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Friendship Book - FB - How to make an Fb

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Make a Friendship Book aka FB

FB - in Penpal lingo is 'Friendship Booklet' not 'Facebook'. :)

Penpals are a great way to learn about other people and other countries. A fun way to find penpals is through Friendship Books. Friendship books can be something simple like stapling some pages together to something more creative like Decos which are decorated friendship books. The purpose of friendship books is to find penpals and to share a little about you and your interests.

What is a Friendship Book?

A small book that is created by one person as a gift for a friend. They have colorful covers usually cardstock and are filled with blank sheets of paper.

The books are mailed between penpals with each person adding their name, address, interests collections, etc. When the book is full, it is mailed to the person whom it was made for and that person now has a full booklet of penpals who would like to write back.

How to Make a Friendship Book - FB

A Pictorial Tutorial

Step by Step instructions to make a very simple Friendship book using just 1-Sheet 8.5 x 11.5 of paper.

curated content from Flickr

Step 1: Make a Cover

Cardstock and Pretty Paper

Make a sturdy cover using Cardstock or Pretty paper. You will then be adding Decoration Tape, Contact paper, or Clear Packaging tape to this in the last step.

Use what you have in your craft stash to decorate the cover.
- Stickers
- Magazine cut-outs
- Die cuts
- Printable pictures
- Drawings
- Ribbon
- scrapbook embellishments
- IMAGINATION is key
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Booklet FB 

Step 2: Add Your Friends Label

As well as your label

You will be adding your friends label [the person who this is being made for] as well as Your label [the person who made the booklet] on the Left side of the inside booklet.



Information to include:

- Name

- Mailing address or email to contact you

- Birthday, Anniversary, etc.

- NPW, NSW, Whether you are looking for new penpals or swappers [See Abbreviations]

- Your interests [TV, Movies, Characters, Collections, Hobbies etc.]

- What you swap [list types of books/bags/collections you swap]

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Tag FB 

Common Penpal

Abbreviations

Step 3: Add the Paper

Make into a booklet

Cut your paper to fit your booklet and Staple or Glue to the right inside of your booklet. (cardstock cover)

You could also sew a binding or Staple into booklet form on the crease instead of the right side.

You can use:

- Notebook paper

- Construction paper

- Computer or Copy paper

- Scrapbook paper

- Recycled paper
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Booklet FB 

Step 4: Decorate the Cover

Stickers, Die cuts, Embellishments, collage,

You can decorate your booklet with just about anything:

- stickers

- diecuts

- drawings

- magazine cut outs

- recycled book pictures

- scrapbook emellishments

- ribbon

- yarn

- crochet appliques
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Pretty Paper FB 

Step 5: Cover with Tape or Contact Paper

Deco Tape, Packaging Tape or Contact Paper

Deco Tapes are perfect for decorating the outside of friendship books. They come in all sizes and characters. My favorites are the kawaii foods and gnomes made in Japan.

This is the last step in your Fb making Process:
- Use packaging tape [clear]
- Use clear contact paper
- Use Deco tape on the outside of your cover
- Laminate [machine or no heat laminating]

Just make sure your cover is sturdy and can last shipping world-wide for at least a year.
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Painting 'circle' FB 

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How to Sign a FB Friendship Booklet

Someone sent you an FB now What?

Swap card##Image credit: Kooohkies(c)

1. *Search some empty space in FB, and write your name and address (collections or interests, whether you are searching for new penpals or new swappers).

2. *After signing, read the FB. If you find someone you'd be interested in corresponding with, copy their information into your address book and write them a letter of Introduction. (most pals don't like form letters so write a personal letter)

3. *Send it on to another snail mail pal, who isn't already listed. (be sure the person you send it to hasn't signed the booklet already)

4. *If you receive a FB, which is full after you sign it, send it to its owner. Usually that person's name is in the cover of FB with words ' Made for'. (there are Yahoogroups which keep track of address updates) If you can not mail it home, contact the 'Maker' of the FB.

5. *Pass it on as soon as possible; don't let it lay in your shelf for months. If you can, send it on in a week!!!! (Join a group for regular swaps)

6. *You must not write to someone, who doesn't want new penpals. (for Abbreviation-Definitions Click HERE)

Penpals: Everything you Need to know

From a fellow Pal

I swap Fbs with Lara all the time. This is an 'Encyclopedia' of information for those new to the penpal world. It gives detailed information on what to swap, why, and How. She gives links to a number of popular Yahoo swapping groups as well as Penpal sites.
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Friends: Making them and Keeping them

Includes 4 Mini Posters

Could not locate item B001TK8CX2. Please try again.Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.

What do you do with your FB?

Now that you've made your FB-friendship booklet

Start Swapping those friendship booklets with your real life pals, your email pals, your penpals, and even Swap-Bot is starting to host swaps for FBs.

You can start by joining in on a Yahoo Group or even just answer an ad in a Penpal Zine.

Friendship books are fun to make and fun to swap.
You can join Round Robins or even join a yahoo group and make different Fbs for people with different themes.

Come on, give it a try JOIN A SWAP.

Recycled FB 

Swap-bot Groups

You must be a member of Swap-bot to Join

Themed FBs - Swap-bot
In this Group we create only high neat & nice Theme Fbs.Every Month/ Week here are different Themes for FBs.
~Friendship Forever~ - Swap-bot
This is a group where we can swap fb's and any other swapping materials.
FB & Penpal swappers - Swap-bot
This is a group I moderate. This group is for Swap-Bot swappers who enjoy penpalling and swapping FBs, Slams, Label-Sticker Bags, Crams, Friendship Sheets(FSS) and StickerBooks aka Sticker slams.
USAswaps - Swap-bot
If you love to swap and live in the USA, then this is the group for you! You can also find us on yahoo groups! We swap friendship books, decos, friendship sheets, slams, bags, stickers, stationery, notepads, kawaii, deco tapes, just about anything you can think of!
QualityFBSwaps - Swap-bot
These books must be in booklet form made out of cardstock, not too big, front covered with patterned scrapbook paper, and decorated with either stickers or printed images via the internet, ribbons, embellishments, confettis, sequins, all put together on the cover in an artistic way and covered with plastic clear shelf liners or clear packing tape to withstand the travel worldwide. No staples showing on the front of the covers. The best way to staple an fb is on the crease of the booklet.

Swap Friendship Books

on Swap-Bot.com

Join a Yahoo Group

When a hobby becomes an addiction

Nothing better than chatting with others who enjoy making FBs almost as much as you do. Join a themed swap, a FB challenge, Find a friend, discover new creative outlets.
FB swapping Yahoo Group
fbswapring: FB Swap Ring - A fun new way to swap!
Pen-PALS!!&FB SWAPPERS!!!
A community to get new pen-pals and FB swappers. A perfect havan for FB swappers and pen-palling enthusiasts alike!!!! Please feel welcome to come and hang around!
MomSwappersPals
Swappers who also happen to be moms.
friendship/books swappers
Friendship Book swappers. Need I say more.

Free Printables

Tuck-ins for your pal letters

Make some envelopes or send a printable project to a friend as a tuck-in surprise. Kooohkies even has printable FBs so all you'll need to do is add your contact information and re-enforce the cover with contact paper or Tape.
Envelopes and letter Stationery
Download greeting cards, print out and create your greeting cards! Get Envelopes and Stationery, too!
FRUITS CHEW INC.
Here is a land of happiness, of bright colors- and dotted lines! Fruits Chew Inc. is a home-baked printable stationary company. We make you stationary to keep you happy. All characters are © FruitsChew unless otherwise noted on character pages. Slogans for characters are also © the company. If you have any questions, comments or requests, please contact us! We love hearing from you!
Moko.Pupu.JP/print
Although this site is in japanese you can still print out the kawaii stationery and make your own stickers too.
Merry Christmas Edition
Kawaii-Inc. Consist on the following: cute, pixels, myspace, glitters, dollies, buttonmaker, cute wallpapers, and more!!!
Friendship Books Printables :: Kooohkies Penpals
Print your own LabelBags free! Friendship Books and Address Labels Sticker Bags Mini Envelopes and Swap cards

Want to know more?

Sites about and for Friendship Books

Didn't find what you were looking for here? Drop on by these sites for more information, photos, and explanations and GET SWAPPING.
Friendship Books Printables :: Kooohkies Penpals
Print your own Friendship Books free!
LetterSets.com - Welcome
List of Penpals ages under 14 to over 35
They also sell cute/kawaii letter sets and other stationery supplies.
Kirana's Fb World
Explains simply What are FBs.
MyJellybean | Life | How-To Column | Create a Friendship Book
CREATE A FRIENDSHIP BOOK An alternate method of FB making for those friends in real life not just via letter.

Recommend A Link or Add your own

Friendship Books and Pen Friends

Have a site dedicated to making friends and friendship booklets? Share it with us.

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Friendship book Art Lesson Plan, Thematic Unit, Activity, Worksheet, or Artistic Teaching Idea

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SS4PENPALSWAPPERS

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FB trader - book

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Penpal Park

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friendship quotes at latestngreatest

Featuring a huge collection of inspirational frien more...0 points

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Comments:

Let Me Know What You think?

  • ZodiacImmortal Sep 9, 2011 @ 2:45 pm | delete
    Included your lens to my Upcoming Pen Paling Intro & Ettiquitte guide lens (still under construction)
  • Ruthi May 26, 2011 @ 3:54 pm | delete
    WoW! This sure brings back fond teen memories! Of late, my choice for penpal communication is postcards.
  • foovay May 26, 2011 @ 12:35 am | delete
    Wow. I remember making and receiving FBs, as well as finding new friends through them many years ago when I had penpals - and I do mean...about forty years ago! It's wonderful to see they are still around. I remember how special I felt when I received one made just for me. Blessed by a squid angel.
  • a_willow Sep 14, 2010 @ 9:21 am | delete
    Such a fun idea! :) And pretty simple to make. You should update and add new labels from Zazzle! ;)
  • annmackiemiller Sep 13, 2010 @ 6:44 pm | delete
    what a great idea, I hadn't come across it before
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