Make a Tiny Accordion Gallery

A gallery is a place to show art or interesting objects. You can make a tiny paper gallery that folds like an accordion, a musical instrument with a body that opens and closes in pleats. I think a handmade gallery is more interesting than a perfect, printed one. Slightly uneven folds and personal drawings give it character.

Gather a sheet of plain paper, scissors, and colored pencils. Cut the sheet in half the long way. Set one strip aside for another gallery. Lay the other strip across the table with its long edges at the top and bottom.

Fold the strip so its two short ends meet. Press the crease firmly. Keeping the paper folded, bring the short ends together again and press. Unfold the strip. The creases should divide it into four equal panels, or sections. Bend the creases back and forth in opposite directions to make a zigzag.

Choose three small objects to feature, such as a smooth pebble, a spoon, and a favorite button. Study their shapes, then draw one object on each of three panels. Leave the fourth panel for a title. Small photos work too, but I prefer drawings because they show what the maker notices.

Below each picture, add a caption, a short line that tells about it. For example, a spoon drawing might have the caption “This spoon has a handle shaped like a leaf.” Write a heading on the empty panel. “Kitchen Treasures” would fit a gallery filled with kitchen objects.

To display your gallery, place its bottom edge on a desk. Leave the folds partly open. If you stretch the strip flat, it will not stand by itself. The zigzag shape helps support it. When you are done sharing, fold the panels together for easy storage.

Some makers may want every edge perfectly straight. That is fine, but I would rather see a gallery full of personal touches. To me, its best job is sharing what you find interesting, not looking as though a machine made it.