Your Original Book

By Jane Millet

To make your own book to write in, you will need: rubber cement, two 5 1/2″ x 7″ (14 cm x 18 cm) pieces of medium-weight cardboard (cereal boxes work well), 10″ x 14″ (25.5 cm x 35.5 cm) piece of heavy paper for cover (wallpaper works well), 10 1/2″ x 6 1/4″ (26.5 cm x 16 cm) piece of construction paper, two to eight 10 1/2″ x 6 1/4″ (26.5 cm x 16 cm) pieces of light-colored paper (the pages), pencil, paper clips, and needle and thread.

Center two pieces of cardboard on back of cover paper, leaving 1/8″ (3 mm) space between cardboards and about 1 1/2″ (4 cm) margin at outer edges (see illustration). With pencil, mark where cardboards will be placed, then glue cardboards where marked, using rubber cement. (For best bond, spread rubber cement on both paper and cardboards.) Now brush rubber cement on outer 1 1/2″ (4 cm) of cardboard. Fold corners of cover over corners of cardboards, then fold each side of cover paper over cardboards (see illustration).

To bind pages, place construction paper on top of pages. Fold pages in half, with construction paper on outside. Unfold, then use paper clips to keep edges of papers aligned.

Thread needle, and knot end of thread. Sew pages and construction paper together along fold line.

Brush rubber cement on one of cardboard pieces and on outside of one half of construction paper. Carefully center construction paper on top of cardboard and press firmly. Repeat on other side.

Your book is now ready for your original stories, poems, drawings, etc.

Illustrated by Shauna Mooney