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’d use it to jot down my thoughts. I need a journal so badly as lately I realize that I keep forgetting stuff so easily. Time is creeping up on old me 😦
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I would use the journal either to brainstorm blogging posts and goals, or to sketch out photo shoot ideas. Thanks for having the giveaway! I love the patterns with the triangles and the grid paper inside. 🙂
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Beautiful!! I would keep track of all the quilts and crafty projects that you inspire me to make!!!
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As soon as I saw the gridded paper I knew this would be a perfect book to practice my Zentangle art.
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I would use it to practice my hand lettering that I’ve been into lately. Thanks!
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Bullet journal- my latest thing!
Thx.
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Would love to us it for my work to do list. Great giveaway!
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I’m an avid collector of ephemera – stamps, ticket stubs, cuttings from paper that take my fancy, restaurant cards = anything really. It can be quite addictive 🙂 I tend to just put them in a box, but it would be great to creat a journal with them all in it and your notebook would be a great place to start!
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Places to visit, books to read, recipes to try. I’d fill it with LISTS!
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That looks like SUCH a fun project. I would probably use it to journal about starting “real life”- finishing university, moving back to Canada, finding a job etc
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I carry a journal with me always to jot down all sorts of things that I use in posts or for short stories or just things I want to remember. That’s what I’d do with this. 🙂
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Love letters
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Lists on lists of happy things. Lists of ideas. Doodles. Midnight inspiration. Perfect and imperfect quotes. … I love notebooks way too much! This one is super cute! 🙂
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What a fun kick off to your Make&Give30! I’d use it for sketches & quotes & notes & press flowers/plants & photos & ….
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What a great make & give!!
Thanks for sharing and inspiring.
I would write favorite quotes in this book.
Thanks for the chance to win.
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This is lovely! Great pattern.
Would totally fill this bad boy up with lists. And lists and lists and lists… I only have two pages left in my current list book and am already dreaming about the plans I’ll make (or at least hope to make!) in the next one.
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LISTSSSS all day.
every day.
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I would fill it with randomness. Books I want to read, projects I want to start, to do lists, shopping lists, and maybe the best yet, doodles-mine, or my daughters’.
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Such a pretty notebook! I would use it to take notes on two e-courses I’m (slowly) working on, home ec and blog life! And a sincere thank you for having this giveaway open to anyone, anywhere!
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Daily To-Do Lists, and a bit of journaling before bed.
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I would keep an ongoing to do list!
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I’d journal for my babies and give it to them when they were 18 🙂
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This looks awesome, love the stamp you used!! Thanks so much for the giveaway. I love journals of all kinds and use them for everything, that grid paper makes me happy too.
Would use it as my daily sketch/diary journal for spring when it finally gets here.
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As part of my #yearofcreativehabits, I’m trying to write everyday. I’ve done it so far!! This cute journal would help me continue when my current journal fills up (which will be soon :)).
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I would write down all of our ideas for decorating our new home.
Thanks for the opportunity!
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I would write down notes from points meeting!
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I love this! What a great giveaway! I’ve been looking for a pretty book like this to use. I’d write down ideas for my small business, plans and dreams for the future, and hash out plans for projects. This book would be so inspiring, especially since it is handmade. Thanks for the chance to win!
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I would use this notebook to track my music lessons.
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I’ve never ever seen book binding before. how have I missed such a cool trick? Love it! I would use it to keep track of people we have over for dinner- a guest book of sorts 🙂
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Oh I love it!! And thanks so much for sharing the steps.
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I am a teacher! I’d write down by never ending to do lists and take notes at conferences and meetings.
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I’d draw force diagrams and do math calculations. Yes I’m a big nerd. I’m, I would write shopping lists too.
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I can’t say that I would write in it – I am an office supply “hoarder”. Recently started using sticky notes that I bought in college (graduated 19 years ago) I just got 2 journals as gifts and haven’t figured out what to write in them yet. 🙂
Thanks for your podcasts….
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This is great! I would use it to track all of the hilarious things my kiddos do and say!
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Lists of all kinds. Grocery lidt, packing list, to-do lists. I’m a list-aholic.
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So fun! I am always writing down lists – things that come to mind, books to read, interesting topics to research, bucket lists, you name it! So I am always needing more journals! I need to try making one of these!
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To do lists, grocery lists, lists, lists, lists
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Such a great tutorial! Ive been wanting to play around with bookbinding for a while, now just to find supplies in Korea… I would use it as my idea notebook. Mine is getting really full, Ill need a new one soon!
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“Ann, don’t listen to your head or your heart. Just look at my eyes and say yes.”
So sad it’s ended (although i haven’t watched the finale tonight). Thanks for being such a creative inspiration for me! You have no idea!! Hope I win the journal!! Just look at my eyes and say yes 🙂
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Daily journaling, lists, quotes etc. for Project Life.
Thanks!
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I would use it to sketch out ideas on new creative projects. By the way, the tutorial is great! I’ve never considered book binding a DIY. Thank you!!
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Endless to-do lists! They’re my fave 🙂
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What to do with a notebook:
I’d write down my projects, plans and plots
Maybe do a 30 days of lists in it.
or write out my daily to do lists.
Yeah lists, definitely lists.
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I love this tutorial! So glad you shared it– I hope to give it a try soon! I would totally use this as a daily journal 🙂
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So cool! I’d use it for idea journaling – my friend is opening a store and has asked me to take over her blog/editorial content (secretly I’m waiting for your work book to come out for this!)
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Love it!!!
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I am a full time preschool teacher with a class of 34 children. They say some hilarious things. I’d love to write those things down in this journal so I can share with them at preschool graduation 🙂
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I would record the funny things my boys say at dinner and bedtime prayers. Tonight my almost two year old scrunched up eyes & folded his hands & said “thank you coffee”
Amen buddy! 🙂
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With that lovely grid paper, I’d use this book for bullet journaling.
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Hi Elise,
This is awesome!
I love to make my own journals, but I usually use thread or yarn to bind them. I have to admit, the glue part would make me nervous too.
I’m commenting to say it’s awesome,
NOT to be entered to win the journal.
I have so many journals already:
one for games,
two five year journals,
books filled with art, handlettering, ideas, and sketches.
There are so many awesome people who commented above me who would be great recipients of the journal!
Can’t wait to see what’s next for MakeAndGive30!
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