Every now and then I get this burst of craftiness and this hard cover journal was the focus during my latest creative endeavor. I was studying the covering for a book I had one day and thought it would be a fun idea to try and create my own. So I went in search of some instruction on how to do so and found this wonderful tutorial
here. I liked how it gave you a step by step but wanted to change a few things, first I am not a writer but I enjoy sketching so I wanted to use a material that I could use watercolor or markers on and it wouldn't bleed through. The second thing was I thought the cover was too bland and wanted to created some texture to it like an engraving. The following tutorial is how I went about creating a hard cover sketch journal with my own artistic cover.
Things you will need:
- Heavyweight cardstock (I made my journal the size of half a letter page so 8.5"x5.5", but
you can make yours however big or small you wish, and the number of pages determines how thick the journal will be. I used 24 pages of cardstock)
- A stapler
- A couple large binder clips for holding the pages together while glueing
- Hot glue gun with extra glue sticks
- Ruler and Xacto knife
- Cardboard or Chipboard anything stiff
- Some thinner cardboard for the spine (I used a cereal box)
- Whatever you wish the cover to be, it can be fabric or paper (I used some construction paper that bent nicely)
- The contrast paper for your cover design, if you wish one
- Elmer's glue
- And finally your lining paper
Step 1: Stack your cardstock in piles of 4 sheets (I had 6 piles)
You will bind the paper in separate folios. I had 4 sheets in each folio and 6 folios so I used a total of 24 sheets of cardstock which creates 48 usable pages.
Step 2: Fold each stack of 4 pages in half
You may have to fold each page individually and stick it together because the paper is so thick, but here are all my folios folded together and stacked. Try and keep it as lined up as possible.
Step 3: Unfold, turn over and staple
Unfold each folio and flip it over as seen in the image above. Then using an open stapler, staple the folio edge together at least two points. So I would staple my dining table I put an eraser under where the stapler was being used to the staple ends go into the eraser, then you just fold the pieces in so its like a normal staple. I was given this idea by the first tutorial and it worked beautifully! Repeat on each folio.
Step 4: Glue the binding onto the folios
First start by cutting your binding from regular printer paper. It should be the same length as the folios, so for me that was 8.5", but it should be 5 times as wide. I started by using binder clips to make sure all my folios stayed together, then measured the width and cut a page 5 times that width. Once that was cut I used a hot glue gun and applied glue to the folded edge of the folios and attached them to the center of the binding paper and let it dry. (If you wish to trim the folios at this point you can, but I liked the uneven edges for my journal.)
Step 5: Measure and cut out the cover boards
I made my covers 1/4" wider than my folios and 1/2" taller so there would be a quarter inch extra on three sides of my folio and the fourth edge lined up with my bound edge of the folio. After I marked this on the chipboard I cut out the cover boards with a large Xacto knife and a metal ruler unlike the architectural scale shown in the picture above so as not to damage the ruler.
Step 6: Make the spine for the journal
In studying hard cover books around my house I realized the spine was not as thick as the covers so I decided to using an empty cereal box as the cardboard for the spine. So by smushing the covers against the bound folios I measured with the cardboard and a pen how wide the spine needed to be and cut it to the same length as the cover boards.
Step 7: Mark and cut the cover material
I first laid out the cover and spine so they are 1/4" apart, then drew my edges for the cover 3/4" wider on each side. So as to minimize overlap I aligned the edges to the covers as seen in the image above. Then following a box I own I looked how the cover was attached and noticed the top and bottom had 45 degree cuts again minimizing overlap so I used that in my cover. Then cut out the material using an Xacto knife or scissors.
Step 8: Cut out the contrast paper for the cover design
I cut out my contrast paper to be the same size as my front cover board so there would not be any uneven edges when glued together.
Step 9: Cut out cover design
It is shown here with the contrast paper beneath so you can see my design but don't place then beneath while cutting your design out. You can do whatever line drawing you would like and if you have a really steady hand you could even do lettering. I however do not so I decided on a mountain and tree landscape. I wished it had come out better but I am happy enough with the design.
Step 10: Glue contrast paper to the cover material
Using elmer's glue so it is a smoother attachment, glue on the contrast paper to where the front cover board would sit.
Step 11: Glue cover boards and spine in place
Using hot glue attach the front cover over the contrast paper then attach the spine and back cover. Make sure everything is aligned nicely with straight edges.
Step 12: Finish the edges of the cover
Start by folding and gluing in the left and right edges, then attach the top and bottom using hot glue. As you can see in the images above the overlap is minimized and creates a crisp cover.
Step 13: Glue the binding paper into the cover
I used hot glue to attach the binding to the cover. Be sure to only put glue on the front and back cover, NOT the spine. The spine is just supportive on that side but if it wear glued it would not close properly.
Step 14: Cut lining paper out
You can use almost any type of paper. You want it to be just as tall as the folios, but twice as wide so they cover the first/last page of the folios and stretch onto the cover as you will see in the next step. This gives the interior a nice finished look so you don't see the chipboard or the folded pieces of the cover.
Step 15: Glue the lining in place
Again I used hot glue for this step. I started by attaching it to the first page, then to the the small fraction of cover between the spine and the cover and then attached it to the cover so it all comes together nicely.
Now it's all done!!
