Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

It was one of my favorite books when I was growing up.  So, you can imagine how happy I was to find it for my girls! 

We loved it for a month or two, but apparently we loved it a little too much.  The cover just came right off. 

So, I set it aside to keep it safe. 

Then I had an idea.

It couldn't be too hard to make a new, more durable cover, could it?

There was only one way to find out.

So, I found some cute paper and measured it to fit.

I just opened the book to the center (where the staples are visible) and then traced a line just a little bigger around the book.  While the book was open, I removed the staples. 

Lesson Learned!  I should have been more generous tracing the line around the book, to allow for just a bit more room when folding the paper in half.

Next, I cut the paper out and covered it in contact paper.  Sorry I didn't get any pictures of that.  I was watching a movie with my Mister and kept forgetting to take pictures.  =)  But, really, I'm not that great at contact paper covering, so maybe you didn't want to see the struggle anyway. 

So...once the paper was covered, I folded it in half like a book.

I got a little stuck here.  My plan originally was to just staple everything back together, but I have an itty bitty stapler that couldn't handle such a large task.  I was forced to improvise.

I put the book on top of the new cover (opened up), matching the staple holes to the folded crease. 

Then, using a large yarn needle inserted in the previous staple holes, I poked holes in the new cover.

The contact paper was surprisingly durable (good!), so it took a little extra pushing, but it turned out perfect. 

I used some string I got on clearance forever ago and sewed through the holes to bind it all together. 

There was no real specific technique here, I just wanted it to stay together and be strong. 

And, it turned out great!  The book has held together quite nicely in O's excitement over the fixed book and I'm fighting the temptation to go through and recover all of her books! 

I linked this project up at Naptime Crafters!  Yay!