This week’s Digi Choosday project is all about adding at least one of the following: ribbon, bow, string, cord, twine, or washi tape—so I decided to go the creative route and make a Mixed Media Traveler’s Notebook using Polkadoodles’ Lilac Haze Watercolour Flowers collection.
This project includes a saddle stitch binding tutorial, plus ideas for decorating your inner pages with minimal embellishments so you still have space for photos and memory keeping
MATERIALS USED
Polkadoodles Products:
Lilac Haze Watercolour Flowers (patterned papers + digis)
Butterfly Fairy Winnie Daisy (digi)
Other Materials:
Surebonder Glue Gun
Cutterpillar Pro Paper Trimmer
Cutterpillar Crease Score Board
Bearly Art Precision Glue
Vellum paper
Ruler, Scissors
Needle & Thread
Binder Clips
Piercing Tool
Foam for poking holes
Washi Tape, Ribbon, String
Aleene’s Glitter Snow
Tim Holtz Mini Stencil
Palette Knife
Dylusions Ink Spray
Post-Its, Tags, Cardstock
STEP 1: Prepare the Pages
Choose three double-sided patterned papers and cut them to 8”x8”.
Score each one in the middle at 4”.
Fold along the score lines to create your notebook pages.
STEP 2: Add a Mini Page
Cut one more piece of patterned paper to 5” x 3.5”.
Score it at 2.5” on the long side.
Fold it—this will become a small insert in the notebook.
STEP 3: Assemble and Bind the Notebook
Layer your folded papers together, placing the mini insert wherever you’d like.
Clip everything in place using binder clips.
Place the notebook on a foam base. Use a ruler to poke holes along the center fold, spacing them ½ inch apart using a piercing tool.
STEP 4: Saddle Stitch Binding
Thread a needle with a single thread, no knot at the end.
Start at the center hole from the inside, leaving a tail of thread.
Sew to the right edge using a running stitch.
Once you reach the end, stitch back toward the center.
Then stitch going to the left side, and back again to the center.
When you’re back in the center, go outward and tie a knot.
Tug the knot inside the notebook, then tie it to the starting tail. Trim excess thread.
8. Take the inside pages and press them together. Then take the outside cover and press / fold them the opposite side. This will help your notebook fold properly. Then, fold the way you would a notebook.
STEP 5: Decorate the Cover
Trim a piece of vellum to 4” x 8” and tear down from the short edge to get a ripped effect.
Tape it to the right side of your cover using double-sided tape (to avoid glue marks).
Layer washi tape along the edges of the vellum and along the bottom of the cover.
Choose a stencil and apply Aleene’s Glitter Snow with a palette knife. Let it dry.
Add ribbons and string trims, digi flowers from Lilac Haze, and additional embellishments.
Spray lightly with Dylusions Ink Spray for a soft mixed media look.
STEP 6: Embellish the Inner Pages
Keep the inside pages functional with just a few decorative elements:
Page 1: Add a pocket with a thumb notch and tuck in a cardstock piece.
Page 2 (mini insert): Glue a Lilac Haze digi.
Page 3: Create a tag with ribbon and a digi flower. Use a paperclip to attach.
Page 4: Stick down two 3”x3” Post-Its and embellish with a digi.
Page 5: Add a digi. I used Butterfly Fairy Winnie Daisy digi.
Pages 6 & 7: Add small floral digis in each corner.
Page 8: Make a tear-edged pocket and insert cardstock.
Page 9: Leave blank.
Page 10: Glue a floral digi at the bottom only to make a tuck spot. Insert photo mat or journaling card.
Page 11 (mini insert): Add another ribbon tag and clip it on.
Page 12: Leave blank for journaling or photos.
Final Touch
Once done, give your notebook one final press and fold. You now have a beautiful handmade traveler’s notebook ready for journaling, planning, or memory keeping.
Join the Challenge!
Join this week’s Digi Choosday Challenge at the Polkadoodles blog.
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Happy crafting, and thanks for stopping by!
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This is one nice traveler's notebook. So intricately designed which surely will motivate one to journal and plan every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteThe use of different materials gave it a unique texture. It looks like a complex artwork but looking at your easy-to-follow tutorial (not to mention very detailed), this art piece is so simple yet so gratifying to make.
-aMOMymous