Beautifying School Supplies

I am on the design team for Artistcellar for the next six weeks.  I made a back-to-school project for my first post.  I’m always looking for ways to individualize school supplies and make them more interesting.  I’m going to show you how to make a pretty cover for a composition notebook.  These directions would work for any type of hardbound journal though.

Start by laying down your notebook on a large piece of paper and making a tracing of the cover.  Trace one cover and then the middle and then the other cover.  That way you have the complete size of the cover.  Add about three inches to each end to make flaps.  This can be adjusted for personal preference.  Add ½” all the way around for a seam allowance.  Cut out your completed pattern.

Use this pattern to cut out two pieces of fabric.  I used cotton fabric that I snow dyed for the outside and a store bought piece of cotton for the inside.   Both pieces of fabric are the same size.

Take the piece of fabric that you want to be on the outside and a stencil and add a pattern.  I used black fabric paint and the rivermap texture stencil  and the cherry blossom stencil to add a random pattern and a few other stencils.  You can cover the whole piece of fabric, or you can just add bits of stenciling her and there.  Let the paint dry and then heat set it according to the manufactures directions.

Put both pieces of fabric together with the right sides on the inside.  Sew around the piece at the ½” mark.  Leave a gap of a few inches on one of the short sides open so that you can turn it right side out.  I trimmed the corners at a diagonal and the seams so that they were narrower.

Here the pieces are sewn and trimmed before turning it right side out.

Press all the seams and then turn it right side out.  Make sure that the corners are pushed out all the way so that they look neat.  Slip stitch the opening closed.  Press the whole piece again so that the edges are all nice and neat.

Close-up of slip stitching the opening closed.

Turn the flap area to the inside, the same measurement on both edges, and press with the iron.  Double check that the fit will be snug against your notebook before you press it.  When you have everything lined up correctly and have the edges even stitch across the top and bottom of each flap.

Slip each cover of your notebook into the flaps and your notebook now has a pretty cover.

You can use the inside flaps for storing extra papers.

The rest of the covers are shown here on the website on the journal page.
Now you know how to jazz up your plain notebooks and journals.  I hope that you go out and make a cover for your notebooks and journals.  Have a creative week and make some pretty school supplies.
Janelle