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Happy 1st of September!

ByRasa Pelham
Two young girls sitting at a table with school supplies, one focused on a drawing while the other looks at the camera, overlaid with text 'Back to school organisation tips'.

1st of September has always been an official 1st day at school in Lithuania with celebration and parades. Don’t you think that celebration is a great way to start the school? To me this was something I looked forward to, although I was never a good student (except arts and biology). 

A colorful watercolor pattern featuring a grid of various sizes of triangles in shades of red, green, and pink.

Another thing I was looking forward to at school was catching up with my friends, shopping for new stationary, organising the books and getting ready to start. So I could say organisation has been my stronger point. I used to enjoy (still enjoying) putting things in order so it looks prettier and it’s easy to find stuff when you need them. I guess I should be able to give you some tips in this area of my expertise. But one thing I should point out that this won’t make you a better student and spending too much time on it will lose your focus on something else more important. I of course have learned that good balance is the key to almost everything!

A group of six children, smiling and posing together in a classroom setting, celebrating the first day of school.
A simple pattern with yellow dots scattered on a white background, suitable for decorative purposes.

So today I just wanted to share a little project on how to protect your books with pretty covers. Luckily my friend Vickie had a moment to show me how she does it, because she is basically a pro at wrapping books in paper. Keep on reading for the full instructions while she does this at the cute little café we found the other day…

For this project you will need some nice wrapping paper (free printable wrapping paper patterns I included here are great too), self adhesive book covering film (can be found at Ryman’s, WHSmith’s or Staples), scissors, pencil, ruler, sticky tape and…. cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer 😉

A workspace laid out with a cup of coffee, scissors, a ruler, a pen, decorative wrapping paper, a self-adhesive book covering film, and other stationery items ready for a DIY book cover project.

Measure out the wrapping paper against the book to see how much you will need.

A pair of hands measuring and preparing to wrap a book with brown wrapping paper on a table.
A hand holding scissors over a green book on wrapping paper, preparing to cut the paper for book covering.

Give at least 5cm extra paper around an open book!

A close-up view of a book page displaying various textured patterns and accompanying instructions, with a person's hand visible in the frame.

Once you have cut the right size paper for wrapping, measure the same amount of self adhesive book covering film as well. Peal off the backing from the film and carefully apply wrapping paper on top. Make sure there are no bubbles or other imperfections (reposition if needed) before continuing with the next step.

Two hands placed on a sheet of wrapping paper on a table, preparing for a book-wrapping project.

Measure the book spine on the paper and cut the strip to fit the book width.

A person cutting wrapping paper to cover a book's spine, with the book open and visible on a table.

Do this on both sides of the paper!

A hand is measuring the size of a book against a sheet of brown wrapping paper, preparing to wrap the book for protection.

Fold in the bottom paper flaps to measure…

Two hands preparing to wrap a book with paper on a table.

… As you may need to widen the gap by cutting of the corners

A person's hand holding a book open, while another hand is holding scissors, preparing to cut wrapping paper for book covering.

Fold in the side flap. Tip: give loads of space, close the book to check if the paper is not restraining it. It would be advisable if you fold in the side flap on the other side of the book at the same time.

A person applying wrapping paper to a book on a table, showing the hands and some of the book's pages.

Fold in the corners at the bottom flap.

A person's hands applying adhesive film to the edge of a book cover, preparing it for wrapping.
A person wrapping the corners of a book with brown wrapping paper, demonstrating a book cover project.

Once the corners are folded in, you get a lovely triangle that you fold in again to create a tidy finish.

Hands folding the corner of wrapping paper over a book cover at a café.

Once the corners are folded in, you get a lovely triangle that you fold in again to create a tidy finish.

A person using tape to secure the wrapping paper on a book cover.

Do the same with the other sides of the book until you achieve a perfect book cover.

A person demonstrating the process of wrapping a book, with hands holding the wrapping paper and scissors on a table.

And voilà… the book cover is done. Fresh, tidy, and very Vickie-approved.

A stack of three wrapped books with colorful paper designs, placed on a flat surface. The top book features a pattern of circles, while the middle book has a solid brown cover, and the bottom book has a floral design.

Good luck and have fun at school (or work)
Rasa x

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