I had high hopes of finishing up my December Daily album by the end of 2015 which has never happened but I really wanted a fresh start to the new year. No half done projects or ideas in limbo. But I didn't want just "getting it done" to be the driving force behind my holiday documenting.
2015 was my year to get *ish done and I want to continue that frame of mind (while having fun in the process) for 2016. I felt like some of that was lost this year because of my main goal. Sometimes taking a break from a project is part of the process.
December Daily was a great way to kick off my revamped goal. Not only was I able to finish it quickly but I really enjoyed doing the project I'm about show you. It combines my love of pocket style scrapbooking with book making.
Rather than try to fit all of these bits and pieces like Christmas cards and misc photos into pockets, I bounded them together using the Japanese stab binding method. I sized the booklet to fit nicely into a 6x8 pocket. I love how it came out!
Here's a tutorial on how I put my booklet together.
Figure out the size you want. I sized my booklet to fit nicely into a 6x8 pocket. This would be cool as a 4x6 as well! Just note that your booklet will be a little thick so you'll need to cut slightly under your intended pocket size. The finished size of my book measures 5.75" x 8".
Choose a front and back cover. Neither should be very thick. It needs to be able to bend back nicely so you can look through your book. I chose to use a Banana Republic shopping bag that that was beautifully embossed in gold. The back page is a cut out from a December Anthropologie catalog.
I gathered all the cards, some photos and notes and arranged them in an order that was pleasing to me. Make sure they are all cut to size. With folded cards, unfold and trim to fit.
Now put your booklet together making sure cards are centered. Tap down onto the spine a few times before placing clips around the book to keep everything aligned.
The easiest way to measure out the holes is to place it on a self healing mat with a grid.
You'll need to mark 3 holes. I start in the center of my book, then space out the 2 holes as evenly as I can. Again, the mat helps.
Now it's time to punch! I'm using an awl here. Normally I would do this with my Japanese screw punch but it has since grown legs and mysteriously disappeared.
When using an awl, twist the point down in a circular motion while adding pressure until you reach the mat. At this point you can pick the booklet up and push the awl straight threw to make sure you have a nice even hole to sew through.
Continue on to the other 2 holes.
Now you're ready to sew! Make sure to keep the binding clips in place.
I'm using a hunter green waxed linen thread which you should be able to find at your local craft store (Micheals did not have it but JoAnn Frabrics did in the jewelry making section). I've had a large stash for several years now....I use to be really into bookmaking. I don't have an online source I can recommend but check Amazon, Ebay or Etsy for a variety of colors. I could only find natural and black locally.
You can also use plain ol' embroidery thread. It just won't be as easy to sew through those little holes than when using the waxed thread. OR you can try making your own waxed thread. Just Google for tutorials.
I'm also using an embroidery needle. I would recommend having a few on hand. When I taught this tutorial in Portland, there were a lot of broken needles. A couple of tips to avoid this.....use a pair of pliers to gently twist and wiggle the needle out of the hole when sewing.
See that part with the awl? Because you'll need to pass through some of the holes a few times, the awl helps widen the area for the needle.
I highly recommend downloading the instructions that are included with this tutorial for the sewing bit. This is my lazy girl version. Normally you would start the binding off through the inside of the booklet so the tie off would be neatly hidden within the spine of the booklet. But this method works just as well.
Pretty cool, right? Now I've got a good chunk of my December memories bounded together and it only took about 15 minutes!
It's pretty as is but I wanted to add a little more detail to the front cover and utilize some of the other items I had in my December basket.
Sometimes those envelopes that are so beautifully addressed and those cute holiday postage stamps are too special to throw out.
I hand cut stars from a kraft envelope, added a row of stamps at the bottom and finished it off with a quick stitch.
Again, you can totally stop here and call it good but my holiday embellishment stash is overflowing so I took this opportunity to add a bit more to a few pages inside.
I LOVE how this little beauty fits perfectly in the 6x8 pocket. I think adding these booklets to my 2016 Project Life are going to be more frequent.
You can download the printable sewing instructions here.
I plan to post the rest of my December Daily in the next week or so.
I hope you enjoy and more importantly, MAKE one of these booklets. Have fun!
Tina
Supplies | Winter LLP stamp, ABM December Messy Box, Tin Man add-on, Martha Stewart glue pen, EK Tools Small Precision Scissors, Goldie 6x8 album
No affiliation with ABM Messy Box, Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, Or Dick Blick. Affiliate links to the Studio Calico shop are provided.