Making Book Covers

Measurements

Any piece of paper from a grocery sack to a glossy magazine cover can be used to make a book cover, as long as it is pliable. Lay the paper onto the table and the center the book onto the paper. To get it absolutely perfect and avoid later having to make cuts for a proper fitting, use a ruler to get the centering exact. Determine where the folds will be needed to be made along the top and bottom and mark them with a pencil.

Creasing and Folding

Wrap the paper up along the bottom and create a crease along the lower edge and then do the same with the top part of the paper. Remove the book from the paper and place it to the side. Fold the paper from upward from the bottom and downward from the top, forming creases. What should be left over is enough paper to cover the book entirely from the top to the bottom.

Fitting the Book

Position the book back onto the paper, making sure to center it. Take the paper from the left and wrap it across the front of the book, making sure to adjust the position of the book so that the two ends of the paper are completely even with each other. There will be an overlap over the front cover which needs to be folded over before making a crease. Slide the front cover of the book into the fold that is created by the paper being folded over along the top and bottom, then ease the paper down the book just until it hits that crease. Repeat this process for the back cover of the book. If the book does not fit tightly, tape it down.