Gather Together:
chipboard (cereal cardboard would work as well)
corner rounder (optional)
hole punch
found papers, index cards, recipe cards
fabric remnants
fabric scissors
paper cutter (or scissors + a ruler)
pen or pencil for tracing onto fabric
spray adhesive
binder rings (I used 1 inch size)
brayer or bone folder for smoothing out wrinkles (the edge of a ruler would work as well)
Determine what size you would like your notebook to be. If using index or recipe cards these will be your guide.
Cut 2 pieces of chipboard to desired size. These will be your front + back covers. Round corners if desired. Round corners of index cards or your stack of collected found papers if desired.
Determine where you want to punch your holes for your binder rings. Short side? Long side? Two holes? One corner hole? Punch holes in your covers. Now line up your interior papers using your covers as a guide and punch holes in these as well.
Using your cardboard covers as a template, place on the wrong side of your fabric and trace around it. Trace twice for both the front cover and the back cover. Trace the holes that you punched out of the cardboard as well. Cut out. {remember save your scraps to make more fabric stamens}
Make yourself a spray box--grab an old box, cut out one side. Any objects that need spraying, place inside + spray. the box helps contain the overspray. Do your spraying in a well ventilated area.
Spray one side of your chipboard cover with the adhesive. Working quickly carefully place your fabric, right side up on top of the adhesive. Smooth out using your brayer. Repeat with the second chipboard cover.
With your scissors, puncture a hole through the fabric where you can see the hole you first punched in the chipboard--this is just to work an opening in the fabric, so that you can place your grommet.
I used a crop-a-dile tool to punch a larger hole for the grommet size I was using, as it will punch through both the fabric + the chipboard. You could easily do this with a pair of sharp scissors just working the hole to make it larger if necessary. Remember once the grommet is set you won't see the untidiness of slicing the fabric + the cardboard.
Set your grommets (I did this the same way as when I made the tin can string holder here)
Stack your interior paper together. Place the back cover, add the front cover. Insert your binder rings.
You may find the edges of your fabric will fray. To alleviate some of the fraying you can simply apply a product such as "fray check" to the edges of your book covers. This is available where fabric + sewing notions are sold.
Perfect for the obvious:
to do lists
grocery lists
notes on favorite cities (restaurants, theatres, museums + shops)tuck it into your travel bag
birthday booklets (format calendar pages to add to the interior + add gift giving information, such as sizes + favorite colors)
add fabric swatches to the interior pages, along with window measurements, paint chips + small magazine clippings--a handy referral for your decorating projects
