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| One-of-a-Kind Handmade Books |
 catie writes, "There are so many possibilities with this project. It is great for getting kids to think creatively and come up with their own ideas. Don't be surprised if they want to make more than one book!"
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Materials:
1) Found Paper
Suggestions: newspaper, magazines, phone book, junk mail, old birthday cards, postcards, wrapping paper, old books, graph paper, score cards for board games, single-sided recycled paper, food & drink labels, dust jackets from picture books, maps, restaurant menus, paintings or artwork from school, your stash of unused scrapbook papers.
2) Scissors
3) Stapler
4) Glue
5) Any "extras" you want to use to decorate.
Suggestions: ribbon, rickrack, colored pencils, small scraps of colorful paper, tiny envelopes {glue the back of the envelope onto a page or the cover for a place to tuck a secret note}.
Directions:
1) Paper Hunt
Kids love to create art with things they find. Help your child search for interesting papers to build their handmade book. A paper hunt can be a good reason to clean up the craft closet. Ask older siblings for a few sheets of lined or graph paper. Be sure to check the recycle bin. This is a great use for those cards you can't bring yourself to throw away.
2) Artful Arranging
Have your child choose the papers to use as the pages of their book. The pages don't need to be blank, you can glue other items {like poems, photos, drawings} on top of them. These books look beautiful with many different types of paper. Try to use thicker, sturdier pieces for the front & back covers.
3) Trimming and Tearing
You can trim the pages down as small as your child would like, and not all of the pages need to be exactly the same size. The book pictured is 8" x 5.5" {this size was based on the smallest paper we used}. Some pages can be neatly trimmed, and others can have artfully torn edges. Try using decorative edge scissors for zig-zag or scalloped edges.
4) Book Binding
I have suggested a stapler for quick & easy binding. Carefully staple near the edge, making sure to catch all layers. For a book that has an 8" binding, a row of 3 staples {top, middle, bottom} should be enough.
Two other possibilities for book binding are
a) sewing the binding by hand or machine,
b) punching small holes and tying with yarn, ribbon, or twine.
5) Finishing Touches
If your book has a stapled binding, you can hide the row of staples with a thin strip of paper. Cut a strip of paper twice as wide as you want it on the front and exactly as long as the book. Neatly crease the paper in half lengthwise, fit the fold over the stapled edge, and glue front and back on top of the stapled binding.
Another nice touch is to round the upper and lower right corners of the pages. We used a special "corner rounder," but you could use regular scissors to get the same result.
6) So Many Possibilities
Your child's handmade book can become:
a journal
a photo album
a sketchbook
a place for wishes
a book of poems {see example below}
a cookbook of favorite recipes
or a present for someone special
a very small book could become a book of coupons {Walk the dog, Clean my room, etc.}
Here is a haiku poem {5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables} to get you started filling your book:
this book of pages,
whatever will it become?
you get to decide.
If you choose to make a handmade book to give as present, you could tie it with ribbon and attach a handmade tag with the haiku poem.
Catie Eyer
Artist, mom, and blogger at http://five-ten-fifteen.blogspot.com/
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Posted on Oct 01, 2011 06:28am.
(Return)
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| Comments |
I love this idea. I think I will use it for the children in my therapy practice!
-- gretchen, Oct 12, 2011 06:36pm
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