Bookbinding, Primary Style!

The Mischievous Librarian
Feb 17, 2022
2 min read

(Original Post: March 7, 2021)

Can Grade 2/3 students “bind” their own books?

Yes, they can… with a little scaffolding and a whole lot of creativity!

This project was inspired by the bookbinding workshops I took with Nancy Dawes. Nancy is an incredible and inspiring artist, a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT), and a trained bookbinder. Nancy was so methodical in breaking down each step of the process that I knew that one day I could teach my students to bind their own books in the library.

Fast forward to Spring 2021, and such an opportunity presented itself when the Grade 2/3 teacher enlisted my help in making writing “fun”. We wanted the students to have a special place to free write that wasn’t in their typical half-lined journals.

So, we made our own writing books.

Set Up

We “cheated” by buying colourful lined notebooks from the dollar store to save time and avoid using sewing needles. I would do this again in a heartbeat for any primary grades.

I found "free" fabric in the art room and the students chose from three colours.

Students also chose inside front/back cover paper.

I traced and cut out the front/back covers and spine pieces out of chipboard and fabric to speed up the process.

Day 1

1. Front and back OUTSIDE covers

Dab bookbinding glue on chipboard (sponge brushes)
Place chipboard in the middle of the fabric
Fold over fabric corners and glue
Fold over fabric edges and glue

2. Spine

Dab glue on spine chipboard
Place chipboard in the middle of the fabric
Fold over fabric top and bottom and glue *Don’t fold or glue the sides

Day 2

1. Attach spine to covers

Dab glue on spine fabric edges
Lay front and back covers onto the spine fabric edges
Press down and count to 100

2. Front and back INSIDE covers

Dab glue on coloured paper (sponge brushes)
Place paper over the exposed chipboard *Dab a little extra glue on the corners!
Press down and count to 100

3. Spine INSIDE fabric

Dab glue on fabric (sponge brushes)
Place fabric over exposed spine chipboard

Day 3

1. Glue writing pad on back INSIDE cover

2. Add bling to the front OUTSIDE cover

Tips:

I recommend wearing smocks and putting tarps over the tables.
Glue: PVA Adhesive ( I used the brand Neutral pH Adhesive).
Make sure to soak/wash the sponges as soon as the students are finished using them. I had a bucket of warm soapy water available on my desk.
Use one paper plate between 2 students for glue
Set up a “drying place” on a counter with students names on sticky notes. This way students know where to find/put their books during drying times.
Bling: sequence/flat beads from the dollar store
Write their names inside the front covers at the end