DIY Recycled Journal!

by Wania Ahmed in Craft > Books & Journals

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DIY Recycled Journal!

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Hi everyone! Today, I will tell you how to create the perfect little journal, from a cereal box! The main purpose of this journal is to use it as a junk journal or a scrapbook, which is why it's shape is like a mini binder, so that if the pages expand with much gluing in of things, the journal wont look ugly. But Of course you could use it for anything you want!

Gathering Your Supplies

Here is a list of the supplies you will need:

A cereal box ( or any other box that is shaped in the same way)

Scissors

Glue

Newspapers, Magazine papers, advertising pamphlets, paper bags etc that you would normally throw away.

Some yarn or a wool. ( for binding the papers together, however if you don't prefer my method, you could bind the papers in using simple binding, if taht's open to you)

A single button (Optional, I didnt use it)

Packing taoe

The Journal

You will have to open up your cereal box complletely, so that it lays flat on your surface. Cut of all of the sides and neaten the edges. Now you have a neat binder shape. Cut your cereal box from the top and bottom to size it up to the size you want your journal to be. It is completely up to you, but I created a little journal. Your spine is already made because of the side of the box. With the help of the glue, stick some newspaper or magazine paper on the front cover ( I noticed these are very fasionable nowoadays, newspaper backpacks and magazine notebooks etc so why not?) Gently, using a ruler, fold the spine ( once the paper is on). Now cut paper( white or colored or newspaper or magzine paper, whatever you want) according to the measurements of your inside cover, spine etc. And glue it in. Your main cover is ready! Decorate it if you want to.

The Pages

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As this is supposed to be a scrapbook or a junk journal, you will have to paste pictures or cutouts on the pages anyway, so it dosen't matter what you are using,altough it is in trend to use newspapers, paperbags, advertisments etc as your pages as it makes everything looks fancy and fuller. You will have to decide how many pages1` you want and divide them into equal groups. Let's say you want 4 paper bags, 4 advertisments, 4 newspapers, 4 magazine papers, and 4 simple white paper. You will make 4 notebooks, each with one of the papers from the 4 categories. Now your noteboooks will be equally divided. Yahoo! Staple them together, or tie with a ribbon

Binding in Your Pages

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simply get as many pieces of yarn ( or wool) as your notebooks. Lets continue our example of 4 notebooks. I will take 4 pieces of yarn, each at least 50 cm long. Thread each piece through the button and make a know to secure the yarns. put the button in the middle of the spine ( outside) and flip the notebook open. Grab one of your notebooks and open it right in the middle. Now grab a piece of yarn that you threaded in the button ( The same strand of yarn half the piece will be grabbed from top and half from below, because you put your button in the middle.). Tie a knot in the middle of the notebook and tighten. Cut off the access thread. Repeat with other notebooks. READY! :)

Details

Decorate your Journal if you want to. Now add pockets or any other details you want to add.