How to make a notebook with a wooden cover. We create from scratch a wooden cover for an autumn mini notebook. Assembling a notebook on rings
It often happens that you need a gift, but there is nothing suitable in the stores. Or a person already has everything his soul could desire. He may also have a favorite hobby, and you want to give him something unusual.
You can combine this and make a gift yourself. In this case, I will tell you how to make your own leather-bound notebook for fans of the game "Tanks", however, the design on the cover can be completely different, if you master the technical techniques, there will be no limits to your imagination.
DIY notebook: tools and materials
- genuine leather (you can take artificial or thick plain smooth fabric), size about 30x45cm
- paper, A4 size - 52 sheets (it is better to take a few more sheets in reserve). Plain white printer paper will do.
- loose cardboard for endpapers and spine
- thick thick cardboard for the cover
- 2 strips of non-thick fabric, 3×15cm
- glue “Moment Crystal” (1 small tube of 30 ml is required per notepad)
- the threads are black (not so dirty) or beige. Better synthetic, No. 40-50
- ruler, pen, scissors, awl
- file or needle file
- thin brush for acrylic paints
- acrylic paints for fabric
- instant coffee
- newspapers
Printing of drawings is available upon request
To make the notebook more individual and interesting on the pages, you can use a regular laser printer (ink from a dot matrix printer will bleed) to print a variety of drawings.
In our case - screenshots and desktop wallpapers from the game "World of Tanks", why not?
Drawings can be inserted into Word or any graphics editor, set to the desired size and location, or reduce the brightness a little. The layout of the sheet should be landscape.
If you want to make a notepad from white paper, you can skip this step.
First you need to prepare a “solution” of coffee. Add 5-6 tablespoons of coffee to 1 liter of water. The more coffee, the darker the sheets will be. It should be taken into account that when drying, the sheets lighten a couple of tones. Therefore, you should not dilute the solution with water if it seems that the paper is too dark.
Pour the coffee solution into a baking tray with high sides or a bowl of the required size.
We soak each leaf separately, dipping it in coffee on both sides. The paper should be evenly blotted and colored.
Let it brew for 10-15 minutes. During this time, we kick out all unnecessary household members, pets and anyone who can spoil the beauty from the territory and lay out newspapers for future drying of the paper. You need quite a lot of space. Therefore, if it is not enough, you should not soak all the sheets at once, but in parts of 10-15 sheets at a time.
Carefully, so as not to tear, lay the sheets on the prepared newspapers, at the same time, let the liquid drain thoroughly into the baking sheet so that the paper dries faster.
After this, load a new batch of paper into the baking tray. Repeat the operation several times until all the paper (50 sheets for the notebook and 2 sheets for the endpapers) is aged and acquires a pleasant ocher tint. It is better to change newspapers more often so that the paper dries faster.
Drying the paper usually takes from several hours to a day, depending on the surrounding humidity. Therefore, it is better to do this stage at night, so that everything has time to dry by morning.
Forming a notepad from sheets of paper
When the paper has dried, we begin to stitch the sheets into a notebook. To do this, we collect 5 sheets of paper (making sure that the pictures are positioned correctly) and fold them in half into a notebook. The edges should be folded as evenly as possible relative to each other.
In total you will get 10 notebooks of 5 sheets each.
We put a stack of notebooks together, align them and place them under the press. You can first secure them with paper clips, placing something thick (cardboard) on both sides so that there are no marks left on the paper.
You can keep it under pressure for up to several hours, as long as you have enough patience, but at least 30 minutes so that the sheets have time to compact.
Then, we pull our block out from under the press, remove the clamps, align the block and clamp it again on both sides, placing cardboard. This is necessary in order to make holes for the needle for the seams. You can, of course, do this with an awl or pierce it with a needle right away, but this will take much longer and will not be as neat and even.
On the cardboard we first mark 7 divisions of 3 cm each, as shown in the photo.
Then, opposite the strokes, we make cuts with a file, about 3-4 mm deep. Near the cut, we squeeze the stack of paper with our fingers so that the sheets do not diverge and the cut is even.
We disassemble the block and begin to sew the sheets together.
We start stitching on the left, from the bottom notebook (we will put the rest on top, this needs to be taken into account if the order of the drawings inside is important).
We thread the needle through the holes and move to the right. Don’t forget to leave a 10-15 cm thread tip at the very beginning to secure the upper notebooks.
We apply pre-prepared strips of fabric to the third and 5th gap between the holes. They serve to better secure the notepad block and secure it to the endpapers.
When we reach the fabric, we draw the thread over it.
Thus, we sew the first notebook to the end, put the second one on top and continue sewing in the opposite direction. Do not forget to tighten the thread well at each stage (but without fanaticism, so as not to tear the paper).
Only now, when we reach the fabric, we pass the thread over it crosswise.
When you have sewn to the right edge, you need to tie together the working thread and the tip left at the beginning to secure the notebooks. First, tighten the threads well and tie several tight knots.
Place the third notebook and stitch to the left edge.
Now, you need to secure the thread on this side as well. Again, tighten well and thread the needle between the two lower notebooks, catching the thread in a loop. We repeat several times.
Thus, we sew all 10 notebooks into a block.
To prevent the block from falling apart, it must be glued together so that there is no free space between the notebooks.
Glue it together in the spine area. The block must again be leveled as much as possible and secured with clamps.
We spread the glue evenly over the entire spine so that there is no excess, but there are no parts that are not coated.
We leave the block coated with glue to dry (you can put it under the press again for better gluing).
The indoor unit is ready, all that remains is.
Hello, my darlings!
And what have I prepared for you!))) Remember, I asked you what kind of MK you would like to see from me? So, among the wishes was this - to do a master class on creating a wooden cover. Well, the man said - the man did it; I promised - I did it) I did it a long time ago, I can only show it now).
Yesterday you could already see this MK on the Fantasy blog, for which it was written. Now I’m sharing here). And you can take a closer look at the notepad itself
There are many options online for creating imitation wooden surfaces. You can use masks, stencils, crackle varnishes, you can make scratches with knitting needles and other improvised means. I will show you one of the options for creating such a surface (it is also not new and was not invented by me).
In addition to the fact that such covers look impressive and can be made for different jobs. Such covers are great for cookbooks (they are practical, they can be wiped with a damp cloth), for themed albums (for example, for a pirate theme). I already showed you the pirate one, details
Boards made in this way can be used in New Year’s projects (tags, cards), there are a lot of options. I repeat, as always - use your imagination!)) And I’ll tell you a secret - at the pop-up album Graphic45 joint venture I’m preparing something similar for you, and for what and why - you’ll find out))
I also like these covers because they can be made literally from leftover bookbinding cardboard. I usually have it left over from scrapbook pages, cardboard projects, etc. Cardboard from albums with craft paper may also be suitable; there are covers made of such cardboard).
To create the cover we will need:
- binding cardboard
- burlap (small piece)
- stationery knife + mat + metal ruler
- glue
- acrylic primer (black)
- acrylic paints: Neapolitan orange, dark brown, black, orange
- candle
- brushes
- dish sponge (new)
To design the cover we will need:
Chipboard with plant elements
- powder for embossing (color suitable for the project)
- adhesive pad for embossing
- machine for cutting and embossing
- flower soft
- glossy accent
Shall we get started?)
1. Let's prepare parts from binding cardboard. Because The size of my notebook is 10 cm * 7.5 cm, then I prepared the parts of the following size:2 pieces - 10.5 cm * 7.5 cm
1 piece - 10.5 cm * 3.2 cm (for the spine).
I cut the boards from leftover cardboard from a previous project). I cut them in different thicknesses, so they will look more natural.
2 . Details. which will be “planks”, we give an even more natural and slightly shabby look. Because My idea is to make the wood look “worn in”, so I “plane” each plank with a utility knife. I create unevenness. The extent of these unevenness depends on what type of project your boards are for. Rougher ones are perfect for masculine work, for a pirate theme. For more delicate work, it is better to plan the boards without fanaticism))).
The size of my boards is 2-3 mm smaller than the cover parts
3. We glue our blanks onto the prepared piece of burlap, at a distance of approximately 5 mm from each other.
I also generously lubricate the ends with glue...
And I go over the folds and grooves with a scoring stick. I let the workpiece dry. I prefer to let it dry naturally.
4. Glue boards onto the dried workpiece
The end will also be “wooden”, I placed two boards here too)
5. Cover the cover with black acrylic primer
Please note that the inside edges of the cover are also covered with primer. At this stage, you can use an embossing hairdryer and dry the cover with it. I dried it naturally.
6. Now let's get to the fun part). Layer by layer we will create weathered wood. We take a piece of candle and rub our boards over the entire surface. Don’t forget to process the edges of the boards, the edges of the entire cover and the spine. We also process the hollows between the boards.
7. We must remove any excess wax grains. I do this with a brush (I have a separate one for such work). Don't rub too hard, just lightly brush off the excess. The wax should not lie in pieces.
8. Apply a layer of paint of a different color. I chose Neapolitan orange for contrast.
After applying the first layer of paint, without letting it dry, I apply the second layer. The photo shows the difference: on the right - one layer of paint, on the left - two.
We also paint the inside
9. At this stage, I recommend drying the workpiece only naturally. The hair dryer heats up the wax under the paint and begins to bubble (along with the paint). Subsequently, this may affect the quality of painting of the boards. The drying time depends on the paint you choose (usually the instructions indicate the time). My workpiece took about 1.5 hours to dry.
10. Now we take an ordinary household dish sponge and rub our boards with the hard side. We do this carefully so as not to rub the cardboard into holes)).
11. We brush off the remaining paint with the back of the sponge and proceed to the next stage. Again we treat the entire surface of the cover with a candle, brush off the excess and paint with black primer (can be replaced with black paint). Let it dry naturally and remove the paint layer again with a sponge. This is what I get
12. Because I chose an autumn palette for the miniature, so the final color of the boards will be autumn, warm. I make the final touches - I treat the surface with a candle, apply Neapolitan orange paint again, and rub it with a sponge. I apply wax and cover the cover with dark brown paint. After rubbing with a sponge I get this surface
13. Because there will be no brads on my cover, then at this stage I glue the endpaper
14. Let's start decorating the cover. First I glued on the lace ribbon. Then I decorate with chipboard and die-cutting. On the back side, part of the tape is covered with a chipboard from a set of paper.
This master class will show you how easy it is to make an unusual notebook with your own hands. We age the sheets for the notebook by hand. For work we will need the following tools and materials:
- plywood 5 mm thick;
- sandpaper coarse and the finest;
- drill;
- opening rings for albums;
- A4 printer paper;
- natural coffe ;
- a device for burning ;
- transparent water-soluble odorless varnish;
- tassel;
- wide bowl;
- iron ;
- pencil or ballpoint pen;
- ruler ;
- copy paper ;
- single hole punch.
We cut out two pieces of A5 plywood for the cover. We clean the plywood with coarse sandpaper.
Then we sand the plywood with the finest sandpaper.
The corners and ends of the plywood are smoothed using sandpaper.
Use a drill to drill holes for the rings. The thickness of the drill should be slightly greater than the thickness of the metal of the ring.
We find an interesting monochrome drawing on the Internet. We format it to the size we need and print it.
Using carbon paper, we transfer the drawing onto one sheet of plywood.
Using a burning device, we draw the contours of the design on the plywood.
We coat the sheets of plywood cover with a transparent, odorless, water-soluble varnish.
Brew strong coffee. To do this, put 4-5 teaspoons of natural ground coffee in a standard cup and pour boiling water over it.
While the coffee is cooling, prepare the sheets.
Under the ruler we will tear up office paper of the required size. To prevent the sheets from protruding beyond the edges of the cover, we make them 1 cm smaller at the top and bottom. And 1 cm less on the side.
Strain the coffee into a bowl.
We soak each leaf in coffee.
We lay out the wet and already fragrant sheets on clean old towels to dry.
Finally dry the sheets in the oven at a temperature of no more than 50 degrees Celsius.
The result was wrinkled, slightly brown and stained leaves with a slight coffee aroma.
You can leave it like that, but it’s better to iron them.
We place a stack of sheets between sheets of plywood cover and mark the locations of the holes on the paper.
We make holes in the paper with a single hole punch.
Assembling a notebook on rings.
The result is a unique notebook or notepad.
The unusual design and handmade notebook will highlight your individuality.
And the right drawing and light aroma of coffee can make such a book an excellent personalized gift for any occasion.
In addition, opening rings will make it possible to replace sheets with new ones. And this notebook will serve for a long time.
This video tutorial explains how to make a notepad with the so-called Coptic binding- one of the most ancient methods of creating book covers, which was invented by the first Egyptian Copt Christians in the 2nd century AD.
A wooden cover will be heavy, so it will not be suitable for diaries, but will become an indispensable original solution for photo books or collections of recipes - thanks to the type of binding, the pages open completely and immediately.
You will need:
Paper for pages
- thin board for cover
- scotch
- twine
- a piece of wax
- sandpaper
- pencil
- paper knife
- bookbinding bone (a tool for smoothing and folding paper)
- awl
- needle with a wide eye
- roulette
- drill
If you don't have a suitable size piece of board for the cover, you will also need a machine or saw.
Instructions:
1. Attach the paper to the future cover and measure the desired size. Cut two pieces of board the same size for the front and back cover. Sand the edges using sandpaper.
2. Glue both covers together with a piece of tape and measure 2.5 cm from the bottom and top, stepping back about another centimeter from each mark and make another mark.
3. In the marked places, make four holes with a drill.
4. Prepare the pages. You can use any paper (the video uses printer paper). Using a binder or any other similar tool, fold the required number of sheets in half, making several insert notebooks. For example, in the video there are five tabs of twenty pages each, which makes a total of one hundred notebook pages.
5. Now make notes with a pencil in the upper left corner of each tab notebook to make it easier to line up all the pages. Also mark where the holes will need to be made.
6. Bend the sheets with the notes so that the notes are on the inside so that you can make holes on all sheets of the tab from the inside, as shown in the video.
7. Treat the twine with wax - this will make it more tenacious and durable.
8. Using needles, thread the twine into the adjacent holes of the insert notebook on the inside, and then into the holes of the cover. Continue threading the rope as shown in the video until you reach the other part of the cover. Tie the ends of the twine together on the inside. The Coptic style notebook is ready!