Annnnnnnnd, we're off!
30 projects in 365 days? That sounds manageable. (I've got four queued and ready to roll.)
I mentioned that phase one of this project is all about using up existing supplies. This is part of my idea that sometimes creativity comes when you GET IN A BOX. Setting parameters and working with what you have can make you even more inspired. The example I like to use is the Project Runway one: the challenges when the designers had to "make it work" with car parts always had much more interesting results than when they could use any fabric at Mood.
I have had a case bound grid journal from Paper Source in my cupboard for years and knew it would have to be Project 1.
Hilariously, I have already attempted to do a tutorial of this process (and I've already given a handbound book away!) but every five years you get to recycle blog content so we're good. Plus, I've gotten moderately better at taking photos of myself doing projects in five years. Though if I do anything right in the next five years it will be hiring an assistant to help me take photos.
I didn't have any great patterned paper on hand for the cover of the book so I decided to really go for it and stamp my own with a hand-carved stamp I made a few years ago. I already had white bookcloth and kraft paper on hand so it was a no-brainer to use white paint.
I love the look that results from a hand-carved stamp. The imperfections really make it. (I you want to carve your own, this is a great kit, I love this brayer and I have had great results with this printing ink – though any craft paint works.)
The hardest part of this project is (sadly) sourcing the book kits. You need a text block and precut book board which isn't easy to find. Paper Source has these square ones in limited quantities. Blick has these smaller ones at a great price if you want to make a bunch (teacher gifts anyone?). I am sure there are more, but these are the only brands I have tried. Other than that, you'll want:
- PVA glue
- a glue brush
- pencil
- ruler
- book cloth
- bone folder
- scissors
STEP 1 : cut your book cloth down so it's a few inches taller than your book and about 4-5 inches wide. Fold it in half the long (hot-dog) way. You now know where the center of your spine will be. Place your ruler on the fold and measure out about the width of your text block on each side.
For this book, my text block is 10/16 inches thick. I went 9/16 out on either side of the 6 (see those marks on the ruler?) We measure out this far to be sure our book will open and close properly. Mark these spots with a pencil in two places of the book cloth.
STEP 2 : apply glue to the bookcloth starting at the pencil marks and pulling out all the way to the edge of the bookcloth. Line your bookboard up with the marks and push down to adhere.
STEP 3 : do the same on the other side, being careful to line the top of the two bookboard pieces up.
STEP 4 : apply glue to the top of the bookcloth and pull it tightly over the bookboard.
STEP 5 : use your bone folder to smooth out any wrinkles of the booktape on the back and front sizes. (At this point you can add a bit more bookcloth to the back center – see final photo in step 12 below – but it's not necessary.)
STEP 6 : congrats! You have just combined two pieces of bookboard (your covers!) with a spine!
STEP 7 : we are now going to cover the book with paper. The amount of paper you'll need will vary based on the size of your book. You will want 2 pieces (one for the front and one for the back) and you should shoot for a few inches taller and wider than what your final book will be. Apply glue to the backside of the paper, taking care to pull the brush off the edge (on to scrap paper). We need that whole edge covered with glue.
STEP 8 : turn the paper over and line up the glued edge against the spine so it covers the bookcloth edge but leaves about an inch of cloth showing. Use your bone folder to smooth things out.
STEP 9 : turn the book back over and use scissors, to cut wide U shapes out of the two corners, making sure to leave about 1/8 inch of space between the paper and the bookboard corner.
STEP 10 : apply glue and fold down the top and bottom sides of the paper.
STEP 11 : use your bone folder to tuck in the extra little bit corner – this will give the book a polished look.
STEP 12 : apply glue and fold over that final side. Pull tight and smooth out with the bone folder.
Repeat steps 7-12 for the other side. Congrats! Your cover is complete!
The final step is to drop in the text block. The text block is a "pre-glued set of pages" and it slips right into your covers. Stick yours in and be sure that it fits. To hold it in place, we need to cover the whole front and back pages with PVA glue. This part always makes me nervous.
What I like to do is get it lined up in the cover exactly how I like it. Then I carefully set it on the table and open the front cover. Slip a piece of scratch paper under the front piece of the text block and apply glue to the whole thing, pulling the brush over the edge of the page and on to the scrap paper. Without moving the text block, close the book and firmly press down the cover. Remove the scrap paper.
Then flip the book over and do the same to secure the last page of the text block to the back cover.
Tuck fresh scratch paper (without glue on it) behind the covers to protect the pages and stick it under a heavy book for a few hours. The extra scratch paper will absorb any extra moisture. This glue is no joke and your book will hold beautifully.
Hooray! A REAL BOOK. I've learned a lot of DIY tricks over the past decade but book binding is top ten for sure. When I make stuff, I am trying to make stuff that I would actually want to buy. This is one of those projects for sure and a perfect kick off to MAKE&GIVE30.
And now! The giveaway. Since this is a journal… leave a comment telling me something that you'd write down in it. Grocery lists? Dreams? Things your kids say? Funny Leslie Knope quotes? I'll draw a random winner by the end the week. Giveaway open to anyone, anywhere.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Random.org chose #278 as the winning comment which is Sara (Kanapi). Sara, please email me at elise.blahaATgmail.com and I'll send out your book. Thank you!
enJOY it 
432 responses to “PROJECT 1/30 : a handbound journal”
I’m expecting baby #3 and I’d love a place to write down all the experiences and emotions throughout this pregnancy in case it’s my last one.
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I love this, Elise! Can’t wait to see all of the rest of the products! I’ve been trying to write more things down on paper and really want to be documenting the things going on in my life with graduating from college, moving, starting my first job, getting engaged, etc. So I would use it as a journal to hold special memories and fun quotes that I hear kind of like a creative outlet. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
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What a beautiful book!! I would write down craft/project ideas! I never write down the cool ideas I get throughout the day and then end up forgetting them.
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So cute! I’m always in need of a great little notebook. I’d use it to capture my gardening project that I’m starting this spring.
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I am going to start a list of books I read with my boys (3.5 yrs and 10 months!). This would be perfect to record it in!
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Oh! Business dreams and goals. I love journaling ideas 🙂
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I love this new project! I would use this as a planner. That is, until the Get To Work Book comes out 🙂
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I would keep track of my 101 and counting projects.
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I would use this journal to document my 23rd year. Im doing a 23@23 list and this journal would be the perfect place to jot down ideas and thoughts and to stick stuff in. So excited for this birthday project ofb yours, Elise.
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Thanks for the giveaway Elise! I would write down my ever growing to do list before I have my first baby in April!
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to-do lists for sure:)
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A place to write things down that make me happy😀
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Awesome, as usual! I would use it as a multi-purpose journal/schedule keeper/to do list book. I’ve been missing writing and have been thinking I should get a book to keep daily to dos and writings in one place to make it easier to get done. I also want to start learning some brush lettering so this would be a perfect place to practice! Really liking the idea of a chronological multi-purpose book.
Keep up the amazing work and inspiration, Elise!
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Definitely garden journals / layouts! Love the grid.
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Wow that looks awesome! I think I would use it for some list making but I also just love collecting gorgeous journals.
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new gratitude list journal! i use little moleskines and field notes but this would be a STATEMENT. those tend to get misplaced and then the lists are out of order or i forget the process entirely… this would be solidly telling the universe i mean it. no flimsy soft covered thank yous. hard covered realness. anyway, it’s dope you did good.
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I love love love this journal, Elise! If I were to win this beauty, I would definitely practice modern calligraphy in it! I think I’m officially addicted to the art form!
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I love it!
I would write down all the ideas floating around in my head 🙂
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Oh man I have been really into sketching lately, and the grid on these pages would be totally perfect for a daily sketching project I’ve been thinking about doing. I haven’t tried book binding yet, but it seems like a fun project.
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GAH! beautiful – love the grid paper! I’d definitely use it to plan our DIY’s. My hubby is very handy if I draw what I envision he can (and most importantly WILL) build it! Then I can paint or stain to my hearts content! I can already see this full of my drawings and his planning notes for how much wood we need! Thank for the chance!
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I love handbound books! We used to do this back in elementary school in my country. I still have that book, full of memories and notes from my friends! Ah, childhood 🙂
I love writing, it is the best way I express myself. If I were to have this book, I would start my thoughts, my dreams, my nightmares, funny things that my kids do and say, things that made my day, shortly I would put my heart in that book. And hopefully 40-50 years from now, I would open it and read it with tears in my eyes 🙂
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Beautiful! I’d use it to write down ideas. I would probably keep it with me on my purse and nightstand to be able to write things on it as soon as they come up to my mind 🙂
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love the way the pattern came out! I’d use it to write down the hilarious things my 3 year old daughter is saying. Things like “Hey the moon followed us here!” 🙂
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I love a good journal. I’d probably use it for character sketches for my novels.
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This is fantastic. I would write down my ideas and outline notes for the novel I’m writing… So excited to see the rest of your projects this year! 🙂
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I would use it each evening to reflect on three good things from my day, as a way to practice gratitude and focus on all of the positive in my life.
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My husband and I married 10 days ago. I would definitely love this book to record our newlywed adventures (from the exciting to the everyday!). Pick me!
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I would use this beautiful book to design quilts…yay for graph paper. I have been using an old sketch book – no grid lines so things are messy but I know what I said LOL. This journal would be a great help!!!
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Graph paper = a great quilt designing book!
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I want to build a family heritage, and preservation of traditions is important. This book would be a place to record my family’s recipes to be passed down among the generations.
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My husband and I will be trying to get pregnant soon. Once it happens I would make it my preggo journal. I have a feeling there will be much to remember.
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I’d love to say that I would use it for one specific thing but I know I am. It will wind up being a bit random in nature and it will hold my ideas, doodles, goals, journaling and everything else. Thx for the chance to win!
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Lists galore! Love it
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I’m an art teacher. I’d write down the memories from my daily work and the funny things that kids say.
Love your blog.
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I love your creativity and I love listening to your podcasts. I began a meditation journal where I document my feelings, thoughts and breakthroughs during meditation. Sometimes I just draw a picture sometimes I write down how I couldn’t seem to clear my mind that day. It’s fun to see my practice progress as I barely began doing this at the beginning of this year. Its a practice I plan to continue. But about your journal… its beautiful. Good Job!!
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We just had our first baby two weeks ago so I’d use it to record things about her during this first year.
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i would write down random thoughts and lists! thank you!
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I would start documenting my second child’s milestones. I haven’t really done anything like that for him. I wrote to my daughter while she was in utero but was too busy this time dealing with her to write to him…
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Thoughts, creative projects, places for us to visit; all these ideas would be for me and my grandchildren who live 11 hours away!
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I would make this beautiful book my Gratitude Journal (modeled after Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project). There are many things happening in my life right now that have me feeling down, and I feel this would help put my life back into perspective.
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What a great book! Really beautiful!
Thanks for the chance to win one!
I would put my thoughts of having my first child off to college in the fall and what her little sister and I miss most about her being gone, what she missed that we don’t want to forget to tell her, and what we hope to do when she returns for a visit!
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Thank you for this lovely giveaway! I would keep it around to jot down ideas – I find that when you have a place to keep them they tend to multiply and it is such a good feeling. I think that would be a use that would do it justice.
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Oooh, the grid paper makes me think of field notes. It would use it to document things I see in my everyday life, like plants and wildlife and interesting people. And some sketches too! Great work! 🙂
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I’d make it into my catch-all journal. I’d record things my young son did it said, jot IKEA shopping lists, sketch layout options for placing furniture in our new house, write quotes I came upon or book/website suggestions… Thanks so much for the tutorial and the kind giveaway!
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I’d glue polaroid photos of our doxie (Eggnog) inside and draw speech bubbles above his head and write what we think he’s thinking. I have been wanting to do this in my project life scrapbook but I’m SO behind.
Then I’d admit this is weird behavior and use it to write recipes in! I don’t have an iPad and I always feel guilty printing recipes, especially when they’re short. 🙂
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Love that you’re sharing your crafting techniques, Elise!
I would love a journal to use as just that – a journal. I have so many little notebooks, all for a different specific purpose, but I’d love to just write for the sake of writing again.
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A) I love grid paper journals. Barnes and Noble sells a 3 pack of kraft covered journals and one has grid paper. I’ve probably bought 3 sets over the past few years.
B) I am making a conscious effort to pray each evening, so I’m writing my prayers. It keeps me focused and I can look back and see how God is faithful in answering.
I would love to write in this journal.
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I’d use it to write down witty insults instead of saying them to people.
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It’s so cute! I would most likely use it to write down blog post ideas or just random thoughts throughout the day. Definitely a project I want to try!
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The journal is beautiful!
I’d write down all my lists in it. We will be moving in December, so there is a lot to write 😉
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