4th Grade Book Making
How to assemble your book cover.
The following is a step by step instruction on how to assemble, glue and fold the outer cover to the cardboard supports.
Line up the prepared cardboard in this order.
The thin strip in the middle will be the spine of the book.
Add a thin line of glue like the example.
Include glue on the thin strip. The space between the spine and each bigger cardboard should be about half the width of the thin cardboard.
Spread the glue into a thin even layer all over the cardboard.
Spreading it will help keep the paper from buckling.
Spread the glue.
Once glued, flip the cardboard over keeping it lined up.
Make sure all the cardboard is lined up quickly before it sets in place.
Line up an extra cardboard or ruler and draw a line from the large rectangular cardboard to the outside edge of the paper in order to remove the excess.
Line up the extra cardboard or ruler again, but vertically up and down to draw a line from the corner of the large cardboard to the upper edge.
This marks off the extra paper from the corner that needs to be removed.
Repeat this in all four corners. Be careful to not go further than the edge of the cardboard or the paper may not cover the book completely leaving the cardboard exposed when the book is done.
Add a line from the bottom and the inside edge of the large cardboard (front and back cover) to the bottom of the paper.
Cut the corners off completely, but only cut to the cardboard in the middle section where the spine of the book is. We will be folding that over to protect the spine.
Fold the paper sections over and crease the paper to make it easier when you glue it.
Again, apply a thin layer of glue and spread it evenly over the paper edges.
**I recommend folding over the top and bottom flaps first because the sides will cover more and make it look better in the end.**
Concentrate on each flap one at a time and press and hold until it sticks and doesn't keep popping back up.
Continue until all flaps are glued and folded over.
Let it dry open so that it doesn't get glued closed.
If it is warped once dry, then layer some heavy books on it for a few days to help flatten it back out.
Your book cover is now complete.
Next step, we will be adding the pages to make the book.
At a later date...