A great idea for a fairly quick make if you want a small present is to make a hand-bound notebook.  Making it with a fabric cover makes it even more special.

 

To make your notebook, you will need:

card

paper

fabric

thread

needle

sharp point

scissors / rotary cutter /paper slicer

spray glue

To make:

• Cut your fabric to slightly larger than your card.  Remember that you will be folding it in half, to make an A5 booklet, so make sure any directional pattern runs across the fabric.
• Place the fabric face down on a flat surface

• Glue one side of the card.  Spray glue is best for this job; use it outside if possible
• Carefully place the card on top of the fabric, keeping it as straight as possible.  Smooth out any wrinkles.  Leave to dry
• Trim the fabric to the edge of the card.

• Trim your paper so that it is slightly smaller all round than the card.  

• Fold the fabric-covered card and the paper in half.  It's easier to get a crisp fold on the paper if you fold 1 or 2 sheets at a time

• On the crease on the inside of the cover, make pencil marks approximately 1.5 cms in from each edge and in the middle

• Place the folded papers against the fold of the card and, using the marks on the card as a guide, mark the crease of the paper.

• These marks are where your holes will go.  Make holes in each mark on the cover and each mark on the papers (do the papers all together), using a sharp point.  Ideally, this will be an awl, or something similar.  If you have nothing better, use a large sewing needle.

• Cut a length of thread to bind your book.  This needs to be approximately 2½ times the length of the book.  Thread it onto a large needle - a tapestry needle works well.
• Starting at the bottom hole, push the needle through the cover from the inside.  Leave a tail approximately  4cms for tying off at the end.  Make sure you don't pull it through the hole!

• Now go up from the outside of the cover through the middle hole of both the cover and the papers.

• Next go through the top hole from the inside, through the papers and cover.

• Now back down - from the outside through the centre hole of the cover and papers, then from the inside through the bottom hole of the papers.  Don't go through the cover this time.  Stop here to meet the tail you left at the beginning.

• Take off your needle and tie the two ends tightly.  Trim the ends.
• Your book is finished!  However, you can decorate the front or add a label with a name or title.  I printed 'notes' and a name onto strips of fabric and stuck them onto the front of the notebook.

 

Special Offer

If you would like to have a go at making a fabric-covered notebook, but don't have everything you need, you can buy a kit from Print me Pretty containing everything you need except glue.

Contents: A4 card, fabric slightly larger than A4 in your choice of design, 8 sheets of paper to fit notebook, needle, thread

Choose your fabric from: Ginger 'Ed Sheeran, Here Kitty, Kitty Mink or Art Deco Geometric

Price £6 post free

Email admin@printmepretty.co.uk to order a kit.

If you prefer to choose your fabric from the Market Place, the price will be £6.50.

Offer available till November 30th