A little backstory: my Mom is the one who taught me to do this. To this day, when she gives us paperback books, they are covered for us. She once asked a librarian how she covered her books at the library and if she could buy the materials. The woman had insisted that it was simple and taught her how to do it that day.
Turns out, it is simple! It is time-consuming though, so put on a good movie and get everything ready.
1) Get a good stack of books on hand. This is important because you need to find books of similar size. I like to sort through first and put them in pairs that work together. Every year or so I have a good pile that needs to be covered and I take time to do it.
2) The materials you will need are: a sharp pair of scissors, a heavy duty ruler, a pen, and transparent contact paper. (this is the same stuff that you would line a drawer with)
3) Lay it all out on a table.
1) It is very important you purchase the transparent version of contact paper. You want to be able to see the covers. ( I wasn't very careful last time I bought some and got white instead)
2) I like to put our name in the front of each book first.
3) I find two similarly sized books and lay them out on the paper to see how they fit. I look at the edges first. There should be at least a good half of an inch on each side of the books.
4) Make an initial cut between the books to mark the place to cut later.
1) Okay, now you take one of the books and flip it over onto the back so that you can measure how long the paper needs to be cut, leaving enough to still cover the front of the book. Take your time to make sure you don't cut it too short. Leave at least 1/2 of an inch on either side again. If your books are the same size you only have to measure out one book.2) I make a little mark for my cut.
3) I remove the books and flip my contact paper over to see the grid lines. I cut on my mark first and then finish the first cut I made between the books.
1) Now you have the paper sized to cover your first book.
2) To begin covering, pull back about three or four inches of the backing on the paper. Fold the backing down to make it easier.
3) Lay the front of the book face down on the sticky side, taking extra care to make it straight and the margins even. The paper is not permanent so you can always carefully reposition if you need to.
4) Push the cover of the book down with your hand.
1) Now turn the book over so you can see the cover of the front. Using your ruler, press down on the contact paper to remove any bubbles clear out to the edges. You should now have three inches covered. I find the edges of the contact paper stick to the table. Don't worry, they will come off easily when you are finished.
2) Slowly continue to pull back the backing of the paper. As you go along, use the ruler to adhere the paper and remove air bubbles.
3) Keep going over the binding and out to the edge of the back of the book.
1) The backing of the contact paper should now be completely removed and your book is almost done!
2) Flip the book over again. Make a cut along the binding to separate the back and front of the cover. Cut as close to the book as you can.
3) Make two cuts at the front corners. There is not an exact science to the angles. Just eye-ball them. You can even make them straighter than I did. But I would aim for a 45 degree angle. Not anything larger.
1) Fold one of the edges down. Then move on to the middle and the other edge. Press firmly down with your hands. You can use your ruler if you want to, but I never do. :)
1) Fold one of the edges down. Then move on to the middle and the other edge. Press firmly down with your hands. You can use your ruler if you want to, but I never do. :)2) Your front is finished! Do the same thing for the back of your book.
3) Some books are thicker than a small paperback book. If this is the case, when you make your binding cut, instead of cutting one cut, make two cuts where the first page begins and the last page ends.
4) When you close your book, this little remaining piece of contact paper can simply be trimmed off.
You can see that the finished product has a slightly opaque look. But overall, I find it barely noticeable when you are reading the book.
Here is an example of a thicker binding of a large paperback. You cover it exactly the same way as a thinner book, only do the front first, then shut the book and finish adhering the back. The binding cuts are also wider.
Here is an example of a thicker binding of a large paperback. You cover it exactly the same way as a thinner book, only do the front first, then shut the book and finish adhering the back. The binding cuts are also wider.
Here is an example of two oddly sized books. Many children's books are very large. Usually I can't find a match and just do them alone. Sometimes if I am lucky though, I find a small book that fits.
I hope this helps you if you are looking for a way to save your paperback books from certain bent edges and chewed-on covers. It takes time, but this is a good investment in your home library!
I hope this helps you if you are looking for a way to save your paperback books from certain bent edges and chewed-on covers. It takes time, but this is a good investment in your home library!
