What you need

How to make a
handmade book
What you need
This week, we show you how to make a simple book.
We’ll also show you how to put a decorative hard cover
on your book and mount your story so it looks really
good!
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Method
1. To work out how many sheets of paper you need, decide
how many pages your book should have. Each sheet will
make 4 pages in the finished book. Divide the number of
pages you want your book to be, by 4. Round up the answer
to the next whole number, then add 1. So, if your book is 17
pages, you will need to have 6 sheets of paper.
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2. Fold each sheet of paper (including the cover) carefully in
half, pressing down the fold using the handle of the blunt
knife. Place each sheet inside each other to make a ‘section’
and slot it into the cover.
3. Clip the pages of the section together, with the paperclips
at the top and bottom (or ‘head’ and ‘tail’) of the book, on
either side of the fold.
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Paper for book
pages*
1 sheet of
coloured paper
for the cover**
Binding material
– use thin ribbon
or thin leather
strap or elastic
cord etc for
holding the pages together
Blunt table knife – to flatten your folds
An ‘awl’ – a sharp tool for making a hole through your paper
– you can use a thick embroidery needle (push the blunt end
into a cork, so you have a ‘handle’), or a very small flat headed
screwdriver
Masking tape
Scissors
Paperclips
Pencil
Ruler
An adult to help
* you can use plain A4 paper, but if possible use slightly larger, slightly
heavier, coloured paper for the pages (see Extra Info section below).
** this should be thicker than the paper used for the pages, but the
same size
4. Measure and mark on the inside of the fold, where you will make the 2 holes for the ribbon to pass
through. We placed the holes about 3cm from the top and bottom.
Using the ‘awl’, make 2 holes through the ‘spine’ of the book. Ask
an adult to help you. (see pic 1)
5. Measure out the binding material
– it should be 3 or 4 times as long as the
distance between the 2 holes. Wrap a tiny
piece of masking tape around the very tip
of the ribbon and, using the awl, push it
through the hole from the inside to the
outside of the book. Do the same with the
other end. (see pic 2)
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6. Tie a bow in the ribbon, and cut the
ends at an angle to stop it from fraying. You can tie beads or
charms to the ribbon as decoration. (see pic 3)
EXTRA INFO
If you need to cut out a cover from a large sheet of paper, test the paper
first to see which way it folds more easily (ie along the width or the
length) – and make sure you fold your cover in that direction. This is
called cutting ‘along the grain’ – it will fold more easily and lie flatter.
Ask an adult to help you cut the cover out with a craft knife – use a
setsquare to make sure your corners are perfect right angles. (see pic)
Thanks to Louise Garnaut at ‘Bookworks’ – a company that specializes in handmade books and book binding – for her
help with this project. For more information about Bookworks, please email info@bookworks.com.hk
Make a hard cover
This week we show you how to put a hard cover on the
book you made last week!
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What you need
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paper with nice design – used wrapping paper is fine OR felt/material in a design you like.
Double sided tape *
Cereal box – must be larger than the size of the book!
Craft knife
Ruler
Adult to help
Handmade book prepared last week
Method
1. Cut the cereal box so you have the 2 large side panels. (pic 1) 2
2. Using your book as a guide, ask an adult to help you to cut 2 rectangles
(the cover) from the cereal boxes, using a craft knife and a ruler or set
square. (pic 2) The rectangles should be very slightly larger than the
handmade book.
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3. Again, using a ruler and craft knife, ask an adult to cut out 2 rectangles
from your covering material – ie patterned paper/felt/material – we
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used wrapping paper**. The rectangles should be about 2cm larger all
around, than each of your covers. Put double sided tape on the edges
of the cardboard ‘cover’ – being careful to put it onto the least colourful
side, so the design on the box cannot be seen through the paper
covering it. (pic 3)
4. Starting at the bottom, carefully smooth the paper onto the cardboard,
so that you don’t get any wrinkles or bubbles. (pic 4)
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5. Turn all 4 corners of the wrapping paper in, then put double
sided tape on the edges of the wrapping paper. Fold the edges
onto the cardboard, so you get nice square corners. (pic 5)
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6. Now place double sided tape on the INSIDE of the hard cover.
Don’t put the tape right at the edge of the hard cover, except
for the one which will be stuck along the spine of your book.
(pic 6)
7. Stick it carefully onto the cover of your handmade book – lining
it up so that the edge is about ½cm away from the spine. (pic
7). Press firmly all over the cover.
8. You can have one plain cover and one with a pattern, both the
same, or two of different designs! (pic 8)
Next week, we will show you how to mount your story, finish off your book,
and also make a matching covered pencil!
*If you are going to use felt, or material to cover your book with, use a thick spongy double
sided tape.
** If you are covering your book with used wrapping paper, be aware of the design on the
paper – to make sure it is centred properly. Smooth out the wrinkles by running a slightly
damp cloth over the paper.
Thanks to Louise Garnaut at ‘Bookworks’ – a company that specializes in
handmade books and book binding – for her help with this project. For more
information about Bookworks, please email info@bookworks.com.hk
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Mount your book –
part 3
What you need
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This week we show you how to mount the story you have
written, in the book you have made – and also how to
make a matching covered pencil!
Method
1. First, write or print out your story, and draw any illustrations
on sheets of paper (ie not straight into your handmade
book). Be careful to trim each sheet of paper to the same
size – to fit easily on the pages of your
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book. Ask an adult to help you with this.
We recommend that you use a font size 16
or 18 to print out your story, and that you
spread the text out over several pages.
2. Take the sheet of patterned paper and cut
a rectangle, which is about 2cm smaller
than your book, both in length and width.
This will be a ‘decorative plate’ for your title
page.
3. Use double sided tape or glue to carefully stick the
decorative plate in the centre of the 1st page. (Pic 1)
4. Cut out another rectangle – about 1cm smaller than the
Handmade book – hard cover optional
One sheet patterned paper – used wrapping paper is fine.
Double sided tape, or glue stick
Scissors or craft knife
Your story – printed out/handwritten
Story illustrations
An adult to help
decorative plate – out of plain paper. Write the title of the
story and the author’s name, in large letters on it. Then
stick this down in the centre of the
decorative plate. (pic 2)
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5. Plan where the pages go, making
sure to place the illustrations where
they best fit the text. When you have
decided, carefully stick each page into
your book. (pic 3)
6. Congratulations – you’ve finished! If you have lots of pages left in
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your handmade book, consider
writing another story to fill it up,
or write a profile of the author
(yourself!) with a photo, so that
the reader can learn a little about
you.
Covering a pencil
1. Measure the pencil and cut a rectangle out of patterned paper. Make it
a
little shorter than the pencil, and wide enough to wrap once around it with a 5mm overlap. (pic 1)
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2. Rub the pencil with sandpaper until it feels slightly rough. (pic 2)
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Mix some PVA glue with a little water. Using a brush, cover the non patterned side of the paper completely with the glue mixture. (pic 3)
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4. Place the paper onto the pencil so that it is lined up straight along its length.
5. Making sure that your hands are clean and dry, hold the pencil by its tip. Then smooth the
paper down onto the pencil using your thumb and 4
forefinger, until the paper is wrapped completely
around it. (pic 4)
6. Wait until the glue is totally dry before sharpening the pencil.
Thanks to Louise Garnaut at ‘Bookworks’ – a company that specialises in handmade
books and book binding – for her help with this project. For more information about
Bookworks, please email info@bookworks.com.hk
What you need
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Pencil
PVA glue
Sandpaper
Patterned paper
Craft knife/scissors
brush