DLTK's Educational Ideas - Print and Assemble Books
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
This mini book is based on the poem, "'Twas the Night Before
Christmas"
by Major Henry Livingston Jr. (there's some debate as to whether
the author is Major Livingston or Clement Clarke Moore... as always,
I've done the best I can to credit the proper author!)
Feel free to make as many copies as you need (just don't sell them as
they're meant to be free for all to use).
Use our Christmas Activities
to complement this book... the Santa
Claus crafts are especially appropriate.
Materials:
- printer
- paper (you can use a slightly heavier paper for a longer lasting book)
- stapler
- something to color with (if using B&W template)
Directions:
- Print template of choice. The B&W version is fun for young
children to color in or for older children to color as gifts for younger
ones. I like printing a color cover and B&W pages.
- Color the template pieces if you are doing the B&W version.
Photos aren't for the letter a book,
but the system works the same.
Fold with pictures out
and trim if necessary
stack with odd
numbers on top
staple
enjoy!
NUMBERED PAGES:
- If you imagine a 'real' book for a second, you know that each page
has printing on the front and the back. We're going to fold
the pages to make it like a real book.
- Ignore the cover for now.
- Fold each page along the center dotted line so the images are
on the OUTSIDE and the blank sides of the paper are on the
inside (imagine you're making a greeting card).
- You can use a glue stick, if you like, to glue the pages
together (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE COVER!)
- Stack the pages, so the odd numbers are on top and the folded
edges are lined up. Trim with scissors or paper cutter if
needed.
COVER PAGE:
- Fold the cover page along the dotted line, again with the images
on the outside.
- OPTIONAL: You can laminate the cover page or print it on
cardstock if you want it to be more like a real book's cover.
ASSEMBLE THE BOOK:
- Open the cover page (like a folder) and slip the pages inside so
that when you open the cover you'll see page 1 -- the unfolded edges
of the pages will go against the folded part of the
cover.
- Close the cover page and tap the book so everything lines up.
- Put three or four staples along the edge to hold the book
together.
- Trim again, if needed.
- Flip through the book once, carefully folding the pages to make
the book easier for the children to read.
PRINTING THE Templates
- Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
- Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE,
PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).
- There'll be less trimming to do if you also turn off the headers
and footers.
Mini Book Templates:
Page 1 and 2 (color)
(B&W)
Page 3 and 4 (color)
(B&W)
Page 5 and 6 (color)
(B&W)
Page 7 and 8 (color)
(B&W)
Page 9 and 10 (color)
(B&W)
Page 11 and 12 (color)
(B&W)
Page 13 and 14 (color)
(B&W)
