Handmade Book Covers

It’s that time of year again. School has officially started! And no doubt your kids will be telling you they need their new school books covered ASAP. Obviously, the main purpose of this is to protect their books from the usual wear and tear that the school year ahead will bring, but it’s also a cool way for your child to personalize some of their school supplies. Here are two simple ways to turn a classic textbook into a piece of art. – Jill Topol

PAINT SWATCH BOOK COVER

SUPPLIES:

A roll of brown recycled kraft wrapping paper. Cutting up a paper grocery bag would also work.

A handful of paint swatches in assorted colors. You can grab these for free from any local paint store.

Elmer’s Glue

Cover the textbook in kraft paper and then proceed to glue the paint swatches on the front and back cover. I used Elmer’s Glue to adhere the swatches. That is it! Easy as pie. Lay out your colors beforehand to come up with an interesting color palette. I chose to use a gradient color pattern and it turned out pretty gorge.

BUBBLE WRAP BOOK COVER

SUPPLIES:

The same roll of brown recycled kraft paper or paper grocery bag from the previous book cover project.

3 different colors of acrylic paint. It must be acrylic because it won’t run if it gets wet.

A piece of bubble wrap long enough to wrap around the entire book. Either the small or larger size bubble wrap will work. I used the smaller size bubbles.

A foam paint brush

Paint vertical stripes onto the piece of bubble wrap. Alternate between paint colors and slightly blend each stripe into the next color. Complimentary colors tend to work best when blended into each other.

Once you’ve finished painting the bubble wrap, gently flip it over onto the piece of kraft paper. Press firmly and evenly over all the bubble wrap. This is to ensure all the paint will transfer to the paper. Slowly peel away the painted bubble wrap. What will be left is an abstract polka dot pattern printed directly on the paper. Once the paint is dry, it’s time to cover your child’s book in their new masterpiece.