Maybe some of you recognized what it represents. But for those who don't know, it is the cross of the Templar's. It was the symbol in the Middle-Ages.I wanted to share to you this symbol because I love History of the Middle-Ages especially the one in Europe, and for me the best way to symbolize it was by this symbol.

It isn't very hard to make but it will definitely keep you busy for a moment.

Supplies

a old book with about 300 pages

Step 1: Tools

a ruler
a pair of scissors
a good pencil
and a good motivation

Step 2: Calculations

To start you will have to count how many pages your book has and even the ones that aren't noted (mainly at the beginning there are a few pages not counted). For mine I have 320 pages.

I took 320 and I divided it by 2 to have the exact number of pages because a page has two sides on it : 160 pages.
Then I took all the pages and I divided it by seven because the cross is made of seven equal squares vertically and horizontally. To make it more easier to understand, the cross is square. So that makes us 22.8 pages. Like we can't cut a sheet a paper in half, I said to myself that I was going to go for 22 pages as the of one side of one square, and there will be left only a few pages.
Then I took 22 and I divided it by four and that makes us 5.5. Like I can't cut In half a page, I took away the 0.5 so that it would make a round number : 5
Then to know the number of pages left I did : 0.5 x 4 x 4 and that makes us 8 pages left.
Then I shared these left-overs to the other bands : two for each vertical bands so that makes only two left and I put them in the two spaces between the horizontal and vertical bands.

After sharing all the pages in different parts of the structure, we only did the horizontal measures and now all we have left is the vertical measures :

My book was 21 cm (about 8.3 inches) high and so I decided to make the thickness of a band of about 2 cm (about 0.8 inches). Then I took two and I multiplied it by seven because it is the number of squares in the cross and that makes us 14 cm (about 5.5 inches). Like 14 is less than 21 it is perfect. I could have token 3 cm and that would have made 21 cm as the books height but it would have been less beautiful.

Step 3: Delimiting the Three Horizontal Bands

The first line that you are going to make is the ones that will delimit the three main horizontal bands of the cross.They are the most important so do not miss them.

To make the this creation the best as possible you will have to make these lines asymmetric from the middle of the page :

For my book I decided as I said right above to make the three horizontal bands as thick as 2 cm. So take your ruler and make a dot at the center of the page.
Once you did that you will have to take your ruler and put one centimetre on each side of the dot and make a line at these two emplacements
Then from these two lines on the opposite of the center, put four centimetres and draw a line at these two emplacements as well.
Finally from the two last lines that you draw, put two centimetres on the other side.
If you did it as said you should have the same as the pictures

Step 4: Delimiting the Three Vertical Bands

After doing the main lines, you will have to count the numbers of pages so that you can delimit where the main vertical bands. In my case it was from page 0 to 46, page 133 to 180 and the last from page 273 to 320, the end because as I said higher divided the whole book in seven parts and that makes parts of 22 pages each.

Like a page numbers are on both sides of a page, I just multiplied it by two so that I can have exactly the good page to start folding.

Step 5: Delimiting the Folding Line

The folding line is a very important line that is to delimit the folds. I made it from about 6 cm (2.4 inches) from the front of the book. There are two of these lines, one at the bottom side and one at the top side.

Step 6: The Folds

For these first's folds you are going to fold in diagonal from the delimiting line at the bottom side or if it is in the other way, the top side to the little lines that you did to delimit your bands

If you want to do exactly like me :

I folded the bottom and the top corners from the first page to page 46.
And from page 273 to the end.

Step 7: The Skip Between the Bands

This part is the trickiest of all because you will have to fold in different ways several pages to make the transition between the band corners. To do it you will have to need about 6 full pages :

You will have to fold about 2 cm of the page parallel to the edge and then you will do the same thing with the next page but on the next page you will have to fold a bit less so that it makes stairs.
You will have to fold in diagonal the corner like above but each time you will pass to a next page you will have to fold the corner a bit less so that it makes stairs also.
Then you will have to make two cuts to continue the middle band so that the middle horizontal band won't be interrupted.
And finally you have to cut in the middle of the middle of the page (in the continuity of the curve explained right below). Then when you made these marks with your scissors, fold the little corners that you made so that it would be in the continuity of the curve.

I have to do the steps in this order but to make it more easier, I encourage you to do the 8th step before this one.

Step 8: The Curves

In the center of the cross you can see four squares with a type of curve in it. It is actually very simple to make because you are going to repeat every time two different folding :

The first consist to fold in diagonal the corners of a page from the side line (on each side) to the first line. Then you will have to cut with your scissors the middle of the page for about 6 cm approximately. Then you have to fold perpendicular to the edge.
The second one consist to fold from the middle band in diagonal the corners and also to put it perpendicular to the edge.

You will have to repeat it by interposing one type of folding then the other.

If you want I put a video of me making the whole thing, don't mind looking at it.

img-0417_fgJE9SHJ.mp4
Download

Step 9:

I hope you enjoyed this new project. I know that it was for some things not very clear but I think the pictures will help you. If ever you have a question, it would be a pleasure for me to answer it, so don't mind asking.