To size the cover, simply use your pages as a template. Mark the dimensions on the bag with a pencil, then cut or tear. When I tear thick paper, I fold, moisten the crease (you can do this with a sponge or your tongue), and rip away.
If the material you’ve chosen for the cover is being recycled (and it oughta be) then it may be crinkled or otherwise beat up. I found that ironing the paper flattens it out nicely and preps it for duty.
Tear or cut a half-inch into the creased cover to match your folded and notched internal pages and put it all together.
Some pics of the way the binding works. My binding of choice is a piece of string tied with a fisherman’s knot – a simple slide knot that makes it (pretty) easy to tighten and loosen the binding.
I sometimes tie a double fisherman’s knot to make it more secure.
A rubber band is also great in a pinch, and works well for young children: if they can’t tie the knots (or aren’t patient enough to wait for you to), they can slip a rubber band over their book and easily remove it to customize the contents.
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