How to Decorate the Fore Edge of a Book (A Simple Family Tradition to Try)

There’s something special about making a journal yours. There's writing in it, of course. There's gluing stuff on the pages, drawing pictures, and coloring the art.

And then there's really marking it so you can see your own special touch at just a glance at the bookshelf.

That's the edge of your book.

Before you start, if tiny traditions like this make you smile, I send one simple connection idea each week inside The Family Treehouse — plus a free printable to help you get started. 👉 Get free family connection printables here.

Now let’s talk about that edge of your book!

What Is the Fore Edge?

The fore edge is the outer edge of a book, the side opposite the spine. It’s the part your fingers brush when you turn the pages.

People have decorated it for centuries!

Fore-edge painting dates back as far as the tenth century. One famous story involves King Charles II of England.

Legend says he lent books to a duchess who never returned them. So he commissioned his court bookbinder Samuel Mearne and painter Sir Peter Lely to create a secret identification system.

Later, when he visited the duchess, he pulled one of “her” books from the shelf. With a sly grin, he fanned the pages.

And presto!

Just inside the gilded fore edge was his royal coat of arms!

How We Use Fore Edges in Our Family

What does my family do?

We keep our fore edges pretty simple and often just grab a permanent marker and start writing something like this:

The Crazy, Cool Clemons 2026 Journal!

Here are a few we’ve loved:

• I wrote my baby’s name and year of birth across Awaiting You Pregnancy Journal.
• My 5 year-old and I colored a rainbow across our My First Mom and Son Journal.
• I jotted an affirmation on my copy of Take Time: A Mother’s Journal.
• "Yellowstone!" flanks the boys' first Here I Go! Travel Journals.
• And my favorite of all . . . my 8 year-old son and I wrote a secret Morse Code message on our Between Mom and Me Journal:

.. ._.. ___ …_ . .._

It says I LOVE U.

Every time I see it, I smile.

If you’re already writing in a journal with your child, this takes two extra minutes and makes it feel even more personal.

Why This Tiny Tradition Matters

Most of us buy parent-child journals with good intentions.

We’ll fill every page, make it beautiful, and "do it all right."

But not always. I get it—life is busy! So even if you only fill a handful of pages . . . Even if you start and stop . . . That fore edge is still the coolest way to mark the season with your child.

It says: This time we shared mattered.

That's enough.

Try This the Next Time You Start a Journal

1. Write the year on the fore edge.
2. Include your names.
3. Let your child add a doodle.
4. Add a tiny secret message only your family understands.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.

Here’s the Morse Code alphabet if you’d like to create your own private note.

Source: Rhey T. Snodgrass and Victor F. Camp, 1922, image from Wikipedia

Hey, if ideas like this make you feel excited to sit down with your child, even for five minutes, I’d love to send you more ideas. Inside The Family Treehouse, I share one simple connection idea each week, plus a free printable to help you begin. 👉 Get free family connection printables here.

Because connecting with your kids doesn’t have to be complicated.

Love,
Katie