Covering school books
By: kelly
TAGS: Back to School Craft tips
Covering school books was a mystery to me when my daughter started school. I didn’t understand the reason behind it. Surely a simple exercise book could last a year without being covered! I covered the books anyway because everyone else was doing it. When my daughter and I walked into the classroom on the first day of school, the reason for covering books became clear: it helps children identify their own books in a busy room full of kids. This makes things easier for both the teacher and the child. As children move into higher grades, there are textbooks that are required for more than a year. Covering these books helps preserve them so they last the distance.
That is the why behind covering school books. Now I want to look at how to cover school books. There are three common methods used to cover school books: adhesive contact, plastic book covers and paper.
School Book Cover Ideas
1. Contact:
Contact adhesive is especially useful for text books. To cover a book with contact, cut the adhesive roll as per pictured below. On a flat surface (table or hard floor) peel one half of the contact. Using a ruler or your hands, carefully press the contact down to one side of the book. Repeat on the other side and fold the excess on the inside cover.
2. Book covers:
Clear, coloured and patterned plastic book covers are a great idea and can be purchased from most stationery stores and newsagents. They come in different sizes (exercise book, A4 and Scrapbook size) and easily slip over the book with no fuss. As a bonus, plastic book covers can be reused from year to year.
3. Paper:
Wrapping paper or brown craft paper is my preference for book coverings because it’s easy, cheap and can be customised for each of my children. It’s also more fun; after covering books with craft paper, my children decorate their own books with stickers and drawings.
4. Combination:
You can use a combination of the above methods for covering school books. We cover books with paper and then place a clear plastic book cover over the top. This can also be done with contact coupled with a plastic book cover.
How to cover school books
1. Place open book down on the paper and cut to size allowing at least 5 cm around the edges.
2. Cut a 1 cm rectangle at the spine of the book.
3. Cut a triangle on each corner down, using the point of the open book as a guide.
4. Fold in the sides of the paper and stick with tape on the inside of the book cover. Repeat with the other side.
5. Decorate with stickers or coloured drawings.
6. Label books with your child’s name and school year.
7. Cover with a plastic book cover if desired.
Decorating School Books
My kids love decorationing their school books. It gives them the opportunity to express their personality and it doubles as a fun activity. Here are some of the ways to personalise book covers:
- Stickers
- Contact adhesive shapes
- Sewing – using a cotton thread and needle, sew a pattern or name on the front cover of the book.
- Cut out pictures from old greeting cards
- Cut out pictures from magazines
- Draw a design using felt pen on brown paper
- Glue material scraps to the front of the book before covering with a clear plastic cover.
I’m a book covering convert! Each year, my children enjoy finding new ways to decorate their books. They are always fun and colourful and my kids can spot their books from mile away. Who would have thought covering school books could be so much fun!
How do you cover school books in your house? Plain and practical? Or kooky and creative?
kelly
Kelly Burstow combines her passion for design, children's books, photography, fashion, writing and parenting in her blog, Be A Fun Mum. Be A Fun Mum is all about reclaiming the enjoyment of parenting, one moment at a time. Kelly lives in Queensland with her husband, four children and far too many guinea pigs.
Showing 9 comments
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give me more information. I love it, Thanks again.
Love it!
Love the photo idea Melissa!
Great tip Bluebell. Thanks!
That sounds like fun Donna.
I use to recycle the xmas cards or easter & birthday cards for decoration to indiviualise the books. & altho this isn't a 'school book' tip, i have a cpl of binders for recipes that have been cut out of mags & newspapers etc so i've covered them with clear contact with paper craft that my child had done at school, the keepsakes & they're kept safe & i often look at them, rather than them being stuffed in a box or photo album or even being thrown out.
When I was at school I used to cover my books with wrapping paper or brown paper and then stick postcards or the front of greeting cards to the cover. It could also be a nice idea to print out photos and use them for decoration and personalisation.
Make sure you write your child,s name on the inside cover of exercise books in case your child "loses" them -- or they "walk". Some schools actually hire text books included in school fees - but you still need to cover and label them to keep track of them and prevent cover damage.
Thanks Kelly, I generally use a combination of covering techniques, depending on how many "helpers" I have! We often recycle nice pictures from old calanders for a unique look too.