Create a Cardstock Board Book
Handmade Books For Altering or For Gift Giving
The art of the handmade book is gratifying to create, as well as to receive. With Mother's Day right around the corner, why not give a handmade gift?
Creating a cardstock board book is really simple and a great way to introduce children to the wonderful world of mixed media arts. This project is quick, simple, and can be done in one sitting. For this mixed-media art project, you will need the following materials:
- Cardstock (choose all white, or color shades associated with the intended theme of the book)
- Heavy-duty glue stick
- Gel or decoupage medium
- Straight edge ruler
- Bone folder
- Paint or sponge brushes
- Small containers of water
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Decorative paper associated with the intended theme of the book
- Bookplate
- Eyelets (if they don’t come in the bookplate’s package)
- Eyelet punch and setter
Follow these simple instructions for creating this mixed-media art project:
- Take out one sheet of cardstock, fold it in half (make a sharp crease using the bone folder), and cut along the crease using scissors or a paper cutter.
- Wrap decorative paper around the front of each cardstock half, and affix with the heavy-duty glue stick. Be sure to fold mitered corners to keep everything neat and the corners sharp. Set these pieces aside.
- Take out five additional sheets of cardstock. They can be all the same color, or several different colors. Using the bone folder, fold each in half and create very sharp creases. Pile the folded pieces of cardstock one on top of the other.
- Affix the back of one folded piece to the front of the next folded piece of cardstock using gel (or decoupage) medium. Be sure to run the medium to the edge to ensure proper adhesion. Use the bone folder to smooth out all the bubbles.
- Set this stack under a something heavy, like a large stack of books, to dry completely.
- While the stack is drying, take out the cardstock halves that were covered with decorative paper and the bookplate. Choose a complimentary colored piece of cardstock and measure out a rectangle slightly larger than the bookplate, and cut it out. Hammer the bookplate into place, and affix it to one of the cardstock halves using the heavy-duty glue stick.
- Once the stack has completely dried, affix the decorative cardstock halves to the front and back of the stack using gel (or decoupage) medium. Smooth out any air bubbles using the bone folder. Replace the book under something heavy to dry completely.
Ideas for further alteration:
- Affix a picture to the front of the book depicting the book’s theme.
- Create a random and weighty collage on both of the covers.
- Add small envelopes on random pages throughout the book.
- Carve out niches and windows on various pages of the book.
- Make simple drawings on the corners of some of the book’s pages.
- Distress all the corners and edges of the entire book with ink.
There are a lot of creative ways to assemble and alter these board books. They do not necessarily have to be given as a gift. Use photo corners and create a mini scrapbook for yourself. Or, create a specialized book for journal entries, memories, or poetry. Once you get started, it will be easy to see how limitless your imagination will be! Encourage friends and family members to create these books with you!
