I'm sure for many of you the holiday festivities are already underway. If you are looking for any altered projects, cards or holiday layout ideas make sure to head over to Paper Issues. There is a ton of really fun projects that I have already bookmarked to try later. You can share your holiday creations too by using the linky to upload your project.
Today, I want to share my process for binding scrapbook paper into old books. This tutorial is similar to the process that I used for my 12 Days of Christmas mini album, but modified a bit so the pages will lay flatter when the book is opened.
After selecting the book you want to use, cut the pages out of the book with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut the spine of the book. Take your time on this step, so you don't cut yourself or the spine.
Once the pages are removed open the book and measure the width and height. Using the dimensions,cut a piece of coordinating paper. This will be the inside cover that the new pages will be bonded to and then glued to the inside of the book.
Next, measure the distance from the left edge of the book to the spine and repeat for the other side. Using a pencil, mark on the new inside cover where you measured in for the new spine and score the paper on these two marks. I reinforced the fold with fabric tape and placed it on the side that will be glued down to the book so it won't be showing in my finished book.
Cover the outside spine of the book with decorative tape and fold over to the inside of the book. Cut a small strip of coordinating paper and glue down to the inside of the spine and over the decorative tape.
Set the book cover aside to dry and gather the patterned paper you would like to use for the inside pages. Cut the paper to size, for this book I used a pack of 4x6 Amy Butler patterned paper and card stock. I added a doily to some of the pages and punched decorative borders on edges of the card stock.
Cut a strip of glue the size of the spine and set it inside your patterned paper cover. Evenly space the pages on top of the glue strip and set it into the binding machine.
I use the Book Creator to melt the glue adhering the pages into my cover. This bonding machine has its own special book covers with glue and metal strip already in the spine. The metal strip activates the heating element that melts the glue and binds the pages into the spine. In order to activate the heating element the Book Creator book cover needs to be placed on the heating element with my new page insert and left there during the entire cycle. Once it is done, leave it setting upright for a few minutes to let the glue cool down and harden.
I realize most of you don't have a binding machine. You could try placing a thin layer of flexible glue, like E6000, and adhere your paper on top of it. If you try this, make sure you leave the cover and pages sitting upright until the glue dries. I have not tried that method but I think it would work if you don't have a binding machine.
Glue the cover with pages to the inside of the book. I used binder clips to hold the inside cover in place while the glue dried. Apply decorative tape to the inside book cover and front/back page for reinforcement. You can see this in the bottom right photo below.
Notice how the spine of the inside cover that I created is not glued down into the spine of the original book. If you glue it to the spine of the original book it makes it much harder to open the book flat and fold the paper over. I do not recommend gluing your pages onto the original spine.
Embellish the cover of your book and you are done. These books are great for smaller wallet size photos and journaling. I like the smaller size and how I can actually display them in our bookshelf.
There are many ways to do book binding, including gluing, sewing or using metal rings. When I want my finished product to look like an actual book, this is the process I use. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments and I'll make sure to answer them.
