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Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS2 with Windows XP.
Composition books have been a classic school supply for decades. The seaming and the black tape along the spine make them sturdy and give them a bit of a sophisticated look. They’re usually available at discount and office supply stores for approximately one dollar. Next time you see them, buy a few. In this tutorial I’ll show you how to transform them into personalized journals.
For this project, you will need:
- Composition book
- Ruler
- Graphics program (I’ll be using PSCS2)
- Scrap Girls digital scrapbooking products
- Cardstock or matte photo paper (letter size)
- Decoupage glue
- Brush for decoupage glue
- Scissors
- Paper cutter (optional)
- Waxed paper (optional)
- Art knife, such as X-Acto (optional)
(For this photo, I temporarily covered the front of the book to hide
the brand name and design for copyright purposes.)
First, measure your composition book from the edge of the black binding to the opposite edge of the notebook to get the width, as shown below. Now, measure the height of the book.
Add approximately 1/16 inch to both the height and the width. In your graphics program, create a 300 dpi document with these measurements.
Using Scrap Girls digital supplies, create a cover for your composition book in your graphics program. The only rule is to keep any important elements away from the last 1/4 inch on the right side. This is the side that will be trimmed later on; you don’t want to lose anything critical. Here is the cover I created.
When your cover is complete, print it out on cardstock or matte photo paper. Allow it to dry completely. Use scissors or a paper cutter to cut exactly down the left edge, then cut the other edges. (The remaining edges don’t have to be exact, as they will be trimmed. The left edge will not be trimmed.)
Apply the decoupage glue to the front of the composition book with a brush, being careful to avoid dripping glue over the edge or getting glue on the black binding. You may choose to place a piece of waxed paper under the cover while you apply the glue to avoid gluing the pages.
Align your printed cover as precisely as possible with the left binding border (as shown in the photo above), taking care to align it with the top and bottom of the book as well.
Carefully smooth the cover over the front of the book with firm pressure and try to eliminate any bubbles. Allow the composition book to dry completely. When the new cover is dry, trim off any excess from the top, bottom and right sides. Use an art knife if needed.
Repeat the entire process to cover the back of the book.
Now, you’ve transformed an ordinary composition book into a personalized journal. You can create journals for any theme, whether for daily journal writing or simply an attractive book in which you can jot down notes. You can personalize your children’s notebooks for school and make teacher gifts. The purpose of each journal is up to you and with Scrap Girls products, your options are endless!
Here is a photo of my finished composition book, waiting on the sofa for me to write something interesting:
Project by Durin Eberhart
Tutorial written by Durin Eberhart
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