There are so many ways to assemble a mini-book. Below I have shown two methods I prefer. For these two methods you will need supplies like: white school glue, scissors, a printer, a stapler, cardboard, wrapping paper or scrapbook papers, tape and white printing paper.
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Left, I printed and folded mini-book pages. Right, I folded my pages with the pictures inside and the
blank pages facing outside. I did this so that I could eventually wrap the completed book with a
extra white cover. Paste between your blank pages. and trim the stack as needed. |
Above is the first method and it is a bit difficult for a child to assemble. Print out the pages as I have done above. I enlarged these images to fit a standard sized copy paper, 8 1/2 x 11 inches, by inserting them into a Word Document. Adjust the margins so
that the image has plenty of space. Now take the bottom right hand
corner, click, hold down your cursor and drag that lower right corner
down. Fill the entire page with the png. Do this for every page and print.
Next, fold the pages in half and paste the blank sides to each other in order. Cut, trim and glue the cover page at the front of the mini-book. Now wrap the entire book with an additional white cover, glue the pages inside this white cover down the spine of your book. Line up the spine inside the folded center section of the final white cover. Set this aside to dry over night with several heavy books on top of your mini-book. This extra weight will ensure that the pages adhere together in the right places and will help smooth out wrinkles in the paper made from the glue.
The following day cut two covers a front and back for your mini-book, from cardboard. Wrap these in a printed scrapbook paper or wrapping paper whichever you have in supply. Finally glue the white blank pages (white cover pages) to both the wrapped cardboard cover and back. Now stack several heavy books on top of the mini-book to ensure the pressure needed in gluing together all of the parts of your mini-book: cover, inside pages and back cover.
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Left, here you can see that the blank sides of corresponding pages butt up next to each other.
Glue between these pages. Not only will this make your pages stronger but it will also
show the entire illustrated picture with the lines of rhyme together in one spread as you turn the
pages of the book. Right, a trimmed and pasted the cover page to the outside portion of the front
cover. Then I wrapped all of the pages together with a final, larger sheet of white paper.
Down the spine, I added a small line of glue adhering the pages at the spine to the final
white cover.
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After letting my book dry under the pressure of a stack of books over night, I added the wrapped
cardboard covers and backs. |
For some of you, the second version I use for binding a mini-book will seem far less tedious; I am certain. In this bound version, all you will need to do is trim pages and assemble them in order before stapling them together at the far left edge. This simple way of crafting a mini-book is easy enough for a child to do.
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Left, are my printed and cropped pages in order according to the posting of "O'Kissme San," a Doll From
Japan. Right, you can see where I have stapled the edges together. I added an additional step to ensure
that little hand would be protected from sharp staples. I cut a narrow strip of white typing paper
and used a bit of glue to wrap it around the edge of the pages where the staples are. |
Now add a set of wrapped cardboard covers for the front and backside of the mini-book by following the same process described above: cut two covers a front and back for your mini-book, from cardboard. Wrap
these in a printed scrapbook paper or wrapping paper whichever you have
in supply. Finally glue the white blank pages (white cover pages) to
both the wrapped cardboard cover and back. Now stack several heavy books
on top of the mini-book to ensure the pressure needed in gluing
together all of the parts of your mini-book: cover, inside pages and
back cover.
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Left are two finished versions of the same book; the larger a more advanced process than
the smaller version next to it. Right, the cardboard covers have been added
and now the mini-books are completed. |
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More Printable Mini Book Pages:
