The Art of Bookmaking with Kids

 Bringing bookmaking into the your homeschool is where ART and LITERACY intersect.

The writing process can often be a daunting process, especially for reluctant writers.

Handmade books give children a structure, "architecture for the imagination," and entice them to fill their books with original ideas and stories. 

Handmade books excite and engage children of all ages, because they are not only beautiful in form, but an extension of themselves. 

A finished handmade book is something to celebrate and cherish forever. 

Handmade books are a wonderful way to bring the worlds of ART + LITERACY home to your child.

Not only will your child have more ownership of their learning once they've created and published their own book, but you'll have a concrete piece of learning for their portfolio. 

Bookmaking is an art form that can be explored even with very young children, and can take on so many forms.

• joke books
• math fact books
• research investigation books
• all about me books
• recipe books
• my favorite things books
• books with lists
• how-to books 

and so much more!

Today, I want to share a simple book structure that I've used with my own kids, as well as for myself as a handmade journal.

It's very simple to make, and requires very few materials.

I've used this structure as a nature journal, and my girls have used it to document their findings and curiosities when outside exploring.

Materials you'll need:

• 2 sheets cardstock or hand-painted paper (or "fancy" paper like this handmade paper) - 8.5 x 5.5"
• 1 narrow contrasting colour - for spine (optional) 
• white printer paper 8.5 x 5.5"
• twig (length of paper) - approx. 5.5"
• elastic band
• hole punch

Directions:

1. Line up your pages.

Place white printer paper in between the two sheets of cardstock. Create a folded "spine" with the narrow contrasting color.

2. Holepunch

Holepunch all pages with two holes - one near the top, and one toward the bottom.

3. Fasten the book

Place the twig along the hole-punched side. Using the elastic band, weave the end of the band through the top hole, and loop it over the top of the stick. From the back, stretch the bottom of the elastic through the bottom hole, and loop it over the bottom of the twig. This will require some "H-O-H" (hand-over-hand) with your very young child.

4. Fill your Book!

Add a title to your book, and start filling your book with nature specimens and observations!  

Here are some prompts to fill your nature journal:

 Are you interested in learning more about bookmaking with kids?

I'm offering a LIVE virtual bookmaking workshop in March, jam-packed with doable bookmaking projects for kids rom 4-12. Space is limited! The first ten registrants will receive all bookmaking materials - sent directly to their mailbox! Register today!