How I make book covers, mostly

I have been working a lot on things to put in the four journals I am making and am almost done with the signatures. I had better have a place to put the signatures when they are finished, thus, it is time to make the covers. In this video I am showing you how I make some of my hardback book covers.

Materials and sizes I used:

Cardboard:
2 - 5 ¾ by 8 ¾ inches -- front and back covers (x2 or four to six depending on the thickness of your cardboard)
1 - 1 ½ by 8 ¾ inches -- spine (x1 or two or three, again depending on the thickness of your cardboard)

Paper:
2 - 9 3/4 (height) by 8 (width) inches paper - (I used 2 sheets of 12 by 12 inches cut down, but two full sheets of 8 ½ by 11 in. works well too)
1 - 4 by 10 inches paper for the spine covering

Cheesecloth:
1 - 3 ½ by 8 inches -- roughly

Glue (I used tacky glue this time)
Glue spreader (old room key)
Scissors
Craft knife and cutting pad
Brayer (not necessary, but does help with adhesion and smoothing out glue lumps)
Old, dry baby wipe to wipe up excess glue

Notes:
I have been making book covers this way on and off for over twenty years. They hold up well and are not difficult to make. A few things to remember are:
1. The front and back boards should be the same size
2. The spine board should be the same height as the cover boards
3. Make sure the bottoms of the boards are all even when glueing them to the covering
4. Make sure the spaces between the spine and the covers are even (I usually use a space of between ¼ inch and ½ inch)

Remember to enjoy yourself while creating an Artsy life,

Theta