- Take a trip to a local thrift store where you know they have a book section with children's books. Let your child peruse the books until one grabs her attention, make sure it is sturdy and has a good back and front cover. Let him choose both board books and paper-paged books.
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Once you are home with your book selections, let your child understand that you are going to change the books together and make them special just for her. Sometimes special-needs kids do not enjoy change if it is too abrupt, therefore, keep this experience positive and fun by continuing to communicate that the books he chose will not stay as they are. If she has a special attachment to a particular book, compromise and let her keep one and agree to change the other ones.
If your book has paper pages, your only alteration will be to cover the front and back covers with a paper of your choice. Use your printer to create a clean look or use stamps for something more fun and informal. Remember this is his book, let him decide how the new cover will look.
If your book is a board book, the hard pages will need to be painted with gesso. You can buy this in any art section from most stores. After giving the pages a coat of the gesso, stand it up on wax paper to dry, making sure none of the pages are touching. - Let the fun begin. Let her glue mementos, stickers, leaves, drawings and photos on the pages. If the paper-paged book starts to get bulky, just rip small sections of pages out to provide room. Fold pages and staple them to create pockets. Glue envelopes to hide treasures in. Paint, draw and create a book he will love to look at and be proud to say he made.
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If this craft becomes a favorite, branch out and buy interesting books like these:
Atlas
Travel books
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Coffee Table Books
Music Books
The ideas are limitless and to reuse a beautiful book and turn it into an heirloom is both rewarding and enjoyable.
