How to Make Board Books from Start to Finish (Step-By-Step)

I’m willing to bet creating board books wasn’t on your radar until you had kids of your own.

But once you have tiny humans running around the house, board books become one of the best tools in your parenting arsenal.

And here’s the thing…

You don’t have to wait for the new Jan Brett board book to make it to the library or your favorite indie bookstore. You can make board books yourself at home!

As a board book printing manufacturer who’s produced over 2,000 board book titles at our Shenzhen facility, I’ll show you exactly how in this step-by-step guide.

The best part?

You don’t need fancy art skills or book binding equipment to DIY board books. All you need are a few simple supplies and a little bit of patience.

I’ve also made dozens of homemade board books for my own two kids over the past three years — so I’ll share what actually worked (and what totally flopped).

Let’s get into it.

Why Make Your Own Board Books?

Before we dive into how to make board books, let’s talk about why you would want to make them in the first place.

1. Save Money

Board books aren’t cheap.

In 2026, a quick scan of Amazon and major bookstores shows most board books retail between $6 and $9, with popular titles like Sandra Boynton’s books averaging around $7.99.

And if you have more than one kid, costs add up FAST.

By contrast, making your own board books costs roughly $1–2 per book once you have basic supplies on hand.

Here’s what that looked like for me:

Over 18 months, I made roughly 25 board books for my son at an average cost of about $1.50 each. That’s about $37 total — compared to the $150+ I’d have spent buying them. And I got books he actually wanted to re-read, because they featured our dogs, his toy excavator, and his favorite snacks.

Don’t feel bad if your homemade board books get ripped or destroyed. Just make another! You can’t beat the price.

2. Personalize Them

Who says board books have to feature puppies, trucks, or random kids?

By making DIY board books, you can create hyper-personalized books for your children featuring:

• Photos of themselves, siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.
• Inside jokes or household items that are special to your family
• Your child’s name, hometown, favorite foods, animals, or toys

This personal touch makes homemade board books extra special. My son loved being the “star” of his own books. And he got a huge kick out of seeing household favorites (like our dogs or his toy cars) featured inside.

3. Go At Their Pace

Creating board books yourself lets you make books that fit your child’s unique interests and development level.

Got a baby that’s obsessed with a specific animal or food? Make a book around that!

Does your 1-year-old love practicing animal sounds? Then create a book that builds that skill.

Does your toddler enjoy lifting flaps, touching different textures, or pushing buttons? A homemade book lets you customize those sensory elements.

4. Encourage Early Literacy Skills

The first few years of a child’s life play a crucial role in developing early literacy skills. These fundamental skills pave the way for future reading success.

According to the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), there are six key early literacy skills that predict later reading success:

• Print motivation – An interest in and enjoyment of books
• Vocabulary – Knowing the names of things (animals, foods, etc.)
• Print awareness – Noticing print everywhere and knowing how to handle books
• Letter knowledge – Becoming familiar with letters and the sounds they make
• Narrative skills – Being able to describe things and tell stories
• Phonological awareness – Understanding that words are made up of sounds

Creating tailored board books gives you a platform to encourage the growth of these early reading skills in a way that feels natural and fun for your kiddos.

For example, you can make letter books featuring their name, foods they like, and favorite animals. Books like these build familiarity with letters and letter sounds.

Ready to get started? Keep reading!

How to Make Board Books: Step-By-Step

Making board books from scratch is easier than you think thanks to a few key tools and materials.

Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:

• Heavyweight cardstock (250 gsm or higher) for pages
• Book binding tape, stapler, or sewing kit to bind pages
• Decorating supplies like markers, paint, glitter, stickers, etc.
• Clear contact paper, laminate sheets, or glue to reinforce pages (optional)

⚠️ Safety First: When making board books for children under 3, always use non-toxic, acid-free materials. Avoid small decorative elements (buttons, beads, googly eyes) that pose a choking hazard — the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that any item small enough to fit inside a toilet paper roll is a choking risk for young children. All adhesives should be certified AP (Approved Product) by ACMI. If you’re using laminate, make sure edges are fully sealed so small fingers can’t peel them up.

Now let’s look at the step-by-step process:

1. Plan Out Your Book

Start by deciding on key elements of the board book:

• Cover images/theme
• Number of pages
• Content for each page
• Size (standard size is around 6 inches square, but can be smaller or larger)

A couple pro tips as you plan:

For babies and toddlers learning body parts, animals, etc., opt for 1–2 images per page. Pre-readers will enjoy simple stories with 2–4 pictures or elements per page. And variety keeps things interesting — some pages can be photos, others drawings. Mix up colors, textures, flaps, etc.

Once you’ve decided what you want to create, gather reference materials.

For example, I like to gather relevant photos I might use, plus a few favorite books for layout inspiration.

Spend time looking through board book examples to spark content ideas and get a feel for standard layouts.

2. Create Your Pages

Now you’re ready to start creating individual pages!

There are lots of ways to make board book pages:

• Draw pictures directly onto cardstock pages with markers
• Print out photos and glue them to pages
• Use sticker sheets to quickly create image pages
• Collage materials onto pages — paint, glitter, fabric, etc.

I prefer printing images onto full-sheet label stickers. These stick directly to cardstock and create a nice glossy book page finish.

A lesson I learned the hard way:

The first time I tried printing photos on regular paper and gluing them to cardstock, the ink smeared within a day. My son grabbed the book with damp hands after lunch and half the images were ruined.

That’s when I switched to full-sheet label stickers — the adhesive backing prevents bubbling, and the glossy surface holds up much better to sticky toddler fingers.

As you decorate pages, keep these tips in mind:

• Create pages out of order. Do backgrounds or images first, then add text last. This makes editing easier!
• Allow images and text to run to the very edge of pages. It will get trimmed off.
• Use generous spacing between lines of text, appropriate for your child’s age/ability.
• Make sure inks/paints are permanent and waterproof once dry. (I once used water-based markers on a texture page — big mistake. The colors bled after one drool session.)

I like to storyboard out a draft of each page before creating finished copies. This lets me work out content and layout options before pulling out the glue!

3. Assemble Your Book

Once individual pages are done, you’re ready to assemble everything into a book.

Start by creating a cover out of cardstock or fabric. Place your finished pages in order inside the cover.

Then, choose a binding method:

Staple Binding

• Place pages inside cover
• Line up the folded edge of pages
• Use a stapler to staple along the crease 1–2 times. The staple prongs will be inside the book.

Tape Binding

• Lay tape sticky side up, lined up just inside where the page crease will be
• Place pages inside cover with edges lined up
• Fold over tape to reinforce the pages together

I prefer double-sided book tape for durability, but regular tape or glue works too. Reinforce the spine with extra tape if needed.

Another hard-won lesson:

I learned that a single staple won’t hold thick cardstock pages together. After my son ripped apart his “farm animals” book in under a week, I switched to book binding tape reinforced with a second strip along the spine. That version lasted over four months.

For quick books, one strip of binding is fine. But you can sew pages together too using a needle and embroidery floss.

Once your book is assembled, trim off any overhanging edges of the cover or pages using a paper trimmer for clean edges.

Ta-da — you just made a board book! How cool is that?

4. Laminate (Optional)

For extra reinforcement and durability:

• Cover the entire book with adhesive laminate sheets and run through a laminator
• OR brush clear glue onto finished pages and cover with clear contact paper

Lamination creates a nice glossy finish and helps homemade books withstand a bit more wear and tear!

And that’s it — you officially know how to make a board book from start to finish. Nice work!

Now I’d like to cover some extra tips for taking your homemade board books to the next level.

Level Up: Make Professional Quality Board Books

Looking to make heirloom-quality board books? Or want to explore selling board books you create?

DIY board books can absolutely look and feel professionally published with some special equipment and techniques.

Here’s an overview:

Use Heavy Chipboard for Pages

Craft chipboard gives pages extra durability so books hold up better over time. Accordion-fold cardstock doesn’t have the same heft.

For DIY board books, I recommend 250–350 gsm C1S (coated one side) cardstock. The coated side gives you a smooth printing surface, while the uncoated side bonds better with adhesive.

For comparison, the board books we manufacture at GoBook use 350 gsm greyboard laminated with 157 gsm C2S art paper — that’s what gives commercial board books their signature thickness and durability.

Order chipboard sheets online or check your local craft store. Anything 250 gsm and higher works great for DIY.

Own a Paper Trimmer

A sturdy paper trimmer creates perfectly straight edges for a clean finish. Rotary paper cutters work wonderfully for chipboard.

You can find affordable options under $50 on Amazon. This takes the hassle out of using rulers and box cutters to cut pages.

Print Crisp Images

Inkjet printers can only go so far in print resolution. For photography-quality prints, look for a print service that offers at least 300 DPI on coated stock.

Most local print shops can handle small runs at reasonable prices. Ask specifically for printing on matte or glossy photo paper — then adhere the prints to chipboard pages just like stickers.

Use Perfect Binding

To permanently bind chipboard pages, perfect binding adheres pages together with a flexible glue backing. This process keeps pages securely fixed and allows books to lay flat when open.

Online book printing services let you professionally bind board books starting under $10. Simply upload your print-ready files and pick from finishing options like binding type, cover finish, and corner rounding.

If you plan to sell board books, professional binding is 100% worth the investment. But tape and staples work perfectly fine for homemade books.

How Commercial Board Books Are Actually Made

Here’s something most people don’t realize:

The board books you buy at bookstores are NOT made the same way as a DIY version. The manufacturing process is completely different.

Commercial board books use a process called “tip-on” binding. Each spread is a single thick board, and pages are glued together back-to-back with PUR (polyurethane reactive) adhesive. This creates the signature “chunky” feel that makes board books nearly indestructible.

At our facility, we use automated case-making machines that apply even pressure across every page — something that’s extremely hard to replicate at home.

But understanding the principle helps: the key is full-surface adhesion, not just edge binding. That’s why tape along the spine alone won’t give you the same durability as a commercial board book.

If you want that true commercial board book feel — thick pages, rounded corners, professional binding, and a laminated cover — that’s where a dedicated board book printer comes in.

We offer custom board book printing runs as low as 100 copies →

Here’s a quick comparison of DIY vs. professional printing to help you decide:

	DIY Board Book	Professional Board Book Printing
Cost per book	$1–2 (materials only)	$2–5 (varies by quantity)
Page thickness	Single cardstock layer (~300 gsm)	Laminated greyboard (~2 mm thick)
Binding method	Tape, staples, or sewing	PUR adhesive tip-on binding
Durability	Moderate — survives gentle use	High — withstands heavy toddler use
Corner style	Square (unless hand-rounded)	Machine-rounded for safety
Best for	Personal use, gifts, prototyping	Selling, gifting at scale, keepsakes
Minimum quantity	1 book	Typically 100+ copies

In other words:

DIY is perfect for personal use, testing ideas, and making one-off gifts. But if you want to sell board books or create heirloom-quality keepsakes in larger quantities, professional printing is the way to go.

In Conclusion

Let’s recap the key steps:

1. Plan your book theme, number of pages, and target age range
2. Create individual pages with cardstock, artwork, and photos
3. Assemble your book using tape, staples, or sewing
4. Laminate or bind (optional steps for durability)

Making board books from scratch is a rewarding, creative endeavor. Plus you get to watch the faces of tiny humans you adore light up when you place a custom book made just for them into their hands!

And if you ever decide you want that commercial board book quality — thick pages, rounded corners, the works — get in touch with our team. We’ve helped thousands of independent authors and parents turn their ideas into professional board books.

If you have any other questions about how to make board books yourself, please drop them below in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!