online class i garden journal

Supplies Needed: Kit Contents Supplies:
(2) 5 3/4" x 9" pieces of patterned paper for front & back cover of book (I used the Chatterbox Eclectique Blue Sky)
(1) 3 3/4" x 9" piece of coordinating patterned paper for spine of book (I used the Cosmo Cricket Megan)
(1) 7 3/8" x 11 1/4" piece of coordinating patterned paper for inside cover of book (I used the Chatterbox Botanico Trees)
(15) 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of text weight paper (like typing paper) cut down to 7 3/8" x 10 1/2" pieces
(1) 3" square piece of wood veneer
Various embellishments to decorate your book. I used the Prima Alphabet Cardstock Stickers for the labels on the inside of the book. And, the Jenni Bowlin ticket, Prima Whispered Words Felt Alpha, Sassafras Lass In A Stitch Blossoms, Prima Flowers, Prima Urban Cosmos Brads, and the Prima Dude Rub-ons for the cover of the book.

Misc. Supplies:
(6) beads with a larger-sized threading hole
(3) 24" pieces of waxed linen thread (or other book-binding thread)
Craft Knife
Awl or Japanese Screw Punch (or something sharp to poke small holes with)
Bone Folder
Pencil
Ruler
Strong adhesive (To make this book quickly, I used my large Xyron 900 with permanent adhesive, and it worked great. But, if you want to use a professional bookbinding adhesive, I use a mixture of methyl cellulose and PVA). Below are the instructions for mixing them the way that I do. Be aware that this takes some prep time, and you'll have to wait overnight for the methyl cellulose to set up. This mixture does stay good for quite some time. I've kept a batch for several months, and it worked just fine.
Methyl-Cellulose: Sprinkle 5 tablespoons methyl-cellulose powder into 1 cup of very hot water. Stir briskly to prevent lumps. When the powder is thoroughly dispersed, add enough cold water to make one quart. Let sit for several hours; preferably overnight.
Fifty/fifty mixture of PVA and Methyl Cellulose (Mix):Mix equal parts prepared methyl-cellulose and PVA. The mixture is easier to apply with a brush than plain PVA; it dries more slowly, giving the user more working time. Use the mix for most work on book covers, pamphlet binders or enclosures

  


 
Using a craft knife, remove the "guts" from the book.  You can save the inner pages for future scrapbooking/altered projects.
 
You will end up with something looking like this.

 


Using the craft knife again, cut a 2 1/2" square niche out of the front of the book.  Try to get it as centered as possible.

 
Using your chosen adhesive, adhere the (2) pieces of 5 3/4" x 9" pieces of patterned paper to the front and back sides of the book.  Make sure that about 3/4" of the paper hangs off the edges of the book as seen in this photo.
 
Cut on a diagonal next to each of the four corners of the book to create flaps that will fold over onto the insides of the book as seen in this photo.
 


If you are using a liquid glue to adhere the paper, apply it to the 3 flaps you have created and fold the flaps onto the inside of the book to adhere.  Make sure to begin with the flap on the long edge.  Then, fold the short flaps over on top of it.  You will see what the finished edges look like in the next step.

 
Adhere the piece of veneer to the inside of the book over the niche you cut out.  I used some double-stick tape run around the edges of the niche.  It doesn't matter if some of the tape is visible around the edges of the veneer.  It will be covered up later.

 
Adhere the 3 3/4" x 9" piece of paper to the outside spine of the book.  Again, make sure about 3/4" of the paper hangs over the edge of the book.  Fold the flaps over to the inside of the book, and adhere.  You will have to work with the book, bending the spine back and forth while pushing on the paper to make sure that you get a good adhesion that won't pop up when you close the book.  Don't worry.  Just keep working with it until it sticks well...you'll know when it's on there securely.

 
Adhere the 7 3/8" x 11 1/4" paper to the inside of the book.

 
Now, we're ready to begin actually putting the book together.  Using a ruler, measure 1" down from the top of the spine, and begin making the marks for your binding holes using very light pencil marks.  There will be one hole directly in the center of the spine.  I measure the other 2 holes 1/4" out from the middle hole.  You will see exactly how the hole are spaced in the next step.
 
Using an awl (pictured) or Japanese screw punch to drill holes on the pencil marks you've made.  Repeat steps 10 & 11 on the bottom of the spine.
 
Now, we're ready to put together the "signatures" (groupings of paper) that will be sewn into the book.  Take 5 sheets of the typing paper that has already been cut to 7 3/8" x 10 1/2".  Use a bone folder to fold each sheet in half to 5 1/4" x 7 3/8" folded size.  
 
Once you have all 5 sheets folded, begin placing them inside one another.  Repeat steps 12 and 13 with the other 2 sets of 5 sheets of paper.  You will now have 3 signatures that will be ready to be sewn into the book.
 
Take one signature, and place it where the spine of the signature matches up to the first set of holes on the spine of your book.  Center the signature into the middle of the book spine, and mark where the holes in the spine are in relation to the spine of the paper signature.
 
Open the signature so all of the pieces of paper lie flat.  Use an awl to poke a hole through all 5 pieces of paper where your pencil marks are.
 
Next, take the signature, and match it back up with the holes on the spine of the book.  Open the signature so that it lies flat, and you are looking at the inside of it.  Using one piece of waxed linen thread, run it through the top hole in the papers.
 
Pull it through the back side of the paper signature, and run it through the top hole in the spine of the book.  
 
ll it through to the outside of the book, but make sure that you leave about a 3" tail hanging in the middle of the inside of the book (you can see what I mean in the photo for Step 21).
 
String a bead onto the thread.
 
Push the bead up next to the spine, and run the thread back through the same hole in the spine of the book
 


Then, run it back through the same holes in the signature of the book.  Now you can see that little 3" tail that I was talking about in Step 18.  

***Repeat steps 16-21 on the bottom hole of the book***
 


Once you run the thread back into the bottom portion of the book, take the end, and tie it off with the 3" tail that was left from step 16.  Make sure it is in a tight knot, and snip the ends of the thread.  

***Repeat steps 12- 22 to sew the remaining 2 signatures into the book.***

 
 
Now that your book is completely put together, you can begin decorating the cover.
   
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