book while they dried, making them hold their shape well, then assembled the finished piece.

I like this a lot – careful planning of the “right” and “wrong” side of the paper nicely shows of the paper and entrapped botanicals. I must remember to bring it along to the next PAQ meeting. Happy to have made the paper and then folded it – nearly the complete cycle. Eventually I will print my own paper also, but that is for future times.