How to Make Garden Notebooks with Repurposed Materials
Posted by Stampington & Company on Aug 24th 2021
Did you hear the big announcement?
We recently announced that a brand-new spin-off from In Her Studio is in the works! In Her Garden invites readers to explore the inspiring outdoor spaces of women who share a passion for making things grow. Whether you’re a gardener, an artist, or a bit of both, In Her Garden has something for you.
In celebration of this exciting news, we're sharing a fun garden-themed project here on the blog. Learn to make your own garden journals using repurposed materials and pre-order of In Her Garden below!
How to Make Garden Notebooks with Repurposed Materials
Supplies:
- Box: repurposed, fabric-covered
- Cardstock scraps: kraft
- Craft clamps
- Craft knife
- Cutting mat
- Ephemera: floral images; book pages; old wallpaper
- Eyelets
- Eyelet setter: Crop-A-Dile (We R Memory Keepers)
- Gel medium: Matte Regular
- Hole punch
- Inkpad: Potting Soil (Ranger- Archival)
- Lace scraps
- Paper: plain; recycled brown packing paper
- Paper cutter
- Pencil
- Rubber stamps: Little Labels, A Little Bird Told Me (RedLead Paperworks)
- Twigs
Instructions:
Using a craft knife, carefully dismantle a fabric-covered storage box, cutting it into panels for the covers. Cut two covers to equal dimensions for each notebook. Create two holes in the top of each cover using a hole punch. Insert eyelets into the holes.
Cut the pages slightly smaller than the covers, and cut your desired quantity of pages. Align the pages with the covers, hold together with craft clamps, and use a pencil to mark the placement of the holes on the pages. Remove the clamps and covers, and clamp together a reasonable amount of pages. Hole-punch the pages on the pencil marks. Depending on how many pages you have, this step might need to be repeated until all pages have been hole punched. Sandwich the pages between the two covers, and attach a clamp. Cut two pieces of jute twine to a suitable length, thread through each hole, and tie a knot.
Tear a floral image from an old magazine or book page. Decorate the front cover of the notebook by layering the floral image with old book text and wallpaper scraps, creating variations on each cover. Embellish with scraps of old lace and twigs.
Tear three pieces of recycled brown packing paper long enough to wrap around each notebook. Wrap the paper around the notebook and bind with jute twine. Create simple tags by tearing/cutting scraps of kraft cardstock into rectangles; use two rectangles for each tag. Stamp a label onto a rectangle of kraft cardstock, layer it with a scrap of old wallpaper, and adhere to another rectangle. Hole-punch the upper edge, thread jute twine through the hole, and attach the tag to the wrapping.
Tips:
- Rescue as much as possible from the damaged storage box. Small scraps can be formed into tags, etc.
- Create pages from your favorite papers or found papers. If any text needs obscuring, paint over it with gesso.
- To make sure the knots are secure, apply a small amount of gel medium.
Project by Lynne Moncrieff originally featured in GreenCraft Spring 2018
Introducing In Her Garden...
In Her Garden invites readers to explore the inspiring outdoor spaces of women who share a passion for watching things grow. In addition to stunning scenery, you’ll also discover some of our favorite DIY projects for and from the garden, as well as advice for cultivating your own outdoor sanctuary. Nature is an endless source of creative inspiration, so whether you’re a gardener, an artist, or a bit of both, In Her Garden has something for you!
Know any creative women with inspiring outdoor spaces or unique and enchanting gardens you would like to see featured on its pages? We want to hear from you! Email inherstudio@stampington.com to send us your ideas, and don't forget to submit your own photos for publication consideration!