DIY Network

Game Board Books Make your own books with Michele Beschen. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-203

B. Original with books you make yourself!

Michele Beschen knows plenty of ways to turn unwanted books into something else—now, she’s turning old game boards into books everyone will want! The B. Original host shows how to use old game boards as fun covers for books you make yourself.

This project is a natural for scrapbookers or journal-writers, but it’s also great for kids (with adult supervision and help). After all, what better way to teach the love of books than by showing kids how to make their own?

Scroll down to get started.

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	Figure A
	Figure B

Game Board Books

• Cut the game board in half (figure A). Most game boards have a taped fold—cut along this fold. If the board has two folds, decide which fold you want to cut along.

• Decide which side of the game board will be the outside of the book.

• Choose a color of duct tape to use as the book’s spine. Roll out a piece of duct tape slightly longer than the spine end of the game board and lay it, sticky side up, on a flat work surface.

• Lay one of the game board halves next to the tape, "outside of book" side down. Keeping the board even with the tape, lay it so that it overlaps the duct tape by about 1/2" and press down.

• Attach the other game board half to the tape the same way (figure B).

• Affix a second piece of duct tape over the inside of the book’s spine to seal, then trim away any excess.

• You can use any type of tablet or drawing paper you like in the book, or you can combine different types of papers. Fold the stack of paper in half and place it in the center of the cover (figure C).
  

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

• Use an awl or icepick to create four evenly spaced holed in the center of the pages (figure D).

• Thread nylon twine on a large-eyed needle and insert it through the spine of the book from the outside, in the second hole from the top (figure E). Stitch back through the top hole, then back into the book through the second hole from the top.
  

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

  Figure G

• Stitch out through the next hole down (figure F), back into the spine through the bottom hole, and back out through the third hole from the top.

• Cut the twine and tie it off with a decorative bow or knot (figure G).

• If you want to make a very thick book, you’ll need to divide your pages into multiple sections. Fold each section and sew it into the binding as described above. For thick books, make sure to use heavy-duty duct tape as the binding.

Game Board Binder

Instead of sewing your binding, you can create binder rings from PVC pipe:

• Cut small rings of PVC pipe with a band saw or PVC pipe cutter.

• Use a PVC pipe cutter or pliers to make a cut in the side of the rings.

• Drill four holes on the spine end of the book, making sure the holes will accommodate the PVC rings (figure H).
  

  Figure H

  Figure I

  
  

• Slide the rings through the holes (figure I), and you’ve made a binder!