Save Those Christmast Cards!
Every year on Christmas Eve our church recites Luke 2 (KJV). To help my young children memorize this passage, many years ago I put together a Luke 2 book. I used various illustrations (taken from a book I cut up!, a children’s magazine, and assorted other places) and wrote the text on construction paper. Wanting this book to be sturdy enough to withstand lots of handling by little people, I covered the pages with clear contact paper and then sewed them together by hand. Our book has held up well through the years, and become one of our beloved parts of Advent each year.
For a few years I’ve intended to make a new, improved version, and I’ve been saving interesting Christmas cards for this purpose. This year I finally had some time to put it together. Instead of construction paper which fades with time, I used scrapbook cardstock, and instead of hand writing the words I used my trusty computer. It was fun selecting the cards and reading notes that were written some time ago! I again covered the pages with contact paper, and hand sewed the binding with dental floss. (To make this possible, it helps to pre-punch holes with a push pin. Use an odd number of holes. Then with a double threaded needle, sew a running stitch in one direction, come back and fill in the holes by sewing the other direction. Tie off at the back.) Our new Luke 2 book has a hard cover, covered with a pretty flannel.
If you are interested in bookmaking and want more help on how to help your children write and illustrate their own books, complete with hard covers and dust jackets, check out Valerie Bendt’s wonderful resource, Creating Books with Children.
You don’t need anything sophisticated to make a terrific book which your children will treasure. If you don’t want to make a bound book, put your pages in sheet protectors and place in a nice three-ring binder. Use old cards, your own children’s drawings, or whatever creative ideas you have and materials you have on hand!
For a few years I’ve intended to make a new, improved version, and I’ve been saving interesting Christmas cards for this purpose. This year I finally had some time to put it together. Instead of construction paper which fades with time, I used scrapbook cardstock, and instead of hand writing the words I used my trusty computer. It was fun selecting the cards and reading notes that were written some time ago! I again covered the pages with contact paper, and hand sewed the binding with dental floss. (To make this possible, it helps to pre-punch holes with a push pin. Use an odd number of holes. Then with a double threaded needle, sew a running stitch in one direction, come back and fill in the holes by sewing the other direction. Tie off at the back.) Our new Luke 2 book has a hard cover, covered with a pretty flannel.
If you are interested in bookmaking and want more help on how to help your children write and illustrate their own books, complete with hard covers and dust jackets, check out Valerie Bendt’s wonderful resource, Creating Books with Children.
You don’t need anything sophisticated to make a terrific book which your children will treasure. If you don’t want to make a bound book, put your pages in sheet protectors and place in a nice three-ring binder. Use old cards, your own children’s drawings, or whatever creative ideas you have and materials you have on hand!
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