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Erin
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Family and friends tease me about being rather 'obsessed' with covering books. I confess, it is true.  I learnt this trick at my mother's knee. Mum covered her books with a clear builder's plastic, books that are in still good condition today. Covering really does add to the life of your books.
I buy 'clear gloss premium PVC plastic' on a huge rolls of 100m lengths. You can purchase smaller rolls than this. Contact your state's library suppliers to see what they have available (your local library should be able to give you contact details). Do not be tempted to buy a cheaper product, I've freinds who have done so and regretted it, it is far harder to work with and the result is not as good.
As promised I'll share a tutorial with you. This tutorial is on how to cover a book without a dust jacket.
Materials: Sharp Scissor, tape on a tape dispenser and your roll of book plastic. This can come in varying lengths and width. Considering the amount of books I cover I now purchase the largest  When I bought my first roll years ago I went in with two other hs mums and we had a 112cm roll cut into three.
Tutorial:
Roll out your plastic.
Arrange your books so as to know how wide to cut your strip. It is most economical to find books as similar size to one another as possible.
Whilst arranging your books be certain to be generous in your spacing so as to have enough plastic to work with later.
Sit your books on the plastic and turn plastic over the top of your books as well. Be generous in your margin. I generally use a '2 finger' spacing around each book.
Once cut off the roll then cut your plastic into individual pieces.
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Erin
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Erin
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Then placing your book in the center of the plastic turn the plastic securely over the edges of the covers, front and back.
Then holding securely, crease the plastic into place with your fingernails. This is a very important step. It takes practice, but the tighter you can get the plastic around the covers the much easier and neater it will be for further progress.
Do this on both sides.
Once again centering your book, cut on an angle into the spine. Front and back, top and bottom. 4 short cuts.
 Then fold these cuts in and down. Be sure to make these firm creases too, this will help with ease and neatness once again.
Be sure to fold these pieces in. Do not snip them off. I'm aware this is what you do when contacting a book but do not do so with plastic. I've been called in on rescue missions and this is where the mistake occurs.
The extra plastic helps anchor the plastic in place and more importantly strengthens the spine.
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Erin
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Erin
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Crease the corners in. Getting this triangular piece to sit nicely is tricky but makes a difference to the look of the end result.
Once again crease the top and bottom edges in firmly.
Then place your piece of sticky tape on.
At first it is best to do it on a flat surface.
Although later you may progress to being able to do it a little differently.
Your finished result!
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Theresa
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Wow!!! 
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Teachin'Mine2
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Awesome - thank you!!!
Brought back memories of making clear plastic covers for school textbooks years ago. What a great idea for our hs books! 
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Ouiz
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I've never tried this sort of plastic covering before, but I am OBSESSED with keeping books in pristine condition. Thank you for this tutorial!
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JennGM
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Questions for you, Erin. Do you do this on hardback without a dustjacket? Or are you talking about paperback?
My mother used to do this with Contact paper.
I'm trying to figure out what would an equivalent of what you use be called in the United States. Any idea?
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SeaStar
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Erin-
Do the covered books have a smooth feel and glossy look. or do they have a clear but crinkly feel?
I really dislike the crinkly sound and feel of mylar, but what you are using looks different from mylar.
I want to try this- thanks so much for the tutorial!
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Erin
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JennGM wrote:
Questions for you, Erin. Do you do this on hardback without a dustjacket? Or are you talking about paperback?
I'm trying to figure out what would an equivalent of what you use be called in the United States. Any idea? |
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Jenn
I do this with paperback and hardbacks without a jacket. In fact I cover (or rather am aiming to) cover all books with book covering plastic. the only books I contact are math workbooks or exercise books.
Of course I also use this plastic for books with dust jackets. I'll give a tut on covering dust jackets next week.
I'm off to search and see if I can find your equivalent.
SeaStar wrote:
Erin-
Do the covered books have a smooth feel and glossy look. or do they have a clear but crinkly feel? |
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Melinda
They have a smooth feel and clear glossy look.
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Erin
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Jenn
Just having a look at the Book Jacket covers description at Vernon Library supplies (seem as Jen hangs out there so much ) and their description of covers is; Vernon book jacket covers are made from top quality, ultra clear polyester film and strong white backing paper (except unlined Clear 'n Easy), providing your books and jackets with the best protection possible. the unlined clear and easy do come in rolls but not quite what I'm after I think.
Perhaps you could contact your library and ask them who their suppliers are and if they can buy it by the big roll? I'll keep looking too.
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Erin
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Mmm found some covers at Demco too on a roll. Their rolls aren't very big. 
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JennGM
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I'm bumping this up, because I still haven't bought my book covering. Erin, your demonstration, is the plastic sticky? I think that was my stumbling block. I always think of detachable plastic covers for hardback, and usually only on the dust jackets, and then an adhesive backed plastic for softcover.
Is that where I'm confused that you use the same kind that has no adhesive?
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Erin
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Jenn
Not sticky, no adhesive. Clear plastic on a roll, I use the same for dust jackets and soft cover. I haven't forgotten I 'owe' another tut too.
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CrunchyMom
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Has anyone yet found a source for this in the states? I went to Demco, and I'm a little overwhelmed. Why can't I just will this stuff to come to my house?
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Lindsay~
There is a LAMINATE SELECTION GUIDE at the DEMCO site that may help. DEMCO won't let us link directly, so you need to type it in the search engine and it's a downloadable document.
Also, type in "CircExtender2x laminate" and that should start you out.
The easiest way, though, to compare and see what they have is to order their catalogue. There are about 12 pages of laminate options. It's just easier to see everything.
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JennGM
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Thanks for the recommendation on getting the catalog, Suzanne.
I spent some time a while ago on the site and just couldn't figure out what would be comparable. So to answer your question, Lindsay, I haven't bought anything!
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CrunchyMom
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Thanks, Suzanne! So, do they have just plain laminate without adhesive? All I have managed to find is sticky-backed even though what Erin is using is not.
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Lindsay
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Karen T
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all of the options under laminate are adhesive. I have bought some things from Demco before for book covers and I think they might have been what Erin originally linked to but the problem is that there is a lot of waste buying them by the sheet like that. And even with the rolls, they are only wide enough to do one book at a time, whereas the rolls she uses let you do several across, saving time and probably plastic as well.
Erin, is the stuff you use the same feel as what libraries use?
Karen
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MaryM
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This has nothing to do with the actual topic of this thread, but I wanted to mention that whenever I see this thread pop up again I think "Oh, books covering Tut (as in books about King Tut)" . We are going to be going to the traveling Tut exhibit next month so it's on my mind and I am looking for "books covering Tut." I'd better start another thread. 
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Erin
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Karen T wrote:
| Erin, is the stuff you use the same feel as what libraries use? |
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Yes it is.
Has anyone had success in finding the covering yet? I feel terrible getting all your hopes up.
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Erin
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Caring For Our Books - Book Covering Tut
