Personalized journals make great gifts for people who love to jot down their thoughts and ideas. Learn how to decorate a notebook with fused fabric and purchased composition books. Mix up the fabrics, have some fun and make them yours! These are great gifts for just about everyone!
Yield: One (1) decorated notebook
How to Decorate a Notebook
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
You can decorate a notebook that is special for you or give as a gift with a little fabric and some creativity!
No sewing machine is needed for our method of making a beautiful journal cover. Start with a simple notebook and add small pieces of fabric!
Here is our journal cover tutorial:
Materials
- Composition notebook
- 1/2 yard fabric to cover the composition notebook (Note: Make sure to use cotton fabric or fabrics that can be pressed with a hot iron)
- 1/4 yard fabric for inside of the composition notebook, lining fabric
- 1 yard double sided fusible like Misty Fuse or Wonder Under
- Scraps of fabric or trims for decorations
- OPTIONAL: Fusible crystals
Tools
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Teflon mat for fusing
- Scissors
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting mat
- Tweezers
Instructions
- Start with a basic composition notebook and a piece of fabric that has double sided fusible web already applied to the wrong side. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your brand of fusible web.
- Cut the fabric about 2 inches larger all around than the open composition book. You'll see I have about 2" around the top, bottom and side. I did open the book to make sure I have the extra about on both sides (it didn't want to lay open and flat for the picture). You can use a tape measure, if you'd like to measure. I find that just using the book as the pattern works well.
- At the center spine of the notebook, cut out a sliver of the outer fabric down to the edge of teh front cover notebook binding so that you can fold the excess fabric onto the inside cover of the book. Do this at both the top and bottom of the spine.
- Once you have carefully folded the fabric to the inside on all sides, close the book and take it to your ironing board.
- Press from the right side first. This will make the fabric cover with the two-sided fusible web adhere to the notebook cover.
- Once the outside covers are fused, open the composition book and carefully fuse the excess fabric to the inside covers of the book. I was using some steam here
- I like to finish off the inside of the book with a coordinating fabric. Cut a piece of fabric that already has the double-sided fusible web applied. Cut so that it will cover the raw edges you just fused to the inside of the book cover. Press the inside piece in place. Now the inside is as nice as the outside will be!
- Now you have a fully covered notebook. Time to have some fun and be creative with scraps of pre-fused fabrics.
You can do all kinds of things on the covers - stencil letters or words, fuse different shapes or stamp designs! You can decorate both the fron and the back of the cover, if you'd like!
I decided to add my whimsical flowers to the front of the cover. On this notebook, I used an amazing piece of Judy Robertson's hand-dyed fabric.
Start by free hand cutting with a rotary cutter a wavy edge on the fabric.
- Then, cut again with your rotary cutter to make another wavy edge, making the cuts into leaf/petal shapes. This makes the petals similar, but not perfect . . . which adds character.
- Continue trimming up the edge to a new curve, cutting more petals along the way, until you have enough for your project.
- Lay the flower petals out on your book cover, with the fusible side down. When you are happy with your layout, take it to the ironing board and press the petals in place.
- Who doesn't love a little bling on their flowers? Fusible crystals work great! Lay them out with a pair of tweezers.
- Once you have them the way you'd like them, go ahead and fuse them in place with your small fusing iron - if you don't have one, use a teflon sheet over them with your regular iron.
- Here is your finished decorated notebook, ready to capture your thoughts and notes!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
What are some other ideas to decorate a notebook?
You can use any type of notebook for decorating. Your preference is for spiral notebooks? Smaller or larger notebooks? Any size works with the same technique of fusing fabric to the cover.
- Use pieces of old embroidered linens to cover your notebook to make it special. Or maybe even cut up an unfinished piece of needlepoint that you discover at a thrift shop. This is the time to have some fun. Remember, nothing is precious. If you love it, use it!
- Can’t toss that last few inches of a special trim you used on special project? Find a way to incorporate it into your notebook cover.
- Add some hand stitches to personalize the cover. Ideas include the recipient’s name or initials – or add a few lazy daisy stitches!
- Add a pen holder! check out our article on how to make a pen quiver.
- Add an elastic band. Take a length of elastic that is about 2-inches longer than the height of the notebook. Secure the ends with glue on the top and bottom of the inside back cover. Glue about 1-inch of the elastic at both the top and the bottom. When the glue is dry, the elastic closure can be looped around the outer cover, keeping it closed. This works for any size notebook.
- Did you or do you collect patches / badges? What a perfect way to highlight these special little pieces by putting them on display on the notebook you’ll use every day!
- Pull out some washi tape and make designs on the front cover. Or, colorful duct tape!
- Go through a favorite magazine and cut out some pictures that speak to you. Make a collage on the cover of a notebook and use modge podge to hold everything securely in place.
- This is a great way to use up fabric scraps – especially fabrics with fusible web already applied to the wrong side!
- Add a patch pocket onto your fabric before fusing to the notebook. You can store pens or notecards in the pocket.
- Add a ribbon bookmark! Cut a piece of ribbon that is 2-3 inches longer than the height of your notebook. Glue one end in the top center inside cover of your notebook. Tie a knot on the other end. Once the glue is dry, your ribbon is ready to mark your place in your notebook!
Who says notebooks have to be boring! Make it your personal style! These make great Christmas gifts.
Browse through more projects to inspire creativity. You might also be interested in making a pen quiver that fits an Leuchttrum notebook,
