Sew a Book - A Project For Children • this heart of mine

At the end of last week, I attended a Young Artist, Young Author conference and taught classes on how to make a simple single signature wrap book, like the one below.

I always enjoy my time at the conference. The children are excited and I love talking about and teaching about bookmaking. I’m sharing the how-tos for this simple book, just in case there are others who want instruction and to have it as a resource for later.

Books can be made any size that works for you and your materials. Below are the measurements for the book I share. I worked to get the most out of paper materials while making a nicely sized book. And some of the ‘tools’ below are rudimentary, for sure, but in using them, it gives many more people access to bookmaking. If you are interested in learning about more advanced tools, contact me and I’ll try to help.

Materials:

1 piece of cardstock, cut to 5 ¾” x 12″ – This size allows two covers to be cut from one 12″ x 12″ cardstock piece. Try to cut the paper so the fold will go with the grain.

8 pieces of paper, cut to 5½” x 9½” – This size allows three “pages” to be cut from one 11″ x 17″ piece of paper. Try to cut the paper so the fold will go with the grain. Most of the time, in 11″ x 17″ paper, the grain runs the long way.

1 colored tip pin

1 dull-tip needle

1 hook and loop dot

1 length of linen thread, cut to 20″ – Linen thread is stronger than cotton thread and is the choice of bookmakers for its strength. If you only have access to cotton thread, for this simple book, it should be alright.

2 clothespins

pencil, scissors, glue stick

Let’s get started!

1. Fold all eight sheets of paper, individually. With the paper laying on a flat surface, match up the corners and fold the paper. Make a good crease.

2. Stack all eight sheets, spine (the fold) on spine on spine. This creates one signature.

3. With the cardstock laying horizontally on a flat surface, lay the stacked signature on the left side with the spine (folded edge) to the right and the pages edge to the left. Note: There should be equal amounts of cardstock showing to the top, left and bottom of the signature.

4. Make a small mark with a pencil right next to the spine at the bottom and the top.

5. Remove the signature and fold on the marks. Make another good crease.

You can check your work by slipping the signature in, stacking the spine on spine. If the signature disappears, things are good.

6. Find the clothespins. Neatly stack the signature and stack it on the colored cardstock, spine on spine. Clip things into place with the clothespins. Note: There should be equal amounts of cardstock showing at the top and the bottom.

7. Use the pencil to mark three sewing stations in the center of the signature. One in the middle and one about an inch from the top edge and one about an inch from the bottom edge. Note: Don’t have a ruler handy? For the top and bottom marks, using the length of a thumbnail (adult) or the first joint of the thumb (child) works perfectly.

8. Next up, the colored tipped pin. Use it to poke holes at the sewing stations you just marked. Watch out for fingers because this pin is sharp!

And when you’re finished, find a safe place for that pin so it doesn’t get lost.

9. Thread the needle with the linen thread. There should be one long thread tail and one short tail, not equal lengths. And no knots quite yet.

10. Sewing.

Start in the center hole in the middle of the book.

Once on the backside, put the needle and thread in through the top hole, between the clothespins.

Back in the middle, skip the center hole and put the needle and thread through the bottom hole.

For the final step, put the needle and thread back through the center hole.

The sewing is complete.

After removing the needle, find a safe place for it so it’s not lost.

11. Once the two ends have been returned to the middle, layout the ends like the picture below. One tail should be laid to the right, one tail to the left and the middle loop should be in the center.

12. Gently pull the two tails to pull the thread taut. Proceed to tie a square knot/box knot ON TOP of the loop in the center. Tying the knot on the loop will keep the loop from getting snagged at a later time.

13. Trim the tails. Not too close to the knot for fear it would come untied and the book would fall apart.

14. Folding the flap. With the covered signature closed, make a mark just slightly out from the cover’s edge.

15. Flip the signature out of the way and fold on the mark.

Once the fold has been made, check your work by folding the cover and signature inside. The cover should fit and not be bunched up inside the flap.

16. Find the hook and loop dot. Remove one of the adhesive cover pieces, the hook and loop should stay together. Stick the dot to the flap near the right side edge, halfway down, halfway up.

Remove the other adhesive cover piece, again with the hoop and loop still together, and press the flap to the cover. With this the hook and loop dot is perfectly placed.