How to Cover a Book With Contact Paper

Using contact paper as book covers can help protect old books.

Contact paper is a specific type of paper that has one side decorated with various designs or letters and the other side covered in adhesive. Contact paper can be used for a variety of things, such as decorating shelves, drawers and tablecloths, but it can also be used as a book cover. Creating a book cover using contact paper is simple if you have the proper tools.

Things You'll Need

• Contact paper
• Book
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Stickers
• Crayons

Instructions

1. Place the contact paper flat on a table with the decorative side facing down. Do not remove the adhesive backing. Open the book and place it on top of the contact paper and use a pencil to trace the book's outline on the paper. Use the ruler to ensure the lines are straight. Make small marks to note where the spine sits on the paper.

2. Add an extra inch to each side (top, bottom, left and right) of the outline sketch to make a border around the book outline.

3. Use scissors to cut out the book cover following the border lines sketched in the previous step. Once done, lay the contact paper flat with the adhesive side facing up.

4. Cut a one-inch square out of each corner of the contact paper so that the borders will be able to fold inward without overlapping.

5. Remove the adhesive backing. Place the closed book down on the righthand side of the paper, lining up the edge of the book with the edge of the book's outline. Apply pressure to the book so that the adhesive sticks.

6. Fold the adhesive over the rest of the book, covering the spine and the front of the book. Use your hands to smooth the spine and the cover. Apply pressure to ensure that the adhesive sticks to the book cover.

7. Use the craft knife to cut away the contact paper from around the book's spine.

8. Open the book and fold in the edges of the border of the contact paper onto the book.

9. Apply pressure to the book as a whole when it is complete. Decorate the book cover with additional designs using stickers crayons. While the contact paper is already decorated, stickers and crayons help you personalize the book. This is ideal if you have many books have been covered with the same contact paper design but need to distinguish between them.

References

• Chest of Books: Paper Book Covers
• The Holiday Spot: Paper Book Cover