Handmade notebooks
In a few weeks, I will be holding my very first, solo craft stall, selling my new stationery range. I’m actually very excited about it, although simultaneously, a touch apprehensive about whether or not my handmade notebooks will be a hit (fingers and toes crossed!).
So far, I have designed three different notebook collections and besides these, there will be gift tags, bookmarks and postcards, which I will sell at the craft fair. Overall, the designs are all quite different. My first notebook collection is a mixture of magazine collage and paint. The second batch combines photographic flowers and digital art and last but not least, my third collection, features a hand-painted pattern.
I had my first set of designs printed and bound by a professional print-shop. The quality is excellent and they look and feel very high-end indeed! For the other designs, on A5 and A6 notebooks, I had the covers printed professionally, to get the high quality print and stock that I was looking for. I decided for these, however, that I would bind them myself. Even though it is quite time-consuming, they were pretty easy to assemble.
Handmade notebooks
To make your own A5 notebooks, you will need
- notebook covers
- ruler
- blunt, round-ended knife (I used a butter knife)
- cutting mat
- long-arm stapler
- plain A4 paper
On the inside, find the centre of your notebook, where it will need to be creased for folding.
With your blunt knife, score over a few times, so it creates a groove in the paper. Add some pressure when doing this, but be careful not to break or cut the surface of the card.
Fold your notebook cover, where you have marked your folding-crease.
With your A4 plain paper, fold each one in half across the shortest dimension (the width).
I used twelve sheets of paper for my inserts, plus a coloured, A4 sheet for the first and last pages. Use your long-arm stapler, staple near each end of the crease and fold.
And there you have your very own handmade notebooks!
Here are a few more handmade notebooks for inspiration
Eyelet bound notebooks by Damask Love
Personalise your front cover with photographs. This one is by Minted
Embroidered notebooks by Mollie Makes
Homemade journals by A Beautiful Mess
DIY cereal box notebooks by Créme de la Craft
Dipped gold leaf notebooks by eat sleep cuddle
My notebooks (and more that I will be making) will very soon be for sale through my blog and on Etsy. This is a very exciting time for me; I have so many more ideas that I want to produce, so stay tuned!!
Emma Jayne x