For the past few years, I have really gotten into scrapbooking. This is mostly because I am one of those people who hates throwing away concert tickets and wristbands. But what do you do with all of that memorabilia? Scrapbook is a great solution. However, those things are expensive. I usually wait until they are BOGO (or 50%- same diff) at Michael’s and stock up.
While cleaning out my mother’s loft, I found a bunch of old sketches and artwork that I wanted to hold onto but didn’t know what to do with. The solution? Why not scrapbook?
Now I’m not about to go out a buy a whole new scrapbook just for me old artwork. That got me thinking. Why not make my own scrapbook with some of the extra sheet protectors I have laying around? So… here we go.
Note: This technique will also work for binding your own written books if you forgo the sheet protectors and hole punch the papers you are inserting into the book.
Supplies:
Sturdy cardboard
Scissors
Thin paper bags (like wine bags)
Hot glue gun and glue – for optional step
White glue
Sheet protectors (I used extra ones I pulled from old scrapbooks that I didn’t fill up)
Back paper (this can be pages from magazines, calendars, or actual scrapbook paper)
Some sort of string-like substance (twine, ribbon, rope, string)
Paint/paintbrushes/decorative materials
Hole punch
1. Fill the sheet protectors with your back papers. So pretty.2. Cut your cardboard so that it is larger than the sheet protector on all sides, leaving about an inch or so extra overhanging the left side. How big your cardboard is will determine who large the book is.
What to do if you don’t have thick enough cardboard:
If you don’t have cardboard that is the desired thickness, you can layer a few pieces together to add some bulk and strength to your book covers. To do this, simply take a sheet of cardboard that is the desired size, then using hot glue, adhere a second sheet of cardboard to the inside of the first.If needed, you can add more layers until it is the desired thickness. Good way to use up some of those awkward small pieces of cardboard.Once you have the desired thickness, glue a final sheet of cardboard that is the same size as the first layer to create a nice uniform cover.3. Repeat so that you have a front and back cover that are the same size.4. Fold an inch or so of the left side inward, making sure that the flat cardboard is still slightly larger than your sheet protector on all sides. Repeat on the other cover, checking that they are still the same size once folded.5. Now that the overall shape of your cover is done, smooth out the edges by following the simple technique found here. This is especially helpful if you layered your cardboard sheets.6. While those dry, cut a length of cardboard and fold it in half. This will act as the spine of your book. The strip should be the same height as your covers and about 2-3 inches wide. You can layer cardboard to thicken it, but be sure you can still fold it in half.7. If needed, smooth out the edges on this as well using this technique.8. While the spine dries, use the hole punch to make holes on the folded flap of the cover. Be sure to line up the holes with the holes in the sheet protectors. The ones I used had two holes, so I punched two holes into each of my covers. Repeat on other cover so that the holes match up.
What to do if you can’t get a good angle and end up having to punch a hole into the actual cover:
I didn’t have a good way to get the hole punch in so I wound up with corresponding holes in my cover. No worries…You can just glue some pieces of paper bag over the holes on each side to hide them. Once you paint the book, they won’t be noticeable.9. Punch holes on each side of the spine as well, being sure they line up with the holes in the covers.10. Now the fun part. Paint and decorate your book however you want. I chose to paint the outside of my covers and spine. Then I glued in white sheets of paper to the inside covers and added a little label sticker to the front.11. Now to assemble your book. Cut a generous length of whatever string substance you are using. I grabbed from leftover ribbon from something or other.12. Begin threading the string through all of the layers of the book, starting from the back. First go through the back cover, then the right side of the spine, then all of the sheet protectors, then the left side of the spine, then the front cover.13. Now begin to thread the string back through the other hole, starting with the front cover, then going back through the left side of the spine, the sheet protectors, the right side of the spine, and finally the back cover.14. Both ends of the string should now be at the back of the book. Pull them as tight as possible.15. Knot the string. You can add some glue for added support if you choose.16. Cut off any extra string.Now you can fill your book with your own wonderfulness.
