Journal Tutorial and GiveAway!

This past winter, I was lurking, stalking enjoying some of the fabulous blogs out there and I spied a post about making covers for the composition notebooks. Since I didn’t own a sewing machine at the time, I wasn’t inclined to make such a thing. In February, though, my nephew was killed by a drunk driver and in an effort to help my sister and her family cope with the loss, the idea of making some journals popped back in my head. 
Again, without the sewing machine I needed a tweak that would work for me. Modge Podge to the rescue. Here’s how I did it.
Supplies:
Composition Notebook
Fat-Quarter of fabric
2 pieces of coordinating scrapbook paper
Modge Podge
Scissors
1″ Foam brush
I used a regular composition notebook, which are currently on sale at the soul-sucking-mega-shopping-plex known as Wal-Mart right now for $.25! A fat quarter of fabric is also sold at The Evil Giant (read: Wal-Mart) for $1.00/ea. I have no idea if this is a good deal or not, but since I have more power to resist temptation at Satan’s playground (read: Wal-Mart) than I do at the Holy Land (read: JoAnn’s), I buy things like this in Outer Darkness (read:  Haven’t you figured it out by now?).
Actually, this particular fabric is leftover from this project. I didn’t want to make a special trip to Hades just for this tutorial.
Tear or cut your fabric so you have about a half-inch border around the book, like this:
Grab your bottle of Modge Podge (you know you have some). I like to work in sections, but I don’t necessarily wait until they are all dry to do both sides. When I made my first books, I lathered it on pretty thick, but now I just use a light coat. I prefer the material to still feel like fabric when it dries and not all creaky and crackly. 
This is actually a little too thick. It really doesn’t need that much to grab hold of the fabric.

This is what it looks like after you smooth it all out.
Next, notch the fabric at the spine like so:
Open one side of the book and paint a border around the three edges (ignore the center section). Fold in the corners first, like this:

Do both corners and then fold down the sides. Look! You made mitered corner. You may need to paint on some more Modge Podge in the corners to hold it down.  It should look like this:

While it’s drying (or, if you want to be prepared you can do this step at the very beginning of the project) trace around the paper to get a template for the inside cover. Like so:
Note: If you have a specific pattern to your paper, you may want to make sure that it is correctly lined up before you trace. I’m just saying is all…not that I’d know from experience or anything.
Cut out the paper, leaving about 1/4″ around the INSIDE of the line. You want your inside cover to be slightly smaller than the actual size of the book. Modge Podge that bad boy down, smoothing out any wrinkles as  you go. Again, a light hand with the MP is all that’s needed. It will look like this:

I added a label using my handy-dandy Crop-A-Dile II (purchased on clearance from The Demon Outlet for $10). I also whipped up a beaded bookmark to add a little Frou-Fru lovin’ to the book.
 Here is the finished product:
Did ya’ read the label? That’s right…I’m GiViNg this book away in honor of having double-digit followers. 
Hey…we all gotta start somewhere.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
1. Follow my blog and leave a comment to tell me all about it for two chances to win. Yeah, I’m blantantly fishing for compliments. What of? A girl’s gotta get the lovin’ where she can. 
2. Help spread the word about Frou-FruGal by posting a link to this GiveAway on your blog sidebar. That’ll get you three entries. Come back here and leave me a comment that you posted me on your sidebar.
3. Head over to Facebook and “Like” the Frou-FruGal. Leave a comment on my wall AND here for Three more chances to win.

Winner will be announced on Sunday, September 5th.
This posting is in loving memory of my nephew, Spc. Kale Darren Clay,  who was born in Olympia Washington on 03 March 1986 and passed away on 13 February 2010 at the age of 23. I love you, Kale!
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