I’ve blogged about my bookbinding tools and materials, but thought it would be helpful to start a series of posts that goes through my thought process of creating a brand new handmade journal from scratch. Inspiration can certainly come from many different sources. Sometimes an embellishment might seem really cool to add to a journal cover and that’s where it all begins. Or perhaps a new binding stitch discovered tempts me to try it out. Or even coming across some special drawing paper that I want to test.
But most often I’m inspired by cover materials… what will my journal look like outside at first glance? What will protect my precious journal entries from the elements? What look, feel, style will set the theme for the whole journal? Since we see the covers of our journals pretty much every single time we use them, I would say it’s a pretty important aspect. It’s also just fun to experiment with all kinds of different materials.
Let me say that you can literally use any material for your journal. Yes, any material, I said. Even when something seems flimsy or difficult to work with, remember that you can always mount it on another base material and protect it with a layer of varnish or gloss. Get creative! I’ve used cardboard, scrapbook papers, packaging materials, cloth, felt, handmade papers, wallpaper, paper-mache, fused plastic bags… the list goes on. Do you have a funky material used story to share?
Of course, by far the most popular material for me to use is leather. This is simply because I have access to beautiful leathers (thank you hubby). However, I also sometimes back it onto cardboard or hardboard to give it more structure. Other times I also line the inside with felt or fabric to give it a lining. Here are some points to go through when considering a material for your journal cover…
- Does the material have the desired structure/weight/flexibility?
- Will you need to back it with a supporting material?
- Are you able to cut it to size and work with it to construct your cover?
- Will you need a lining material for the inside?
- How will the material stand up to the elements? Water? Fire? Tossed around in your purse?
- Will you need to consider protecting the material with varnish, medium, transparent cover material?
Hope that my tips will help you to find lovely cover materials for your own handmade journal. BTW, iHanna recently blogged about deciding on cover papers for her handmade journals as well. There are certainly so many possibilities, it might seem like too much choice. But the freedom to use what you want and use what you have, makes bookbinding fun and approachable for all. When you make your own journal that’s the first step of your creative self-expression… so try it out!
Are there other materials you have used for journal covers? Please share below your tips and suggestions.
