Tutorial - Wire notebook

I love to make little wire notebooks.  They are really handy to carry to take quick notes, and are also great for travel journals.  Start by gathering the paper you'd like to use inside the journal, some thin cardboard, a utility knife, paint, a brush, and a ruler.

I like to use leftover cardboard from packaging to make the covers. I think came from an order for postage stamps.  Cut the cardboard one-quarter inch wider and one-eighth inch longer than the inside pages. Paint the front, sides, and back of the cardboard. I squirt the paint right on the cardboard, and spread it with a brush.

The left piece below shows the back after painting, and the right shows the front after painting.

I chose to decorate each of my inside pages with some stamps.

To decorate the cover, I'm going to use some stickers that are cut to look like postage stamps.  Since the stickers are light in color, and the paint is light, I use a colorbox stylus to apply some ink to the edges of each sticker.  The colorbox stylus gives a nice soft application of ink.  The stickers are no longer available; they were from Club Scrap's "To You with Love" kit.

Apply the stickers in a random pattern, making sure to go over the edges.  This will give a more natural appearance to the collage.

After all of the stickers have been applied, wrap the stickers around the edge of the cardboard.  Cover the back with a piece of coordinating cardstock.

Here are the "outsides" of the covers after placing all of the stickers. This is a great way to use up stickers!  I added a few more stickers after I covered both covers and knew how many extras I would have to work with.

I'm using the Zutter Bind-it-All to bind my book.  I use wire cutter to clip the appropriate length of coil.  I'm using six loops.

Use the Bind-it-all to punch holes in each cover and each inside page.  This is why I use thinner cardboard and coverings - there is a limit to how thick the material can be to punch holes in it!  For this book, I'm centering six holes in each page, so it makes the project very easy.

After all of the holes are punched, hold the book as it will be assembled.  Wrap the back cover around to the front, and insert the coil.

Use the slot in the front of the Bind-it-all to crimp the coil closed.

The finished book!  I added a little quote to the cover, and it's now ready for my next adventure!