Create a fabulous square concertina book from one sheet of paper

Debbie Mackinnon demonstrates how easy it is to make your own concertina book from one sheet of paper... You can find more of her work on instagram @debbiemackinnon and website debbiemackinnon.com

[@carlajones2169]

You’ve just shown me what I can do with lots of unfinished or pieces I didn’t care much for. You totally see the work in a different way. Thanks so much for sharing this!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulkline9174]

@@debbiemackinnon7202 Oncethe boo is folded and it’s stretched out, do you cut the pages that stick out the back so that the book is one continuous concertina fold? Thanks

[@sarahhunnicutt3769]

I loved your beach painting, colors and designs. Thanks!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

Delighted to hear that

[@kascialelonek8757]

Loved the video. Thanks for sharing.

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

My pleasure

[@marianorris8369]

Really enjoyed watching this . Must try it .

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

so pleased you enjoyed it and let me know if you make one...

[@helenkaranika9423]

Wonderful, Debbie! Thanks for the great tips and the glimpses of your fabulous beach!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

my pleasure - yes finding some great inspiration from nature really helps....

[@user-im8zq2xt5y]

Beautiful! I'll try the square format with the concertina books I've been doing lately :) Thank you for your post!

[@lulabelle33]

The painting collage pieces are fabulous. I love the colors found compositions and your working into them. Wonderful. I look forward to more of your work

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

thats very kind and much appreciated. Delighted you enjoyed this

[@susanfox7495]

Thanks so much for teaching us how to make the square version of a concertina! As a beginning painter/collager, MANY of my ‘experiments’ and exercises are pretty terrible ( and that’s OK!), but it does help SO much to have the option of making that scary big piece of paper into a folded book that may reveal some actual interesting bits to work on! Your beach is just beautiful and must be such a respite and source of inspiration-that RED stone!-and implacable in a time when the world seems so unstable and unfamiliar. Wishing you well from land-locked Indiana in the US…someday, maybe a trip to the sea will happen!!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

We are very lucky to have lovely coastal areas to explore, nature inspires wherever I am. Hope you find some inspiration locally! Meanwhile enjoy making and creating...

[@bonnieleukert9963]

Indiana is not completely land locked as it has some Lake Michigan shoreline, and close to the sand dunes which is beautiful, too. Not the same as the ocean I know!

[@anneroe6749]

Loved this share! Thank you so much for the inspiration from Nature and creating the book from one page. I love the fold out painting. so beautiful and full of energy!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

so thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed this, thanks

[@traceyhall5687]

Thank you for such inspiration, I'm going to endeavour to make 4 of these beautiful books as special Christmas gifts for our daughters.

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

that sounds lovely! hope they love them

[@vickiehammerlun8361]

Love this idea!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

It’s fun to do with an old work on paper

[@sherrierichard2848]

Loved your color palette and how it turned out! Beautiful work! Thanks especially for the tutorial on how to fold…but you lost me on the paper tape?

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

I split the joined pages and rejoined at back with brown paper tape to create a continuous concertina

[@millygit]

Thanks Debbie, I love the square format, always great so see ways of using paintings that are not quite right out to be stepping stones to something new. Sorry you are in lockdown, we in Canberra have been very fortunate that way

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

Really glad you enjoyed this Michelle - I find the square format really interesting... hopefully lockdown won't last too long! meanwhile keep creating...

[@millygit]

Debbie, I made a tiny square concertina book from A4 cartridge paper today and am thrilled with how it came out. I was distracting myself as my dear old dad was having a major operation today so whilst waiting for it to be over, I collated then did lines over paper then cut it to your instructions and I’m super pumped with the outcome, now I can add more marks to each page. Super grateful for the instructions

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

@@millygit hope your dad is ok... art is so wonderfully distracting isn't it. Delighted you made a little square concertina.

[@millygit]

@@debbiemackinnon7202 my dad doing wonderfully well, still making a mini concertina a day, it’s so easy to get inspired after doing random marks then cutting it up and having still more fun with more lines, may actually take one into the hospital while I sit there

[@jackiebegueart]

Lovely and inspiring!

[@lisedanis2201]

I really enjoy your videos of works you do on location and turn into concertina books!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

Glad you like them!

[@amandahaagner1493]

Thankyou for sharing the method and I love your work tremendously!! (from South Africa)

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

delighted you enjoyed this and thanks for your lovely comment

[@diannekemnitz3390]

Thank you for sharing. Absolutely love being able to create a square concertina now.

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

You are so welcome! happy you loved it

[@lauracastell2449]

These videos are wonderful, thank you very much!

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

my pleasure, delighted you are enjoying them

[@AmandaInEly]

I deffo want to do this today!

[@sharonbruster3067]

Ooh I do like this format….off to make one now! Thank you Debbie

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

looks like you had fun with it!

[@hbonda]

Wow. Thank you for sharing!!! ❤️🙏🏻

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

its a fun way to repurpose a work into a totally new format

[@adeleservice9638]

Very beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

I'm very glad you enjoyed it

[@janemorrow6672]

That was great. Thankyou.

[@jackieseeger6585]

Thanks so much for sharing, love your colours. The shapes and colours are so effective when separated out like this. Love watching you work😊 J

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

You are so welcome, glad you enjoyed

[@evrimunalbalck254]

wow!!!!! beautiful idea :)))

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

Many many thanks Evrim. hope you are well and creating

[@sherrierichard2848]

How do you calculate for a square concertina book? Doe the paper have to be a square instead of a rectangle? Love your expressive work and especially your color palette!

[@patriciahorelick6450]

Loved this idea! Will definitely try this as I also have some large sheets that didn’t thrill me as a single painting

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

Wonderful! enjoy!

[@jacquelinedavisart]

This is so cool

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jacquelinedavisart]

@Debbie Mackinnon I have just got around to making one. So excited to play with it.

[@susananielsen8911]

Thank you for your nice video, very inspiring. Please notice even if I set the Sound on Extreme High pitch it is difficult to hear you. In the end indoor the Sound is ok😍

[@junemaguire5053]

I sea some boats. Lovely

[@luisalimone4965]

Thank you!! So cool! What kind of paper do you used and what is the size ?

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

its 200 gsm mixed media paper. This sheet was A2 in size but you can make it with any sized sheet... glad you enjoyed

[@karenmarcus685]

I thought I saw you tape the folds on the opposite side of the book. Is that correct? If so, what kind of tape do you use and do you paint on the opposite side. I love the end result!! Thx.

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

I’ve used a brown paper tape here but I sometimes use white medical paper tape. Don’t usually paint on the other side but you could

[@karenmarcus685]

Thanks Debbie. The info on the tape was very useful. Looking forward to cutting up one of my old paintings to make a concertina.

[@maieyanni1473]

Very inspiring video thank you Debbie, do you mind me asking what weight /thickness is the paper in gsm ? Thanks

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

glad you enjoyed this - the paper is a smooth hot press universal mixed media paper about 200 GSM - I find heavier paper hard to fold

[@maieyanni1473]

Thanks Debbie, you are quite right , the heavier paper cracks and does not fold easily, conversely, the lighter ones are flimsy. However , collaging on the lighter 140 and 180 gsm helps thicken and weigh down the folds .

[@lmperlin]

I really enjoyed this~tho the beginning is barely audible~so I am asking what kind of paper did you use here~and what size? thanks so much

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

hello, sorry you couldn't hear well, the paper is an A2 Fabriano mixed media paper, its 200 gsm. You can make this kind of book with any size paper, the pages will just end up being smaller or larger... I find heavier paper hard to fold. hope you enjoy making your own book

[@softlanding138]

Wish I could hear😢

[@sherrierichard2848]

What is the key measurement to make the square pages? I’m stumped mathematically 😮

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

You simply measure the width of the paper and divide by 3. Make 2 folds on the short side folding paper into 3 horizontally. Then fold other way into four ( fold paper in half and then in half again. This turned into squares for me on an A2 sheet

[@1sunnydeb]

What is the weight of the paper?

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

It’s 200gsm mixed media paper. Heavier paper can get hard to fold

[@1sunnydeb]

And size? You ended up with a sq book using a rectangle sheet?

[@judithmoore8692]

Nice info but volume when recorded is too low. Need more voice projection.

[@ChapmanGriffith]

Wish I could hear what you are saying, sorry.

[@deborahhoch2662]

Audio is not good can’t hear you☹️

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

Not sure why - its fine on my computer... hope you can enjoy watching the visuals. Just a note, I'm home in lockdown without special equipment and doing my best....

[@ritazita1111]

I've had trouble with this issue too. I find it just too frustrating to try to follow. Don't know why she can't just up the volume.

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

@@ritazita1111 I hope you enjoyed the visuals. I’m working alone at home in lockdown and doing all these tutorials for free. Apologies if sound was set too low- it sounded ok on my laptop. I’m learning more with each one.

[@pattykelly6621]

Can't hear you at all.

[@debbiemackinnon7202]

sorry you couldn't hear well, it sounded ok on my laptop. Hope you can enjoy the visuals - its fairly clear from watching the steps. I am doing this from home lockdown and filming myself so not always easy...

[@suesimpson7625]

Looked interesting but the volume was so low, almost non existent…