How to Make a Gift Book

Make your friend or family member a personalized gift book she will cherish for years. Begin the book well in advance of the special occasion. Use decorations to make a gender and age specific gift book. Make a book that serves as a sticker or activity book. The book becomes a journal or diary for an older child or adult.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Book cover material
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Decoration materials
• Glue
• Laminate
• Book cover
• Paper or stationary
• Ink pen
• Computer and printer or typewriter
• Long stapler
• Staples
• Decorating materials
• Glue

Book Cover

1. Decide the book's finished size; 5 3/4 inches wide by 9 inches high works well with 11 inches by 8 1/2 inches paper folded in half.
2. Make the cover with wallpaper that reflects the person's interests or personality, or use tag board, a heavy stock paper, construction paper or stationary.
3. Measure and cut the book cover material. Use a straight edge ruler to make cutting lines that measure 11 1/2 inches wide by 10 inches high.
4. Turn the right side of the edges under 1/2 of an inch, and glue the folded edges to the wrong side of the material. Next, center a piece of page size paper on the inside of the book cover and glue the paper down so the folded edges don't show.
5. Decorate the cover with the recipient's name. Add designs from greeting cards, computer generated pictures, photos, stickers, ribbon, rickrack, decorative buttons, 3-dimensional pictures, foam designs, beads and other sewing or hobby materials.
6. Laminate the cover for protection if lamination won't damage your design or decorations. Fold the width of the book cover in the middle and make a neat crease to form the front and back.

Construct the Book

7. Select plain paper or fancy stationary that is 8 ½ inches by 11 inches for the book's pages.
8. Number the pages by hand, by computer or use a typewriter.
9. Fold the pages in the middle and secure them to the cover with staples. Lay the book open with the cover on the top and slide the width of the cover and pages into a long stapler for a center-bound book.
10. Arrange the pages inside of the cover and close the book to make a side-bound book. Slide the folded edge of the book cover and pages into the stapler and staple through all of the materials.
11. Design a special gift tag or dedication on the first page to make a gift book.
12. Fill the remaining pages with tributes, poems, pictures, autographs and memorabilia such as special napkins or ticket stubs. Put these items on the left page and leave the right page blank to use for journal or diary entries, stickers or writing and coloring activities.

Tips & Warnings

• Put a staple 1-inch from the top of the book, one in the middle and the last staple one inch from the bottom for a center-bound book.
• Place the staples 1/8th of an inch from the folded edge to make a side-bound gift book. Follow the center-bound staple measurements.