Hand Binding Books with 1st Graders

In a previous post on making collages with kids, I mentioned my visits to P.S. 142 and the wonderful students I worked with there.  A few weeks ago, I made my last visit to two 1st grade classes, and we completed our book projects by binding them together.

The binding method I did with the children is a very simplified version, using just paper and yarn.  I prepped by taking the students’ writing/collage projects home and punching holes in the margin beforehand.  I also cut lengths of yarn and knotted one end and taped the other end to form a blunt point for “sewing”.

Then, we bound the books together in class.

a bound book

The children loved having a hand-made finished product at the end!

To bind papers together to make a book, you need:

Paper

Large Paper Clip

Hole puncher

Yarn

Tape

Scissors

1.  Punch holes in paper along left margin.  It helps to keep all the pages aligned by holding the stack together with a large paper clip.  Keep it on until you’re finished binding.

2.  Cut a length of yarn that is twice as long as the length of the margin side of the papers.

3.  Tie a knot on one end.  Wrap a piece of tape on the other end to create a blunt point that can be threaded easily through the holes.

4.  Bind the pages together following the steps below: