This year's National Library Week is April 8-14, so that means it's time to head out to your local library and pick up not only some of your family's favorite stories, but a craft book or two! You can make all your budding readers a simple book strap – once a staple for young students more than 100 years ago – to carry that favorite titles back home.
Materials
- Cotton belting material, 1/4 yard
- Rickrack, 1/4 yard
- 2 D-rings
- Thread (match to rickrack color)
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Fray Check
Instructions
| 1. At the fabric store, have your cotton belting cut to size. At home, cut your rickrack down to 1/4 yard. Place the rickrack on top of the belting material and sew down the center of the rickrack. Hold the two pieces taut as you move along. |  |
| 2. At one end of your strap, take the two D-rings and pull the strap through, folding down about 1". Sew a straight line to secure. |  |
| 3. On the other end, fold down the end 1" and sew another straight line. Add a drop of Fray Check to each raw end and spread across. This will help prevent the belting from fraying over time. |  |
| 4. You're done – wasn't that fast?! You can make several of these in a matter of minutes. |  |
| 5. What is your family's favorite craft or art book? Make sure to tell us so we can share it here! |  |
