If you have kids in school, it means that treasured drawings, scores of worksheets, and all manner of school papers fill your home. You and your child can turn those stacks of papers into booklets that will be cherished in years to come.
If you are a teacher, a mountain of papers can accumulate quickly in your classroom. These, too, can be turned into neat booklets with just a stapler and a few supplies.
This project is great for family, classroom or group craft time.
Read through the project, then gather the materials needed for making your booklets. You may choose to pre-cut covers and binding strips—this will depend on the age of the children, and how much time you have planned for the craft.
Collect a group of papers to bind into a booklet. They should all be the same size and form a stack no thicker than what you can easily staple.
Make front and back covers for your booklet from heavier sheets of paper or from lightweight cardstock. Use sheets of paper the same size as the papers being bound, or cut larger sheets to size. Decorate the front cover with an appropriate title and/or picture. You could draw something on the cover, glue on pictures cut from magazines, print a cover designed on your computer, or decorate a cover with rubber stamps.
Cut a strip of paper for the booklet binding from paper in a matching or contrasting color. Make the strip the same length as the bound edge of your booklet and about 1½" (4 cm) wide.
Stack the papers and covers in the order you want. Make sure all the edges are stacked straight and evenly. Lay the binding strip face down on top of the stack, aligned with the left edge. Be sure that the left, top, and bottom edges of the binding strip are even with the stack.
If you have a bulldog clip, clip the stack in the middle to hold everything in place.
Holding the stack firmly, staple 3 or 4 times along the left edge. Staple in a vertical line about 1/4" from the edge.
Fold the loose edge of the binding strip back over the staples, around the edge, and to the back. Make creases as needed for a neat look.
Turn the booklet over and glue the loose edge of the binding strip to the back of your booklet. The binding strip should cover the staples completely.
That's it! Your booklet is done!