Instructor: Bari Zaki

Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025 from 10am–2pm (Chicago time)

What you’ll make: Two hardcover folders, each presenting a pair of deluxe mats in the interior. The mats are designed so their contents can be easily replaced whenever the occasion or spirit inspires. Perfect for a pair of photos. Wonderful for a watercolour plus a photo of the objets or scene that inspired it. Or a note (or poem) in one window, and an artwork in the other. You could, in happy fact, present a folder as a gift, with your wishes in one window and, in the other, an encouragement to fill both windows with wonderful memories. You will make one paper frame in the workshop, and the second on your own, in the company of the recording.

About the structure: The folder measures 5" x 5" x ⅜" with a full paper cover—meaning the paper wraps around from front to back to make the spine. Covered in a perfect pairing of Carta Pura Varese papers. The facing mats are constructed so that your photo (or whatever you are displaying) easily slides in from the top and stays in place. This is a lovely way to take something near-and-dear to you when you travel: it’s light, it’s sturdy, it stands up.

The workshop begins, as always, with a brief introduction about paper grain and a review of the tools we will use. We will then trim out the windows of our mats and backing boards. Next we glue our cover papers onto the bookboard, creating the outer cover. Then we will cover the two matted boards. For the finale, we will attach both mats to the inside panels of the folder, and press! Presto! Glueing happiness ensues!

​​Your kit includes all the materials (but not the tools) you’ll need to make two complete hardcover folders and their mats:

8 precut 5" × 5" binders board (4 for your folders, and 4 for your mats)

4 precut pieces of crescent board for the back of your mats (5" x 5")

8 pieces of Carta Pura Varese in complementary patterns (2 are 7" × 15" for your folders; 2 are 2" × 5" for your interior spine; 2 are 5" × 5" for your interior panels; 2 for your interior mats 8" × 8".

1 corner spacer

Nota bene: As always, I will record the lesson as it’s happening, and the recording will be available for you, with no interruptions or delay, later that same afternoon.

Tools needed: Bonefolder, teflon bonefolder (highly recommended) X-acto knife, PVA glue, glue brush. You will receive a 20% discount on all tools ordered for the workshop (via refund after your workshop purchase). You can purchase these tools individually here.

Ancillary tools needed: scissors, two metal rulers (same length), triangle ruler (10" 30º/60º recommended), pencil, a small cup for your glue, a rag to keep your fingers glue-free, and a cutting mat. 

If you have the necessary tools but are in need of the glue & glue brush, you’ll find them in a separate shop listing here.

You can choose to use these classic Florentine patterns like an elegant sweater set (red-on-red, blue-on-blue) or be jaunty and mix them (red mat/blue folder, blue mat/red folder). If you’d like to purchase an additional set of materials, you certainly can. However, you cannot accomplish this in the dropdown menu (because one set of materials is included with the workshop fee). To order additional sets of materials, please e me and I will be in touch extremely promptly. It’s $165. per additional set, with no shipping fee if you order at the same time as your workshop registration.

No previous bookbinding experience is necessary, though a bit of glueing experience is a plus. You will have ample time during each step to ask questions while we work. If you have any questions now, please feel free to call or e me to discuss!

I look forward to sharing my long-standing love of making a beautiful decorative accessory—by glueing and crafting with paper—with you in this four-ish hour workshop!