Book Making Art Projects for Children
- Kids will get great ideas from their own book collection.little boy reading a book image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
There is nothing children like more than a good book, so what better way to spend an afternoon than letting them create a book of their own? There are many ways to do this, and chances are that you have everything you need for this project right at home. - A wide variety of crafts will prompt creativity.craft a card! image by Shirley Hirst from Fotolia.com
You'll need the following supplies for this project:
8-1/2 x 11 white paper. Five sheets can be lined up together and folded in half to make an eight-page book.
Pre-made books (with a plain cover and blank pages). These are available at most craft and hobby stores.
A cut-up old shoebox. The shoebox can be taped or glued to the first and last page to create a more durable front and back cover.
Pencils, markers and crayons. You will need these to write the story on each page and to create the illustrations.
Stickers or scrapbook supplies. These will add to the hand-drawn illustrations.
Stapler. You will need this to bind the book together (in the center fold). You can also cut holes in the center and use a shoelace tied on the outside.
Ruler. This will help to draw the lines on each page for the story.
Tape and glue. - Have a brainstorm session before getting started.Background with lit lightbulb image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
The best way to get kids thinking is to have a brainstorm session before starting the craft. Get children to talk about their favorite books, heroes or TV characters. It can also be helpful to get out some illustrated books to prompt ideas on what to draw as well as how to draw what they envision in their books. Once the kids have an idea of what they want to create, it is time to make the book! - Make sure children include their names on the front of the book.Portrait of a styled children. Theme: education.. image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
If you are making the books yourself, line up the 8-1/2 x 11 paper and fold it in half. Staple the center of the book from the outside so that the staples line up in the center.
Use cardboard (from an old shoebox) cut into 8-1/2 x 5 rectangles and tape them to the first and last pages of the book.
If you are gluing them, you can have the kids create their front and back covers and wait to glue them to the paper until after the children create the book. If you do this, make sure they leave the first and last pages blank and start their story on the second page, since the front and back covers will later be glued to those pages. - Have children write a story and create illustrations.Portrait of a styled children. Theme: education.. image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
Have children write the story before illustrating it. They can use a ruler to make the lines on the pages. Next, they will use the crayons and markers, as well as the stickers and other crafts, to create illustrations. If they use glue, make sure they use it in small amounts so that the pages don't stick together when the book is complete.
