Tutorial Tuesday

Howdy friends!, So yesterday I had big plans for getting both Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie finished up today.  That didn't happen. :-(  
Ever have one of those days were nothing seems to fall into place.
That was me today.  I did at least manage to get the pattern made and pieces cut for Pinkie Pie's turquoise bolero jacket.  So as long as the world chooses to cooperate with me tomorrow I *should* be able to get them finished.

Since sewing wasn't an option today, I decided to turn to working with some paper goods.  Ages ago I found a little tutorial online for making miniature books and journals and such.  I have sadly long since lost the link, but I basically remembered the process. So while I was making up a couple journals for my 1/4 scale gang I decided to make up a tutorial for the method and technique I use. I hope you enjoy!

 MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Standard sheet of copier paper with a grid drawn on. Each rectangle should measure 2" wide by 1.5" tall. (an 8.5"x11" sheet should yield 28 rectangles)
• In-scale scrap book paper or wrapping paper
• Cardboard (such as from recycled cereal boxes)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Stapler & Staples
• Washi Tape (optional)

1. Cut apart the grid of rectangles & stack into sets of 5. (You should end up with 3 extras. Either set these aside to use with your next page of papers or add one to 3 of the sets.)

These will become the pages in the journal. (called a FOLIO) Fold one of each pile in half  to give a reference for stapling. Once the pages are lined up neatly add a staple to the center of each stack.

 2.Fold each stack in half with the smooth side of the staple on the outside.

Do this for all 5 stacks. We now have the folios all set for 5 journals. (If you choose to make books, you can stack 2 or more and add a layer of glue along the stapled spines. If doing this add a couple of binder clips to your supply list and clamp the inserts together while they dry so the pages are nice and tight!)

3.Now it's time to get started on the cover. Cut 2 rectangles from the cardboard. These should measure 1" x 1.5". (They will be the size of the pages once they have been folded in half.)

4.Ok sorry I missed a step when I was taking pictures. I took my cardboard cover pieces and traced them onto the back of my preferred cover paper.  This isn't necessary unless you are trying to line up an image (in this case a shoe) or a word. Other wise, spread a thin layer of glue over the paper in an area about 1/2 an inch larger than the 2 cover boards.  

5.Position the 2 cover boards onto the freshly glued paper. Be sure to leave a small space between the 2 cover boards for the spine of the pages.  IF you are doing more than one stack of pages be sure to measure the stack and leave that much room plus a little extra so the cover folds neatly over the pages.
While the glue is still wet trim off the corners of the paper to help create neat edges.

6.Fold over the edges to completely encase the edges of the cardboard. Add a little extra glue if yours started to dry.

Set this aside to dry for a few minutes.

7.On the outside sheet of the folio, trim off a tiny sliver at an angle from both the front and back pages.

Cut 2 "End Papers" from either scrapbooking paper, cardstock, or washi tape that are just a bit smaller than the 1"x1.5" cover pieces we made.

8.I prefer to use a brush for this next step as I think I have better control of the glue.

Add a thin even coating of glue to the back cover cardboard and then press in one of the trimmed outer pages. Make sure the folio is centered before gluing in place.

9.Follow up with the End Paper.  Brush more glue going almost to the edges of the cover on top of the trimmed page we just glued down.
Repeat on the other side of the book, so that both the front and back covers are glued in place and the page folio is glued in place.

At this point your handmade 1/4 scale journal is finished. You can set it aside to dry. I often will place single journals under a stack of books or something flat and heavy to help it cure flat.
 If you would like to decorate your cover with washi tape, I recommend doing that after Step 6. Once the scrapbook paper has been folded over you can add a strip of tape either along the spine so it shows up on either side of the cover or on the ends. Be aware that many washi tapes are sheer, so they might not look good over colored or patterned papers.  If so then cover the book with white paper and allow the washi tape to be the decoration.
Cut a strip that is long enough to wrap over the edges and to the inside of the cover. Then proceed as told in step 7!

If you make any journals using this little tutorial, I would LOVE to see them!
Have fun. :-)