Notebook / Sketchbook / Photo Album

Multi purpose hand made books

Posted by Jacqueline C.

About

These can be made from lots of old materials you may have lying around. I've made some with double-sided wrapping paper and others with old paper bags, you can also use fabric. Pages can be made out of thin card for photo albums or paper for sketch/notebooks. I like to give them as presents.

1st 'how to' so I hope instructions are clear enough.

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You Will Need (8 things)

  • Thick Card
  • Any type of Paper
  • Masking Tape
  • Craft White Glue
  • Ribbon
  • Thin Card or paper for pages
  • Hole Punch
  • Ruler

Steps (8 steps, 180 minutes)

  1. 1

    Cut thick card (as small or large as you want your book to be) as shown and hole punch the hinges. Lay out as shown and then glue onto your covering paper/fabric. Only glue around the edges of your card to avoid air bubbles/bumps. Make sure the spine is wide enough for the amount of pages you want your book to have.

    Poke through the holes in the hinges with something pointed so you don't lose track of where they are.

  2. 2

    Stick 3 strips of masking tape between the hinges and the spine - press down firmly into the grooves to make them neat.

  3. 3

    Trim off corners at a diagonal angle.

  4. 4

    Fold and press down covering paper and then glue down all the way round, again making sure that you press down into the hinge/spine grooves. You may find the corners need a bit more trimming to make them neat. Again only glue the very edges of the paper to avoid bumps or air bubbles. Poke through your holes again if you've covered them up!

  5. 5

    Measure and cut inside covering paper to shape and stick down as shown. Again, making sure you only apply glue around the edges of the paper to avoid bubbles/bumps.

  6. 6

    Line up your hole punched pages and then close the book, making sure holes stay lined up.

  7. 7

    Thread ribbon/string etc through holes and tie how you like!

    With this one I ended up making two bows. The bigger the book the more holes you need to support the weight of the pages.

  8. 8

    Finished!