« label maker | Main | The Urban Knitter »
February 10, 2004
library book kit
I've always liked the library kit from Knock Knock. My littlest sister reminded me the other day of how we all used to play library when we were little, and my other sister is accumulating a pretty big collection, so I decided to make one for her birthday. Supplies: a bunch of manila folders, scissors, pencil, bone folder, glue, heavy books, unruled 3x5 inch index cards, some way of printing on the cards and pockets (I used my cool Gocco printer, but you could use a stamp or a computer printer that'll take card stock), date stamp, ink pad, card file box.The Pockets
First, go to Mirkwood Design Templates and find the library card book pocket. I printed this out and then reduced it on the copy machine to 70%. This makes a good size pocket for 3x5 inch index cards. (If you want to have space on the pocket to stamp a due date, like the Knock Knock kit, you can modify the template.) Cut out the template and trace it on a manila folder. Cut it out to use as the master template. Once you've cut out as many as you want from the manila folders (I did 100), start folding. I found that the best way to do it is to first score the bottom pocket fold with a bone folder. Fold on the score and rub to crease with the bone folder. Flip it over to the back and score along the flaps at each side of the pocket. Now fold these flaps over, crease with the bone folder, and glue them down. Putting them under a heavy book to dry helps keep the flaps pressed down and flattens the whole pocket nicely. Once they're dry, imprint them if you like. I printed out my design from the computer and used my Gocco to print it. The Gocco went through all 100 pockets without reinking, and all but a couple were perfect.
The Cards
I made a template in Word for the insert cards. There are spaces to type the Title and Author name, to write the Borrower name, and to stamp the Out date and the In date. The template is slightly larger than 3x5 inches so that it'll print all the way to the edge of the index cards, even if they're not perfectly aligned. I used the template to make a Gocco screen and printed 100. These didn't print quite as well as the pockets. For one thing, there was a lot more to print and I did end up reinking here and there. Also, the font size of the text was smaller, so the lines were thinner and harder to print. Finally, since I was printing off the edges, I had problems with the ink kind of pooling at the sides and getting a little blobby. I was actually very happy with them, though. They look neat, and you can tell they were hand-printed. You could probably also rig up a way to run the cards through a computer printer instead, which would be more uniform and less messy.Assembly
I got a 1.5 inch date stamp at a stationary store and put that, an ink pad, the cards, and the pockets in a metal card file that I found at lab. For now the box can be used to store everything until they can be put into books. Once that happens, it's the file box to keep track of borrowed books. The pocket serves as a book plate, so both parties remember it's borrowed. No more lost books!
Posted under Paper Crafts at February 10, 2004 11:32 PM
Comments
i received these today, and they are so cool! it's going to take me forever to put them in my books. how should i apply them? will mod podge be good? i have a jar of that lying around here somewhere.
thanks!
Posted by: ariel at February 18, 2004 10:42 PM
Thanks for the library card template! I teach scrapbooking classes and these are great for one of my projects! Check it out at www.treasuredemotions.com
Posted by: Kim Salmon at November 1, 2005 03:27 PM
I love that idea!!
Posted by: Angie at December 16, 2005 09:09 PM
Great idea!!!! You are very creative!
Posted by: Rosi at August 29, 2006 10:38 PM
These are great! I think I will have to add something like this to my books as I get them! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Nyx at July 26, 2007 09:55 PM