How to make a Concertina Booklet… in 8 Easy Steps
Perfect to store all your blessing and poem ideas for family mealtime celebrations
It is tradition in our house to say some kind of blessing or thanks before our dinnertime meal. It is not something I grew up with, nor is it a religious act but something I was introduced to many moons ago when I first came upon Waldorf education.
In our family, a blessing or verse means we take a moment to stop, take notice of what is around us and in front of us, and give thanks for what the earth brings. Sometimes we are quietly serious but other times, our blessing can be quite jovial.
A blessing can be a fine tool for guiding positive behaviour around mealtimes and for manners. It is also a wonderful way to acknowledge the cook!
If you don’t like the idea of a blessing, you might use your favourite inspirational quotes or motivational messages. Whatever works! The result will still be the same.
Happy, patient children with a little bit of goodness plonked into their thinking.
There are plenty of verses or poems or thank-you blessings out there and although it is nice to have a favourite, I also like to swap it around a bit every season or every month or even for different nights of the week. It helps to have a written card to remind me of the words. It is also a helpful and useful prop for a guest who might find this tradition a wee bit strange! (If they can read along, it is usually not so confronting!)
How to make a Concertina Booklet in 8 Easy Steps
1. First, cut a piece of cardboard in your choice of colour. (I’ve made mine in brown for early Autumn) Cut the piece to 30cm by 16cm.
2. Use the scoring tool on your paper cutter to score the card at 2cm and 11cm on the short side. Then score your card on the long side at 5cm intervals (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 cm)
3. Fold your card inwards at the 2cm and 11cm folds.
4. Then fold your card in a concertina pattern on the long side.
5. Cut 6 rectangles 4.5cm by 8cm from patterned paper.
6. Cut some white card 4cm by 7.5cm and glue each piece onto the patterned backing paper.
7. Write your favourite blessings onto the cards and pop them into the booklet.
8. On the front side of the cardboard, cut simple patterns or pictures from scrap patterned paper and glue it on. Can you see my little rabbit poking out from behind the bush?
Our new concertina booklet of blessings sits alongside our candle and snuffer.
Tomorrow, I’m going to share my favourite blessings.
Won’t you come and share yours too?
What a great idea! It would make a lovely little present for a friend just starting to do some of these beautiful blessings.
Felicity
I love this, I was trying to think of a wonderful way to have our blessing book change with the seasons and I think I’ll make 4 of these up and rotate them throughout the year. Thanks!
Oh yes, Felicity. what a lovely gift. It would be so helpful for those new to the idea. Seasonal blessing books- that sounds very clever indeed Stacey! (Keeps them fresh too!)