Standing scrapbook folders

The project: Create folders for standing scrapbooks to protect them during retrieval and make object IDs easy to locate.

The scope: 22 uniformly sized scrapbooks.

The pattern: Open top cardstock book sleeves with no alterations.

Over several years, the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula inventoried and rehoused its scrapbook collection. While most of the scrapbooks were individually boxed in purchased book boxes, a subset of them were in good enough condition to be stored upright on bookshelves. For extra protection, I created individual cardstock sleeves for these standing scrapbooks. This would allow them to be retrieved more safely from the shelf and also allowed for indentifying information such as an object ID to be written on the sleeve.

I created the sleeve pattern from scratch. It involves a closed bottom, so that the books can be safely pulled off the shelf, and overlapping front flaps that velcro closed. The top is left open. This enclosure is fairly quick to create and requires minimal adhesive. Here is the final shelf:

A row of slim books standing upright on a metal shelf, each in a individual cardstock sleeve.

The image gallery below walks you through the process of creating these sleeves. For detailed pattern drafting instructions, see the cardstock book sleeves page.

A scrapbook with a maroon cover with gold detailing.
1. This scrapbook needs a protective enclosure.
Enclosure pattern drawn out on tan cardstock.
2. I drew out the enclosure pattern. The book was 9.75 inches wide, 1 inch thick, and 11.5 inches tall. I made each of the front flaps 6 inches wide so that they would overlap by about two inches.
Three images showing the enclosure pattern being first cut out and then folded into shape.
3. After erasing the lines I didn't need, I cut out and folded the pattern to create the enclosure shape.
Two images showing the corner flaps being taped down to the bottom of the enclosure.
4. Using double sided tape, I attached the corner flaps to the bottom of the enclosure base. I like to attach my flaps to the outside of all my enclosures, to minimize the risk of adhesive coming into contact with the artifact inside.
Two images of the cardstock enclosure standing upright with the front flaps open.
5. Time to test the scrapbook in its enclosure and make sure it fits correctly.
The front flap of the scrapbook enclosure with velcro dots attached to it.
6. With the scrapbook inside, I can see where the front flaps overlap. I add velcro dots to the flaps so that the enclosure can easily be opened and closed.
Closeup image of a row of scrapbooks standing on a shelf, each in their own cardstock enclosure.
7. The enclosure is complete! This scrapbook is ready to join its friends on the shelf.