My children love to make books. They will usually gather a few pieces of paper and staple them together. But the effects are typically less than ideal as the book will turn out uneven. Inspired by the Hungry Artist, we decided to try out bookbinding.
Materials needed for bookbinding
Papers
Puncher
Ribbons / Strings
Scissor
Stapler
Embroidery Needle for threading if your string is thin.
Steps
I prefer to staple the papers together so that it is easier for the kids to keep the papers aligned for punching holes.
Along with my guidance, the kids punched a couple of holes along the left margin and thread the holes as shown in the photo below.
U-turn and thread the empty spaces. See post by the Hungry Artist for precise instructions. Tie a knot at the end to secure the binding. Remember to remove the staple bullet as the last step.
Ta-da! They have completed their first bookbinding attempt and have started with their story writing. #1 wrote his version of The Three Little Pigs, which was influenced by the version I read in KidsRead. #2 decided to follow suit.
There are many other ways to bind a book. You can add a coloured card as cover, washi tape for decorative purpose and to protect the edges or even use a sewing machine to switch everything together!
You can get your child as young as 3 to bind a book, but you may need to align the papers and punch the holes for them. At three years old, the activity gets them practice their fine motor skills. They will be thrilled to make a book of their own!
Related post: what we did during the 1-week September school holidays
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