If you can use a hole punch, you can make these notebooks. The only other skill required is the ability to use scissors. Sometimes, the most professional looking projects are also the easiest!

Trendy gift shops and bookstores carry beautifully made blank books. A blank book can become a dream journal, or a diary of a long awaited vacation. You can use one to pen that novel you have dreamed of writing. Blank books with unlined pages become sketchbooks, even scrapbooks.

You'll want to make several for your own use, and the gift possibilities are endless. A friend known for her culinary skills would love one in which to collect recipes. Someone who collects fine wine could affix the labels of favorite vintages and notes about each one on every page. If there's a fisherman on your list, what about a blank book in which to inscribe stories about the ones that got away?

This is one time when you should judge a book by its cover, or rather, make the right cover for the book. Post cards or snapshots, just as they are, make perfect covers for small notebooks. For larger ones, use any stiff material that is slightly larger than the notebook.

Or you can glue a lightweight paper (gift wrap, wallpaper, magazine photo) to the notebook's original cover, as was done on the medium-sized notebook in the photo. You can even use clear plastic to "laminate" a collage of delicate materials, as in the large notebook shown here.

All of the books shown start with purchased spiral notebooks. Buy the lined ones almost anywhere. If you want to make one with blank pages, pick up an inexpensive spiral bound sketchbook from the art supply store.

Since all you have to do is remove the notebook's original cover, make a new one and reassemble the book, these books can be made in next to no time.

Directions are for the basic notebook with a postcard cover. Once you master that, read the tips for directions on how to make the other styles.

What You Need:

Spiral notebook, any size
Scissors
1/8 inch hole punch
Needle nose pliers
Postcard or snapshot for cover

Optional: ModPodge decoupage medium, shiny clear self adhesive plastic (this is sold by the foot at Meininger's)

What To Do:

The ends of the wire spiral are bent to keep it from sliding out through the holes in the pages and covers of the notebook. Use the needle nosed pliers to straighten the ends of the wire, and twirl the spiral out through all of the holes until it is completely separate from the covers and pages.
Set the wire spiral aside. Pick up the book's cover. Place it on top of the postcard. Hold the cover in place on top of the post card and use it as a pattern to cut out the cover, making sure that you have placed the cover over the best part of the postcard. Use scissors to cut out cover.
Still holding original cover in place over the one you are making, use the hole punch to punch holes all along the side, punching through the holes of the original cover so that the holes you punch are in exactly the same places.
Put the new cover over the pages and back (for a really deluxe job, make a new back for the book to match the front.) Hold in place with one hand. Pick up the spiral in the other hand. Just as you twirled it out through the line of holes, now twirl it in.
When the spiral is completely installed, use the pliers to bend the ends of the wire up to hold the spiral in place.

Tips:

To use lightweight paper to create a sturdy cover, follow step 1. above. Then follow step 2, except place a piece of your material that is slightly larger than your cover over the notebook cover. Coat notebook cover with a thin layer of ModPodge, affix lightweight paper to cover, smoothing out. Place under weights to dry.

When dry, trim lightweight material to edge of notebook cover. Punch holes as in step 3, then complete steps 4 and 5.

To "laminate" a collage cover, follow step 1 above. Affix collage base material (tissue paper, fabric etc.) to cover using ModPodge and let dry as above. Set aside. Cut a piece of clear plastic 1" larger than your cover, peel off the backing and lay it sticky side up on your work surface. Sprinkle sticky side with threads, ribbons, confetti, etc. Lay collaged cover, face down on sticky plastic. Turn over, smooth out plastic. Turn plastic over cover's edge, press down on inside of cover to adhere, mitering corners. Punch holes as above, complete as in steps 4 and 5.