SMCE4029 W27 Creative Book Structures 

• Duration: 4 weeks
• Day of the Week: Tuesdays
• Dates: Tuesday, March 2, 2027 – March 23, 2027
• Time: 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
• Location: Kelly Library Print Studio on campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto
• Cost: $325 (includes HST) 

Course Overview

A book doesn’t have to be a rectangle of pages sewn together with thread. In this hands-on class, we’ll explore books that fold, unfold, pop up, and open in unexpected ways. You’ll create inventive structures including the Pocket Link Book, Crown Book, Turkish map folds, and pop-ups, using flaps, moving parts, pockets, and other playful features. These creative formats transform the book into an interactive experience, inviting us to think differently about how stories, ideas, images, and objects can be arranged, revealed, and experienced through the simple act of opening a book.

Method of Instruction

This course combines guided demonstrations with hands-on practice to explore a range of creative and interactive book structures. Learners will experiment with the Pocket Link Book, Crown Book, Turkish map folds, and pop-ups, discovering how folds, flaps, pockets, and moving parts can transform the traditional book format. Step-by-step instruction will support learners in developing confidence with each structure, while small-group guidance and individual feedback will help refine techniques and troubleshoot challenges. By the end of the course, learners will have created a collection of playful, inventive books to use as journals, sketchbooks, or artist’s books.

Learning Outcomes:  

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Identify the key features and structural principles of creative book forms, including folded, pocket, pop-up, and movable structures.
• Demonstrate techniques for measuring, folding, cutting, gluing, and assembling creative book structures.
• Apply these techniques to construct a range of book forms, including Pocket Link Books, Crown Books, Turkish map folds, and pop-ups.
• Adapt book structures by experimenting with materials, formats, and design elements to suit different creative purposes.

Andrew Huot

Andrew Huot is a book artist and bookbinder in Toronto, ON, Canada, where he operates Big River Bindery. He taught bookbinding, conservation, and preservation at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois for 12 years. In addition to conservation and bookbinding, he teaches bookbinding and book arts in his Scarborough studio, for the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, and at arts centers around Toronto. He holds a Masters in Book Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and his artists’ books use photographs, linoleum cuts, and text to share the humorous side of everyday life. His artists’ books are in collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, Emory University, and Ontario College of Art & Design. See more of his work at bigriverbindery.com and andrewhuot.com  

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