Whether you're new to lapbooking and are trying to get an idea of what minibooks are or whether you're an old hand at lapbooking and want some fresh ideas, welcome to the minibook gallery!
Browse the images for some creative inspiration. Follow the links for directions and templates.
Each photo featured on this page comes from a minibook that my daughter made as part of her homeschool experience over the past four years. Each is uploaded to Flickr. So if you need a closer look, click the image to see it larger at Flickr.
If you're looking for printable templates for these minibooks, keep scrolling down. There's a link lower on the page for Homeschool Share, your best, one site stop for templates and printables.
Minibook Exhibit
Examples and Directions
Layered Book
Examples
Layered Book Directions
Notes: A layered book is an easy but impressive minibook made with paper of various lengths, stacked and stapled together. Try different colors of paper to make a rainbow book! And remember that the layers can go up and down or side to side. A layered book is good for a list of related things.
Tabbed Book
Examples
Tabbed Book Directions
Notes: A tabbed book is good for a list of similar things or a progression from small to large. It can have as few as three tabs or can have many more. The tabs can go across the top, sides, or bottom for even more versatility.
One Page Book
Examples
One Page Book Directions
Notes: With just one sheet of paper of most any size and a pair of scissors, you can make this one page book, the easiest and most versatile book there is! The larger your paper, the larger your finished book will be. Experiment with rectangles and squares of various sizes for unique books. Besides a cover and a back, this book has 6 interior pages. So it's good for three to six bits of information.
Accordion Book
Examples
Accordion Book Directions
Notes: This book can be as short or as long as you'd like. It is especially good for timelines, steps in a process, a series of events, or any sequence at all. The accordion book can unfold up, down, to the left or to the right. You can decide! Index cards, taped together, make good accordion books.
Flip Flap Book
Flip Flap Book Directions
Notes: The flip flap book (also called a shutterfold depending on the flaps) is a mini-book standby. We use it constantly! Vary your paper size and number of "doors" to fit your topic. Flaps can open on one side or both, on top or bottom or even in all four directions! These kinds of minibooks are great for vocabulary or most any topic at all.
Matchbooks
Examples
Matchbook Directions
Notes: Matchbooks are generally small minibooks, but experiment with larger ones for some variety! Try a column or row of minibooks for vocabulary or for related concepts.
Four Corner Book
Examples
Four Corner Book Directions
Notes: Another impressive but easy book. All it takes is a square piece of paper with corners folded into the center. Voila! You naturally get four sections, so material with four parts is best suited for this minibook.
Uses of Minibooks
Minibooks are used to record small bits of information in an attractive and creative format. Usually people associate them with lapbooks, but they can also stand alone for
-book reports
-creative writing assignments
-a summary of a lesson
-imaginative play
Pop-up Book
Examples
Pop-up Book Directions (Be sure to go click NEXT to go through these four pages of directions for this fabulously simple but impressive mini-book.)
Notes: You can cut out paper shapes of whatever you're studying and attach them inside the pop-up. Add a cover made of another sheet of paper to the outside to finish it off.
Flag Book
Examples
Flag Book Directions
Notes: This mini-book is a bit tricky, but the "WOW!" effect of the finished product is worth the trouble. For best effect, you want at least six flags -- three on top and four on bottom. It would also work for eight flags, but more than that may get unwieldy. You'll want an even number of concepts for this type of book -- six or eight.
Fan Book
Examples
Fanbook Directions (PDF)
Notes: For a fan book, make as many pages as you need and use a paper fastener to connect them at the bottom. This book then opens like a fan. Your pages can be most any shape at all as long as they can be connected at one corner or end. Store it in a pocket in your lapbook or affix the back page to the lapbook base.
Circle Book
Examples
Circle Book Directions(PDF)
Notes: Easy, easy! A circle book gives you six divisions once you take away the back and cover pages. If you've got six or fewer bits of information, this book will work for you.
Three Square Unfolding Book
Examples
Three Square Mini-book Directions
Notes: It starts really small and opens really big. It uses an origami fold called the square base -- a bit tricky, but worth the effort.
Three Quarters Book
Examples
Directions
Notes: Variations of this include cutting away one sixth or one eighth of a piece of paper. Experiment with different combinations to find a book size and shape that suits you!
Wheel Book
Examples
Directions
Notes: Wheel books are great for short lists or for a short process. The little ones especially love the action of turning the wheel. You'll need a paper fastener for this one.
Trifold
Examples
Directions
Notes: The trifold is one of my favorite minibooks because it is so very versatile! It can be short, tall, fat or skinny. You can even cut shapes into the trifold for a shaped trifold!
Book Making Reference
Making Books That Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist & Turn: Books for Kids to Make
Amazon Price: $10.15 (as of 07/09/2009)
This is a neat book! It has lots of great ideas with clear directions for making minibooks. It's more on the crafty side than the educational side in its presentation. But that's okay! It's got classic standby minibooks as well as some more adventurous and complicated ones.
Keep it Fresh!
There are an abundance of minibook styles. But there are other ways you can multiply your options!
- use colored papers -- even various colors within one book
- use different sizes -- think of tiny ones or large ones; or make it really skinny or really wide; round the edges.
- rotate the book -- the book can open on the top, side, or bottom.
Bookmaking Bonanza
BOOKMAKING BONANZA
Amazon Price: $12.72 (as of 07/09/2009)
Lots of clever and adorable bookmaking ideas here! Let your imagination soar!
Evan Moor & Donald Silver
A Guide By Dinah Zike
Dinah Zike's Big Book of Books has many ideas and clear instructions for mini-books and other projects. I have found it a great resource that I have turned to time and time again.Look for it at Rainbow Resource or your favorite homeschooling retailer. Or scour the used books listings online. My favorite places are VegSource's Misc. board and Homeschool Classifieds.
The Big Book of Books and Activities: An Illustrated Guide for Teacher, Parents, and Anyone Who Works With Kids!
Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2009)
Used Price: $18.50
Need Templates?
If you'd like free printable templates for all of these minibooks (and more!), visit Homeschool Share's Lapbooking Resources page.
Book Making Resources
Pop-Up Books
How to Make Super Pop-Ups
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 07/09/2009)
Other Lapbooking Lenses
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Lapbooking
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Lapbooking can be done by any learner-- from preschoolers to adults. With this educational method, you make mini-books covering details that you've studied. After making a variety of mini-books about a larger topic, all the books are put together in...
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Lapbook Video Showcase
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Wouldn't it be great if another homeschooling mom could come over with a lapbook in hand and simply show you what lapbooking is all about? If she could let you see an actual lapbook and explain how it works, how it's made, and what her children lear...
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Lapbooking and Unit Study Themes
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This page is guide to all my other pages of lapbooking, notebooking, or unit study themes. An entire list of all my pages here at Squidoo can be found on my profile page.
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What Do I Need to Get Started With Lapbooking?
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If you're ready to take the plunge to use lapbooks in your curriculum, you should evaluate your resources. Do you have what you need to do it well? Where do you store your craft and art supplies? Do you have the essentials for lapbooking? Do you know...
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Lapbooking Versus Notebooking
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Lapbooking and notebooking are both popular among homeschoolers now. I will take you through some basic characteristics of each and hopefully answer these questions: What are these learning methods? How are they similar? How are they different? Whic...
Guestbook
Your comments are welcome.
I♥ME wrote
Thank you so much for making this website. It is very useful and it helped me alot.
I love the various styles.
PS: Where did you find all of that?
Posted June 10, 2009
Belinda wrote
Thank you so much for your inspiration. It has been great to get us started and we have even gotten inspiration enough to try our own things. Thank you.
Posted April 29, 2009
asmaa wrote
hi i really love makind nini books for my project.i am an 11 year old and i love learning
Posted April 17, 2009
Aquavel wrote...
Great lens filled with so many variations! Just wonderful! You're an excellent teacher & mom plus you have a very TALENTED daughter. (And you're great at documenting the process too, which helps the rest of us.) 5*s!
Posted March 04, 2009
opalfire wrote...
I will be able to use this with my children. My eldest son love to make mini-books and this will help him to hone his skills :)
thank you :)
Posted February 03, 2009
Lapbook Lessons has Dubbed Me Queen of Minibooks
Valerie at Lapbook Lessons made me this totally fun award because of all my minibook lenses. Thanks Valerie! I love it!
by Jimmie
Hello! I am a homeschooling mom who loves to teach and learn. I love the flexibility of Squidoo lenses for showing off our homeschool projects. Bloggi...
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