[MsDemeanor]

Argghh is contact getting crappier these days or what?

DD has 15 books to cover and DS has 8. God help me. I am such a perfectionist and can't stand the bubbles and lines. Any tried and true methods?

[~dam'sgirl~]

You just have to go slow and push out all the bubbles.

[MsDemeanor]

There must be a secret! I do go slow, I use a ruler, DD holds the book and I go slowly, but half the time the contact stuff is just dodgy and gets lines in it.

Please tell me there is a secret.

[Jeneral]

Yes, there is a secret... it is called a plastic book slip!

Doesn't help with bigger books..


When I was a kid Mum used to let us buy wrapping paper and brown paper to wrap our books in. Only the text books got contact.

[*BluePinkie*]

If you do get bubbles use a pin and sort of pop the air out and then flatten it.

Hope that makes sense.

Leeanne xxx

[☆kermit☆]

Ok I worked in a library and used to cover millions of books. First cut the contact just a bit bigger than the size of the laid out open book leaving about 3/4 inch all the way around. Fold contact in half then peel back one half of the contact and place spine of book along this folded line in the middle. Turn book over and get a credit card or similar card and push the airbubbles towards each side, then trim the corners and fold over. Peel off otherside of the contact and do the same. If you still have a slight bubble get a pin and prick it lets out the air. Good luck.

[RubyInNewYork]

We would use a ruler and slowly slide the plastic down pressing firmly with the ruler, to help it go down smooth and press out any bubbles.

[mmk]

Cut the contact 2cm or so bigger than the book. Peel back 1/2 of the contact & put the middle of the spine in the middle of the contact. Put the book with the side you're going to stick first facing up but holding the contact up in the air so it's not touching the book. Smooth it out along the spine, starting from the middle of the book to the top/bottom. When that's done, have the book how you would if you were reading it. Hold the contact in the air with your right hand, & slowly start from the spine & work your way up & down the book until you get to the edge pushing the contact down. You shouldn't get any bubbles. Turn over & do the same thing to the back of the book. Open the book up & diagonally cut the corners of the contact & also near the spine & along the spine. Fold the edges starting from the middle out. All done! It's not that hard if you do it bit by bit & start from the middle out & then from the middle to the other out. Maybe get someone to hold the contact in the air for you while you're pushing it down if it's too hard to do with 2 hands. Good luck!

[fillesetjumeaux]

I use the ruler method! I usually start inside one cover and fold the backing paper back as I edge along with a ruler, but the librarian method of starting at the spine sounds good. I think I will try that next time!

[cattivo lupo]

I think contact is getting crappier, I have endless trouble contacting books, and I hate this time of year when there are so many of them to do. I always used to do the fold in half work fromt he spine method, but no more, I jhust don't have the coordination. This year, I fold in half, put hte spine in the middle, then peel a little way back on one side, lay a little bit of the book cover on it and stick down (enough to not get bubbles), flip it over and use a ruler to smooth it down as I pull the backing off, all very slow. When you get to the middle, turn the book over and keep going.

Don't know if that makes sense, but basically, I do it all in one direction.

As an aside, Monday this week at 8am, DS2 knocks on the bathroom door, "Mum, can you cover my books?" NO . Honestly, he'd had them since Friday night.