create (Mama)

 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.