This is how you mend board books, round two. I thought the wallpaper would be great- sturdy, flexible- and it was, at first. Then it started to come up off of the binding, and nothing would stick on top of it to protect it. So I removed the wallpaper, and used paper instead to mend them once more. Success!
Here are the steps:
1) Make sure the spine of the book is as smooth as possible, removing any excess paper.
2) Cut out the spine paper: as tall as the book and wide enough to allow overhang onto the front and back covers. I wanted to keep the front and back so I just left a little overhang. You could cut a larger piece to cover the front and/or back covers at the same time, then design your own cover designs on top!
3) Lots of glue onto the binding and a smooth coat where the overhang will be.
4) Attach the spine paper: I smooth it out from the center of the spine, attaching the overhangs last.
5) Rubber band the newly bound books so they can't fall apart as they dry.
6) Let them dry overnight, then remove the rubber bands. Trim spine paper as needed around edges.
7) For extra protection, cut out a single piece of clear contact paper to cover the front, spine, and back of the book. For attaching, I match it up to the front cover's edges first, then smooth it towards the spine, over the spine, then over the back. Trim any edges as needed.
8) Read and Enjoy!
A few more things... I still found some pages- like the "Monkey" page above- needed more love, so I attached small pieces of contact paper to cover the page seam with overhang on both pages to help hold them together. I didn't create titles on the spines, but you could if you wanted to. Lastly, to protect well-read board books from falling apart in the first place, you can cover them with clear contact paper or packing tape.
We've been in our home for less than a year: not long enough to tackle big projects but definitely long enough to notice blank walls. And notice them again. And notice them yet again. Am I the only who fixates? (smile) This blank wall in our dining room has been especially noticeable recently.
But not anymore! I found this idea several places on the internet, and we already had the rod so I just had to buy the hanging clips. I love that Isia's artworks are more a part of our home- not just the refrigerator- and that we can change them out so easily. Yea for more places to hang art! Now onto the next blank wall... (smile)
But not anymore! I found this idea several places on the internet, and we already had the rod so I just had to buy the hanging clips. I love that Isia's artworks are more a part of our home- not just the refrigerator- and that we can change them out so easily. Yea for more places to hang art! Now onto the next blank wall... (smile)
These are the better of my first attempts. I have an idea for them... but, as in words of Lewis Carroll, "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop." So this is only the beginning...
Posting on Amazon, here. It might be worth keeping an eye on the price: it was less than $10 when I bought it a month ago and now it's up to almost $17 (!). I've seen prices do this before, and they usally go back down again.
We'll take a break in our book-making adventure to eat muffins together, because every creative journey needs fuel. These muffins are delicious: sweet, fluffy... and bran. I never thought I would put fluffy and bran in the same sentence. Usually bran and baking, at least in my experience, equates something dense that I can either eat or use as a door-stop. These are the absolute opposite, and they freeze wonderfully too. That is, if your family doesn't eat them all first.
This recipe comes from the 2011 Marsh Holiday Cookbook:
Rise 'N Shine Blueberry Bran Muffins
2 cups shredded bran cereal
1 1/4 cups skim milk (we use whole)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (we usually use 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. In a large bowl, combine cereal, milk, applesauce & egg. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. (I whisk bran mixture lightly at this point.) Add dry mixture to bran mixture, stirring gently to combine (do not over mix). Stir in blueberries and vanilla.
4. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, let stand in pans 1 minute; then remove.
6. Try to convince your daughter to let them cool down before her first big bite.
