Hello!
Part two of my short bookmaking series...and it's all about the cover!
Remember
last week when I showed you a book with just a few pages? This week we're moving on to a book with many more pages: how we close it, and how to incorporate a cover. Here is my finished book...
As with last weeks project, this is more about the 'how to make a book' process than what my actual book looks like, I'm sure you would spend waaaay more time on the pages than I have!
I started off in the same manner as my last book. I created a masterboard, chopped it up and added detail to each page before sewing to a black background....
This book has six spreads, so 12 panels needed. I decided to add the detail just to the right hand pages, the pages that face you when you open the book. So, six stamped, printed, sewed and glued panels as you can see above! Next, create the hinges as we did last time, and stick them together...
As you can see, this is going to need something to keep it closed when finished!
The next step is slightly different to last time. As we will be adding covers, the first panel we stick down will be the INSIDE left hand page. Like this....
(its a bit boring as its the left hand side!) This is the inside of the front cover. Carry on sticking the page panels in just as we did last time....
The final page you stick down will be the INSIDE of the back cover. If you look at the book from the other side at this point, it looks like this....
Next choose something to use as a closure. I've chosen ribbon and eyelash yarn!
Stick the closure ribbons etc down using double sided tape. Doesn't matter if it's messy as it will be covered!
Make sure you leave enough hanging loose, or you won't be able to tie it together!
Now, covers. A little bit mathematical, I'm afraid! Close the book tightly, and measure how 'deep' your spine is, or to put it another way, how thick is your book?! Mine was just about 2cm thick, but this will vary depending on how many pages etc you have. The front and back are the size of one page panel, in this case 9cm by 9cm. So, the total length of card needed to cover everything is 9cm (front) plus 2cm (spine) plus 9cm (back). Are you with me?
I cut a strip of card 20cm by 9cm, then scored it to give the 2cm wide spine shape. You can see what I mean by looking at the next pic....
The covers can then by stuck down, over the top of your ribbons. I always leave a 'glue free' 1cm or so next to the spine part, just to give a little flexibility. In the above pic, you can see the card to glued tightly up until that point!
Once you've done one side, flip over and stick the other cover too...
You can see from the top view how leaving that glue free section keeps the covers and spine in shape!
All that remains now is to add on a decorated panel to the front...
And tie the ribbons to keep it all together...
Now.... I have a question! Have you noticed my colour scheme??!! Yep, it's the colours of our very first colour challenge! Still plenty of time to enter, have a look
here for all the details....
Hope that tutorial made sense, you know where I am if you have any questions!!
Next week, another fun way to make a book.....piano hinges!
Trish xxxxxxx
