Write out the story or information you want to communicate. Divide it into sections for each illustrated page. Think about what you can draw to match up with the text. Imagine your picture, the background, characters or building that are particularly important to your text. The most important element should be the pop-up.
Draw two parallel lines of the same height perpendicular to the crease in the paper. Fold the white card stock in half crosswise (parallel to the 8 1/2-inch side) as if you are making a greeting card. Use longer lines to make a taller pop-up, shorter lines to make a shorter pop-up. Likewise, how far apart you cut the parallel lines affects the size of your pop-up.
Cut along the two lines (your card stock should still be folded in half) and fold up the cut section and crease it. Then return it to its original position and open your folded card stock. Use your thumbs to push the cut section through to what would be the inside of a greeting card and then close the card, pressing both sides firmly together. You should have a small square or rectangular window.
Open your first pop-up page. You have what is called a layer pop-up. Decorate your pop-up with construction paper cut-outs of your characters or scenery. Add details with crayons, colored pencils, markers and glitter. Glue your cut-out on the pop-up, and wait to close the pop up again until the glue is dry. Write in your text and decorate the background.
Make some V-fold pop-ups as well. You can use them as mouths or openings in buildings or structures. Fold your white card stock in half crosswise, like a greeting card, then draw a line from the creased edge to approximately the center of the folded half. Cut the line from the folded edge.
Fold the top flap back into a triangle and crease. Then fold the bottom flap back into a triangle and crease. Put each flap back into its original position. Open the folded paper, push the top triangle through to what would be the inside of the card, and then the bottom triangle (do this separately to prevent ripping the card stock). Close the card and press both sides firmly together. You should have a triangle shaped opening on each side. Open the card and you have a mouth pop-up.
Create details like eyes, eyebrows and mustaches out of construction paper and glue them on, or draw them on with crayons, markers or colored pencils. If you glue things on your pop-up, don't close it again until the glue is dry.
Carefully glue your pages together in numerical order. Glue the right outside folded half (should be blank) of the preceding page to the left outside folded half of the next page, and so on. Be careful not to glue pop-ups down or to other pages.
Fold 8 1/2-inch cardstock or colored construction paper in half crosswise, like a greeting card. Glue the inside folds of the construction paper to the outside folded halves of your first and last pages. When the glue has dried, decorate the front and back cover of your book.