As both a parent and a professional children’s cardboard book printing supplier, I’m always looking for fun ways to get my kids more interested in books. Recently, I came across the idea of making cardboard children’s books and thought it would be a great hands-on activity for my family. Not only is cardboard free and easy to find, but it allows room for creativity and customization.
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make your own cardboard kids book, from gathering materials to binding and decorating. Let’s get started!
What You’ll Need to Make a Cardboard Book
The best part about making books out of cardboard is that you likely already have everything you need at home. Here’s a quick list of supplies:
- Cardboard – Cereal boxes, shipping boxes, cardboard sheets, etc. Get creative here!
- Ruler – For measuring out your book
- Pencil – To mark cuts and folds
- Scissors or box cutter – For cutting cardboard
- Glue – White glue or hot glue gun work well
- Decorations – Construction paper, markers, crayons, etc. to decorate pages
- Stapler – To bind your book together
Once you gather your materials, you’re ready to start this easy bookbinding project!
How to Make a Cardboard Children’s Book
Step 1: Cut Cardboard for Book Pages
Determine how big you want your book to be. A standard size is 8×10 inches but feel free to go bigger or smaller.Cut cardboard to size, making sure each sheet is the exact same size. For an 8×10 book, cut pieces that are 8 inches wide by 10 inches long.
Tip: Cereal boxes work perfectly for 8×10 pages.
Step 2: Fold and Crease Book Pages
Now it’s time to fold your cardboard sheets into page shapes. Take each sheet and fold it in half, making a crease at the 5 inch mark. Then open it back up.Fold one side over to meet the center crease. Crease the pages and repeat on the other side so you have an evenly folded page.
Step 3: Arrange Pages and Clamp Together
Stack your folded pages with all folds aligned and corners matching up. Make sure pages are in the correct order now as this will set your book order.Insert a piece of sturdy cardboard cut the size of your pages for the front and back cover.Clamp pages together tightly with large binder clips on each side. You can also hole punch and add yarn ties at this point if desired.
Step 4: Secure Binding with Staples
With pages still firmly clamped, use an electric or heavy-duty stapler to staple pages together. Place 2-3 staples along the center crease, similar to a handmade book binding.Remove clamps and check page order one last time.
Step 5: Decorate the Cover
Now for the fun part! Use markers, crayons, construction paper, googly eyes, pom poms or whatever you like to decorate the front and back cover of your book. Let kids take the reins here and embellish as they wish.Add a title to really make it look like a real book!
Customize Your Cardboard Book Ideas
Once you get the basic structure down, there are tons of ways to customize your cardboard books:
- Themes – Make an alphabet book, number book, color book, shapes book, feelings book…the options are endless!
- Stories – Have kids draw pictures to illustrate their own stories page by page.
- Learning – Teach ABC’s, counting, new words and more with personalized pages.
- Holidays – Make a seasonal book for a homemade holiday gift idea.
And cardboard isn’t your only option either when it comes to homemade books. You can try making books out of:
- Construction paper
- Felt
- Brown paper bags
- Wallpaper samples
- Magazines
- Fabric
Handmaking books is a great way to spark early literacy skills, creativity and family bonding time. I know my kids love curling up with a special book we made all by ourselves. With just a little time and imagination, you can create bookish memories that will last a lifetime!
Now that you know how to make a cardboard children’s book, gather the fam and get crafting your very own masterpiece. Show me your finished books over on Instagram, I’d love to see what you make!