Draw a book cover

What can we use instead of a ruler, black marker, or coloring materials if we don't have them?

If you don't have a ruler, use the straight edge of a hardcover book or piece of cardboard to draw the large front-cover rectangle and spine, swap a fine-tip ballpoint pen for the black marker when you trace the title and illustration, and use crayons, colored pencils, or watered-down paints as alternative coloring materials.

What should we do if the ink smudges or pencil guidelines don't erase cleanly after tracing the title and illustration?

Allow the black marker or pen to dry completely before gently erasing pencil guidelines with a soft eraser, and if letters look uneven after tracing, lightly redraw them in pencil along the title guideline and re-trace slowly to fix jagged lines.

How can this activity be adapted for younger or older children?

For younger children, simplify by pre-drawing the large cover rectangle and spine and letting them choose colors, stickers, or simple shapes for the main illustration, while older kids can add detailed background shapes, experiment with lettering styles for the title and spine, and include a small author blurb before sharing on DIY.org.

How can we extend or personalize the finished book cover beyond the basic instructions?

Create a matching back cover with a one-sentence blurb using your scrap-paper story idea, add mixed-media textures like glued paper or fabric around the illustration, write the title neatly on the spine with a small publisher name, and photograph the finished cover to share on DIY.org.