Cover for Paper Journal

When you finish all your pages, collate them by dividing them into 4 signatures (group of pages).

Fold each page in half, this should be along the masking tape and score to get a sharp edge, I use a bone score, but a credit card will do.To make your covers measure your folded pages, and using bookboard or something similar. I used a thinner more flexible bookboard for this one, as I am hoping she will take it in her schoolbag and it will get nice and shoddy from regular use. I also rounder the outside edges to stand up to rough treatment. For the spine using the same bookboard place all your folded pages into a pile inside the covers, measure from back cover to front cover with all pages in between, add a small bit extra to allow for book opening and shutting. (if you do not allow this gap your journal will not sit right.

Join the 3 pieces together using masking tape going all the way around front and back, put your overlapping tape on the inside of your cover. Score down the gap you have allowed between covers and spine. You will find that your journal will hinge nicely.

Above is folded cover waiting to be painted.

This one I have painted in Golden's Quin Burnt Orange, such a lovely vibrant colour suitable for a teenager I think.

Make a template for binding your journal. Measure the height of your pages from top to bottom. I also make a cross on the bottom of template to make sure that I always have that mark on the bottom, just in case I am out a bit in my measurements. It is possible you know. Mark in the centre page of your signatures making sure x is on bottom. Also make sure you have your pages up the right way, also possible to do believe me. Pearce through with a awl push it in well to make your holes big enough. Mark your holes in your spine allowing a space between each row to allow for thickness of signatures. You can use either an awl or if you have a Japanese screw punch use one of the smaller hole punch attachments as you only want a hole big enough for your binding thread. Binding Thread I must confess, here in Australia where its not always possible to get the authentic products we improvise, and I use Oven string, I figure if its strong enough to hold a chicken together cooking in the oven its strong enough to hold a little old journal together. For ease of binding and keeping the string tight I also run the string through a wax block, candle will also work just place string on candle and draw string through several times. To bind I use a long needle 3 or 4 inches long with a hole big enough to thread the string through.

At top or bottom of spine take string from outside of cover through first hole leaving about a 6 inch tail, from outside of first signature thread through first hole to middle of signature. Go to 2nd hole in middle of signature and thread string through signature then through inside of spine. Repeat in this running stitch manner until all holes threaded in the first signature you should be on the outside of the spine take a stitch sideways into next row of holes into next signature, repeat the first row, continue until all signatures are sewn in. You should end up with the two tails at the same edge, I take each one in to the hole next to it and thread it down through that hole, do the same with other tail then take under signatures until both tails are in the same gap then knot firmly. When you are sewing your journal into your spine you can add buttons or beads on opposite stitches going down the spine. I have done this on my Teesha Moore journals.

Above is the first Paper Journal finished. I have used the luscious Golden Green Gold on this one, painted a face on watercolour paper, sewn onto Blue cardigan St Cecilia - Waterhouse paper with black thread as I like the look of paper sewn onto other paper, I thought this paper matched the background of the image I had painted. You don't have to put a painted image you can just make a collage, if you make a paper collage, make sure you seal it, I use Golden Matt medium. I have left the back and inside covers painted with no collage as I am hoping my granddaughter will put what she likes on it.This is the same journal standing up so you can see the stitching on the spine, to match the colour of the cover I painted the string with green gold fluid. This Journal I have used heavier bookboard, it shouldn't bend at all. This journal is bigger at 13 3/4 x 9 1/2 inches than the burnt orange one at 8 x 10 inches. Wow that was an epic entry, I hope I have explained it clearly as putting the journal together correctly is very important to the overall look of your journal. Don't forget to send me photo's of your finished journals, I would really love to see them. Also if there is anything I haven't explained well enough please put it in the comments, this gives me a lot of good feedback.