SSM: Deco - collaborative handmade booklet

A little handmade booklet that you send to your partner to fill a page with their art. Then they send it to another person to fill a page. Eventually, after it gets around to enough folks, the booklet is mailed back to you and you end up with a booklet of creativity.

Send a new or established booklet to one partner. (If you will accept homers -- last page decos, please say so in the comments section below.)

Lettermail size (not larger than the average greeting card. Less than 1/4" thick).

What is a deco?

A deco is a handmade bound book of a few pages which are sent around the world. The person that the book is “for” is usually listed on the cover and when the book becomes full it is sent back to them. Each person that receives and signs the deco will decorate one page according to the theme of the booklet (if there is one) and put their postal/email address and sign their name. Each entrant in the “deco” uses one full page to express themselves.

For more information about decos see: Decos 101

Examples of art-style decos

If you are making a new booklet...

Decorate the cover. The cover should be neatly made, similar to making an ATC or handmade postcard. Please keep the embellishments flat so lettermail postage can be used.

• A small number of pages - 4 to 8 pages to decorate. A small number of pages makes it more likely you'll get the deco back within a year.

• No larger than a 5" x 7" (A7 envelope size)

• On the back cover include the date, your Swap-Bot username, your email address, and your mailing address. If you don't want to include your mailing address write "Email me for my current address when this booklet is full."

Here's a tutorial for an easy 3 hole pamphlet stitch binding

Example of an easy 2-hole binding with decorate string:

Another booklet method: one-sheet folded booklet