DIY book covers are easier to make and you can add a lot of personalized designs too just to bring out your creativity. According to an expert, you can make a simple book cover from paper, a ruler, and the edge of scissors or a bone folder. When making your book cover, you must pay attention to your measurements. You don’t want to make your book cover too small or too large for your book, hence, you can adjust your measurements as you complete the steps. The following steps can help you achieve a good book cover you can be proud of.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials for Book Cover Making
You only need a few items to create your book cover, these are Scissors, a paper bag, paper, a pen, a ruler, and a book. Make sure the paperback is large enough because you may cut wrongly in the beginning and you need more of such. Make sure your scissors are sharp enough to cut through. Find more information on materials for book cover creation and measurements with book mockup from Adazing.com. You may want to collect stickers, pens, paints, markers, and pens for creating pockets in the front or back of the cover.
Step2: Cut the Bag Apart
Your next step is to cut the bag apart. Start with the cutting of the bottom of the bag, before you cut the length. With this cutting, you should have a big rectangle bag. Experts suggest that you should cut down through the seam in the middle of one side of the paper bag so that the cut wouldn’t be visible when the cutting is completed. Make sure your hand is straightened when cutting with scissors. If you can’t make a straight cut with scissors, you may want to use a razor blade with the assistance of a ruler.
Step 3: Cover the Length of the Book Cover
To get the proper length of the cover of your book, simply lay your book on the cover and then fold over the first edge around the inside of the first cover so that it is at a distance of an inch or two away from the binding. Measure the length of the paper cover at this stage and write it down somewhere. Continue the process by folding it around the back of the cover, just the same way you began the folding. You should have some extra left hence you should mark the area where it is 1 or 2 inches from the binding. Simply close the book and cut off the excess of the cover once you are done.
Step 4: Cover the Height of the Book
This is the stage where you have to fold the top and bottom to the size of your book. Smart people will likely use the existing fold along the bottom of the book to start. It will be great if you can also find an existing fold to handle this step. Once you have an existing fold to cover the height of the book, use the book as a guide to mark the height of the book and thereafter measure it and write down the measurement. Line up your book with the bottom of your cover. Fold up the top overlap of the cover overlap and do this the whole length of the cover and then fold it down.
If your chosen bag comes with a label, make sure you keep such a label inside out.
The height of a book should determine the length of your cover. You may want to add a few centimeters extra after measuring the height, to leave some room for your book height.
Step 5: Put Your New Cover On
Once you complete your cover you should try it on and see if it fits. Slide the paper cover on the book and make sure it fits inside the fold of the cover. The cover may be tight so try and wiggle and adjust to ensure ha it enters and stay within the fold. In case the cover is oversize, you can adjust accordingly and use the earlier measurements to make the right adjustments. Now that you have made the right adjustment, simply try and put the cover on again, and hopefully, it will fit his time. In case the cover is too tight and non-adjustable, you will have to find another paper bag or use the leftover bag for the creation of a new one. If you are not the final owner of the book, then you don’t have to make your book cover very fancy.
Step 6: Make Handy Pockets in Front of Book Cover
His step may not be necessary but they can hand more fun and creativity to your book cover. Handy pockets in the front and back of your book cover may be helpful for your notes and syllabuses. Markers and pens should work best for this purpose. In some cases, you may want to add stickers to your pens and markers and you can also use paints. You should also keep in mind that stickers, and pockets may add to the weight or size of the cover, hence you should make plans for such right before you start creating, the cover. You may also add the stickers to the front and back of the cover before putting them on the book.
Conclusion
Creating a book cover should not be difficult when you follow the steps above. You should try and minimize additions to ensure that the cover has enough space to be adjusted until it fits your book. If possible, you should avoid excessive decorations and additions that can complicate your cover and render it useless. You should also consider the color of your cover and choose the color that matches the theme of your book. You may not find the true color for the cover, but you should try and find a colored cover that fits close to your book theme.
