This week I want to suggest another quick and easy way for making an hardbound journal. Covering the thick chipboard with fabric adds additional appeal, the coveted and elusive “je ne sais quoi” 🙂 . Yet, it is soooooo easy to do (provided you did not cut your finger in the process).
Unfortunately, I DID cut my finger in the process, therefore my journal isn’t really as beautiful as I would like it to be (see the frayed edges in the corners)… So please ignore the imperfections and see the hidden potential in it… Considering you can see this raw potential read on for the full (video) tutorial.
Patterned cardstock & copier paper – 7 1/2″ by 4 1/2″
Chipboard: spine – 1/4″ by 4 5/8″ cover – 2 (3 7/8″ by 4 5/8″)
How To –
[Click twice on the video to get to You Tube and watch in high quality.
While you’re there, feel free to rate and comment 🙂 ]
Step By Step Instructions –
[I hope it is helpful for those of you who cannot watch the video]
Adhere the chipboard pieces to the fabric with a glue-stick.
Start at the middle with the spine. Then attach the cover pieces – one on each side of the spine. Use a brayer to insure a strong bond.
Cut all 4 corners of the fabric in an angle. Leave a 1/8″ gap between the fabric and the chipboard edges.
Adhere the fabric’s flaps with a glue stick. Tuck in the corners, for a nice fold.
Fold the patterned paper (heavy weight) and copier paper stack in half. Crease well with the bone folder.
Straighten up the copier paper stack with a sharp craft knife. To avoid falling finger tips… don’t press hard on your knife, but rather use repeated soft strokes.
Lay your signature (patterned paper + copier paper stack) on a soft mat (I’m using salvaged styrofoam) and staple together. Use your bone folder to flatten the lil’ prongs.
Cover the signature with strong double sided tape. Some added glue stick doesn’t hurt…
Carefully adhere the signature to your chipboard cover.
Voilà ! Enjoy!
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
In an effort to make you share more, I want to show you the FABULOUS notebooks the talented Robin Gibson made, following this notebook tutorial. [Click on the picture to go to her Flickr photo page]:
Back in the days… when I was a teenager, I remember trying to make shift with the supply I had had. One of the things I remember doing was to open my small stapler and staple with it on a soft, yet firm surface, to overcome not having a staple-gun or a larger and cooler office stapler.
Now it’s the time to use my childhood’s creativity and apply the same trick for making a notebook in less than 5 minutes – no matter what size your stapler is OR what size notebook you want to make. If you are interested in watching how to make it, stay tuned for the video tutorial.
I embellished my front cover with 3 strips of 1¼” by 5¼” cardstock which I ran through the Cuttlebug machine with 3 different embossing folders (Spots and dots, Swiss dots and Bubbles).
How To Video –
Measurements –
Copy paper – 5½” by 8¼” (folded in half, and straightened with a craft knife, while folded).
Cardstock – 5½” by 8¾”, scored at 4¼” on each side.
In this video I tried You-Tube’s audio swap option. I hope it isn’t too annoying… Please tell me what you think about it and leave a comment.
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
You can also comment, rate and subscribe to the videos on You-Tube. If you feel like it. Please rate them, so I know how to go about the future videos.
Share the notebook you have made with us. Leave a link at the comment section or upload your photo to the Creativity Prompt Flickr group pool.
For this week’s Creativity Prompt I have a fun little project for you – The Waterfall Mini Album. It’s a whimsical album that showcases your treasured memories in a playful way.
I have seen a couple of these mini-albums online but non had provided any instructions for assembling it. Therefore I have reversed engineered this album by trial and error with copy paper, until I managed to get it right. It ended up looking nothing like the ones I have seen online, but I love it and I can call it ‘mine’.
Now you can learn from my mistakes and have the full proof way of making your own waterfall mini-album…
Tools & Supply –
[For a closer look, click on the photo]
Click here for more details on my basic tools and supply.
[The great music is by: Josh Woodward from his album: Only Whispering.]
More peeks –
[For a closer look, click on the photos. I have erased the private letter to my husband]
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own waterfall mini albums, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Some more feedback on the videos is welcomed!!! (Don’t forget to rate & comment on YouTube. If you feel like it… 😉 )
After yesterday’s introduction to the new title on Creativity Prompt: “On The Catwalk” here comes a video tutorial on how to make the notebook, featured on yesterday’s post, using Papertrey Ink’s products.
This notebook is made without stitching and is super easy to make, yet it has this special “artisan” look that we all love. This is the notebook that everyone will ask: “Where did you get it from?”.
Some additional peeks at the notebook –
[Click on the photo for a larger size]
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
After long deliberations with myself (I admit. I have those.) I have decided to go ahead, roll up my sleeves and make a video tutorial. I have chosen to make a project similar to a former creativity prompt – a mini album I have prepared from a recycled cardboard box, for my nephews’ and niece’s photos.
I hope you will enjoy this tutorial and that the instructions are clear enough. However, bear in mind that this is my first attempt at a video tutorial, so it’s a bit rough around the edges (and then some). Therefore I would be much appreciative for any feedback – good and bad, so I can apply it to my next videos.
Covering the cardboard (which is the same as covering chipboard) with patterned paper is a step which is repeated in many creativity prompts. So it’s good to have it “on tape” for you to see the way I am going about it. I believe that even in poor quality, a video is more explanatory than a photo.
This week’s creativity prompt is brought to you in a video form… Enjoy!
[To watch in high resolution, go here and press the link below the video]
The song on my video was made and performed by my brother in law and his friend while they were still in high-school. I was amazed at their talent and I would like to know what you’re thinking as well 🙂
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
The year 2008 is coming to an end. It is time to start planing the glorious 2009 which is right at the corner. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to start the year to come with a handmade calendar, to stand beside you as a reminder of how awesome you are all year long. If you are interested – keep on reading for a step-by-step instructions and a FREE 2009 Calendar download.
Print the calendar template (either on cardstock or a regular copy-paper). Cut down the individual months’ boxes with an 1/8″ margin from the dashed frame. Use the marks on your ruler for the alignment and cut with a craft knife.
Work on each of the printed pages individually, as they are not perfectly aligned to each other.
Cut your cardstock at 3½” by 12″.
Score your cardtock strip (widthwise) at: 3½”, 4½”, 5″, 7″, 7½”, 8½”. I used the paper trimmer and a bone folder for the scoring.
Fold all the score lines and burnish with the bone folder.
Apply two strips of strong double sided tape to both ends of one of the 3½” flaps. It doesn’t matter which of them you choose to apply the tape to.
Align both 3½” flaps together and adhere them. That should form the calendar’s stand.
Group all the months’ boxes together and align them on the top flap of the calendar’s stand. Punch 2 holes right below the top edges of the dashed frame. (I was using a crop-a-dile).
Attach all the layers together with the loose-leaf rings or the ribbon and you are done!!!
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own handmade calendars, so do share 🙂
I have been using this technique for quite a while but only recently Meital, a childhood friend of my husband, suggested that I should make a tutorial on this technique, so here you go:
Go through your stash [if you’re like me and you’ve got a stash…] and choose a napkin with an interesting illustration. I chose a napkin with some flower illustrations. Each napkin usually has 4 prints.
Next, you need to paint your canvas. Pick a color that goes well with the illustration on your napkin. Using a foam brush, apply an even coat of the acrylic paint to the canvas. [When working with napkins and other light-weight papers it is better to use a very light color, otherwise the illustration will get “absorbed” and lost in the background.]
While the canvas is getting dried, cut the illustration from the napkin and separate its layers so you end up with the very top layer. You can discard the rest of the layers [it’s recyclable!]
After the canvas is completely dry arrange your cut-outs on it in a way that pleases your eye. [After applying the glue or the gel medium figuring out the placement of your cut-outs will get trickier.]
Then, when you are pleased with the composition, apply the Mod-Podge glue generously with the foam brush both below and above the cut-out, as the glue works as a sealer as well as an adhesive.
Repeat the gluing and sealing process with all your cut-outs and make sure you apply an even coat of glue and going with the brush at the same direction all over. When you are finished and the glue has completely dried you can embellish your canvas with alpha stickers and glitter glue or anything else you can think of.
The process is basically the same, only you can use any color for the background. Therefore I am not going to be as verbose…
Paint your canvas.
Choose your scraps and cut to size. On a 10″ by 10″ canvas I used 25 pieces of patterned paper, cut at: 1 7/8″ by 1 7/8″.
Figure out the placement of all your paper cut-outs.
Apply glue or gel medium below and on top of each piece of paper.
Finish off your canvas with your favorite embellishments and enjoy your art!
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your artistic creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
For this weeks creativity prompt I have got a cute project with a unique “measurement method“. If you want to learn how to create this whimsical & colorful mini-book – read on:
To determine the size of the pages – measure the width of your stapler’s “arm”. [I did promise a unique measurement technique…]
Next, determine the desired height of your mini-book [everything goes] and cut an even number of patterned papers at your desired height and double the width of your stapler’s “arm”.
My stapler’s “arm” width was 2¼” and I wanted the height of the mini-book to be 5″, so I cut my patterned papers at 5″ by 4½”
Adhere every two pieces of patterned paper together – back to back – to create your inserts. [or use double sided cardstock…]
Score each insert at the midpoint, lengthwise. [It should measure the same as your stapler’s “arm”. Mine is 2¼”.]
Stack all your inserts together and staple them twice in the middle crease to create your signature. This is when all your measurements are going to make sense…
Next cut your chipboard scraps ¼” taller and wider then each page of your signature. [mine are: 5¼” by 2½”.]
Now you need to cover your chipboard pieces:
First cut 2 pieces of patterned paper (or fabric) which are at least 1″ taller and wider than your chipboard pieces. Then, using a glue stick, adhere the chipboard pieces in the middle of the patterned paper pieces.
Next, cut all the corners of your patterned paper and create a triangle whose base is about an 1/8″ away from the chipboard’s corners.
First adhere two flaps which are opposite to each other.
Next, tuck the corners of the remaining flaps with the tip of your bone folder. This is going to give your cover a more professional look.
Adhere the remaining flaps to the chipboard, and your covers are ready.
Adhere a scrap of fabric [the same height as your book – mine is 2″ by 5″] to the inner side of your covers with a strong double sided tape. This is going to become the spine of your mini-book. This step is optional.
Adhere the ribbon to the spine – the thinner the ribbon is, the better. This step is also optional and is going to provide your mini book a built-in bookmark.
Finally, attach the signatures to the cover with a strong double-sided tape and enjoy your colorful mini-book.
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own mini-book creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
This card set holder is the perfect handmade token of appreciation to anyone you would like to give thanks to. It takes minutes to assemble and you can use inexpensive envelopes which are available at any convenient store and a couple sheets of cardstock (each sheet yields 4 cards, measured 3″ by 6″) and the holder accommodates 5 cards & 5 envelopes. The holder itself is made out of one sheet of cardstock.
So without further ado lets jump right into this week’s tutorial:
Download the card set holder template. Note that the template isn’t scaled but only designed to give you an idea of the measurements of all the folding and cutting that needs to be done. So don’t print out the template.
Trim one sheet of cardstock to a 9″ by 12″ piece.
Along the 12″ side, score your cardstock at 1/2″, 1″ on each side.
Flip your cardstock to the 9″ side and score at: 4″, 4 1/2″, 8 1/2″, 9″.
Trim along the one inch score line on each side and keep only the 3″ flap at the very end.
fold all the scoring lines and burnish with a bone folder.
Apply double sided tape to the two outer flaps.
Adhere the outer flap to the inner part of the first 4″ section of your cardstock. Repeat on both sides. That would form the pocket of your card set holder.
Use a circle punch to punch out half a circle from the middle of the pocket. That would give your card set holder a finished look.
[You could, and perhaps should, punch out the circle before adhering the pocket. It would be much easier to punch your cardstock while it’s still flat…]
Insert the envelopes and cards inside the pocket and your pretty gift is ready to be given.
For an added interest and a finished look you can embellish your cards and envelopes to match by using the same design on both.
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Next time you receive a package, don’t throw the box and the padding material away. Instead, turn them into a gorgeous hardbound journal, you can carry in your pocket.
This tutorial is a recycled version of the extremely popular Hardbound Journal tutorial. You can find another variation here.
Supply –
Two 2¾†by 3¾ “ cardboard pieces, cut from the box.
50 pieces of newsprint paper (used for padding packages) measured 5†by 3½ “.
4 scraps of patterned paper. Two measured 3¼†by 4¼†and two measured 2 5/8†by 3 5/8â€.
Flatten the box and cut 2 pieces, measured 2¾†by 3¾ “.
Adhere the cardboard pieces to the larger scraps of patterned paper (3¼†by 4¼â€) with the glue stick. Position the cardboard pieces in the middle of each paper scrap (you can also use fabric scraps which are slightly larger). Cut the corners of the patterned paper flaps and allow an 1/8†gap between the edge of the cardboard to the base of the cut. Fold each flap and adhere it to the cardboard, using a bone folder.
Cut the newsprint paper to size (5†by 3½“) and fold each piece in half (creating 2½†by 3½†pages) – use a bone folder to insure a crisp fold. Stack every 5 pieces into one signature (altogether 10 signatures of 5 pages each).
Measure the height of the stack of signatures to determine the width of the spine.
Position the two covers apart from each other allowing the gap between them to equal the signatures’ height, as you have measured before. Using a double sided tape, adhere a strip of ribbon to both sides of the covers.
Mark the width of the ribbon on the signatures to figure out where to pierce them afterward.
Repeat with a second strip of ribbon. The second strip will reinforce the journal and increase its stability.
Secure the embroidery floss to the cover with a piece of tape and start sewing the signatures to the ribbon. Start from the outside of the ribbon, into the signatures and through the ribbon.
Take a peek at the finished spine –
Cover the inside of the journal with the 2 5/8†by 3 5/8†pieces of patterned paper to conceal the embroidery floss and give the journal a finished look. This is the time to trim the ribbon’s ends and cover them, if you don’t wish the ribbon’s ends to show.
Here is how the journal looks without the ribbon’s ends –
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Next time you receive a package, don’t throw the box and the padding material away. Instead, turn them into a gorgeous hardbound journal, you can carry in your pocket.
