Tutorial by Sugar Beet Crafts

Composition Notebook Cover Re-Do #1 (Decoupaged Paper Mix Media Style)

Hi Everybody!

It’s tutorial time! I love to customize my own office supplies. I use composition notebooks for everything so keeping them easily identifiable is a must. I am going to create a few tutorials over the next few weeks showing you different ways to maximize the fantasticness of your notebook, so keep an eye out!

This week I thought I would start with a fun one. Its basically paper mixed media. I use these techniques when I make tags and art journal entries. I had fun with it and really like how it turned out. I hope you like it too.

So here we go!

Materials Needed:

• Composition Notebook
• Mod Podge
• Ink Spray or Watercolors
• Paper cut outs or Stickers
• Embroidery Thread
• Beads
• Markers
• Glitter Glue
• File Folder
• Scissors

First off, let’s make a reusable template. Now of course you do not have to do this step, you can just trace around your composition book. I personally like a template, easier to handle.

I use file folders, they are the perfect thickness and I usually have a whole bunch of extras around. *You could also use a cereal box, they also work great.

Place the folded edge of the composition book along the folded edge of the file folder.

I like to make templates I can re-use.

Trace. Cut out.

I always keep the scraps for later. You never know when you need a random piece

The bendable line farthest from the folded edge of the folder is the same amount of space the black tape on the composition notebook. This comes in handy if you are not going to cover the entire book and want to keep the black tape on the notebook exposed.

I usually bend it over then trace on that line to get the right size.

Now the fun stuff.

You can use anything you like as a background. For the tutorial I decided to use 2 pages that were photocopied out of a vintage dictionary. One for the front and one for the back.

Gather your materials:

Trace the template onto the background image.

Then cut out.

Gather your ink sprays or watercolors, Spray with color!

I used Dylusions Ink Spray, but you could use watercolors or anything you like.

 

I colored up the page by spraying  Ink Sprays around the page.

Then I added some water to get the colors to run together and combine.

Let completely dry.

1. Once the spray is completely dry, Open the composition book so that it’s flat.
2. Make sure your finished background fits the top of the composition book the way you like.
3. Smear the cover page of your composition book with Mod Podge then stick the background in place. I add a layer of Mod Podge, then lay the page on top, then carefully smooth it out.
4. Repeat with the back page on the back of the composition book.
5. Let completely dry. The drying time is the hardest part.
6. Once everything is dry, it’s time to start adding the fun stuff. Gather all your cutouts or stickers or whatever you would like to stick to your composition book.

Arrange your cutouts, once you’re happy use the Mod Podge to stick them down.

Now Carefully cover everything with the Mod Podge. The Mod Podge will pick up the color of the ink even after drying, so I usually pour some out into a container rather than re-dipping the brush in the main container.

Let completely dry.

You can now cover with a spray clear sealer if you want too. I like to use it. Keeps things nice.

Now, You can stop here… but I didn’t.

I like to add bookmarks. And random stuff.

Usually, I just tape a ribbon to the inside of the front or back cover as a bookmark, but I decided to have a little fun with this one.  

I had some left over tags that I previously decorated.

1. I placed them side by side and taped just the outside side on each tag. So they open towards each other.
2. I then strung some embroidery string through the Tags hole, and added a pretty little bead to the bottom, just for pizzaz.

Here is a link to some earlier Mixed Media tag projects, you might like some ideas to use for your Composition book covers. https://goo.gl/CdvZcc

I would love to see what you come up with! Send me some pics!

Next week I will be doing Composition Notebook cover RE-Do #2! You will have to check it out to see what it is.

Have a wonderful week everyone! Let’s get crafting!