CREATING A SIMPLE BOUND BOOK – Measurement, Form

Students use basic bookbinding techniques to create a hardcover book.

Supplies:

Crayola Washable Glue Sticks
Crayola Construction Paper - 22.9 cm x 30.5 cm (9" x 12") - 2 pieces per student
Crayola Marker & Watercolour Paper - 22.9 cm x 30.5 cm (9" x 12") - 6 pieces per student
Crayola Scissors
Waxed Dental Floss
Sharp Sewing Needle - 1 per student
Rulers
Duct Tape
Large Paper Clips - 4 per student
Corrugated Cardboard - 22.9 cm x 30.5 cm (9" x 12") - 2 pieces per student

Work on a plastic placemat or smooth table.
Cut a piece of duct tape twice the length of the cardboard.
Roll one end of the tape under itself and stick it to the plastic placemat.
Visualize a vertical line running from top to bottom in the middle of the tape.
Place the 2 pieces of corrugated cardboard on top of the tape so that they are beside each other on either side of the centre line, and with a space about 1.25 cm between them.

Tape the cardboard pieces together so that the tape wraps around both sides of the cardboard.

Stack the white paper onto the 2 sheets of coloured construction paper (these will be the endpapers).
Fold the pile of papers in half short end to short end.
Open the papers and paper clip the pile together.
Place the clips on either side of the fold, top and bottom.
Place the pile of papers on the desk with the construction paper facing up.
Draw a line along the fold.
Use a ruler to mark off 2 cm spaces along the line.
Be sure you are working on the construction paper side.
Be sure these marks are exactly on the line.

Thread your needle with a piece of waxed dental floss about twice as long as the width of the pages.
Push the needle through the bottom hole on the construction paper side.
Hook the end of the dental floss under the paper clip.
Sew a running stitch in and out of the holes until you reach the last hole at the top of the paper.

Flip the papers over
Sew a running stitch in and out of the holes until you reach the bottom.
Stop sewing when the last stitch at the bottom is on the coloured construction side of the papers.

Place the pages on the inside of the corrugated cardboard.
Make sure the fold is on the centre of the taped spine.
Carefully flatten the endpaper using a ruler to smooth away any bubbles.
Start at the centre of the book and work your way out to the edges.
There will be a space at the side of the book where the coloured paper does not cover the cardboard.
Repeat this process on the other side of the pages.