Altered Book: All Dressed Up Composition Book DIY
Altered books can have humble, economical beginnings
like the ubiquitous composition book,
then dress them up in fancy papers and pretty accessories
they become fabulous desk candy.
Case in point, we’ll give you a step-by-step how-to of a glam journal we designed with items from our stash.
Then, if you don’t want to make your own, you can enter a drawing to get this sample free! (Sorry, the drawing is over. But you can buy a similar printable planner kit here.)
Accidental Altered Composition Book
It was a typical, order-fulfilling day, when suddenly my computer screen went blank, the lights flicked off, and the house went silent. The electricity and wifi were gone.
After running several activity options through my mental day-planner, I had to reject most of them because they involved “juice” in some way.
Finish sewing Kim’s dress. Sewing machines use power, so no.
Iron the laundry pile of shirts. No electricity.
Marie Kondo the inventory room. Too dark to see. (Yippee!)
Cricut cut a VBS order. No computer, no electricity.
So… accidentally…
just the best is left.
Create something that uses only hand-run tools!
A good day to have a good day…
Supplies:
- Composition book
- Scrapbook paper stash or use the link to pretty vintage style paper
- Ribbon and accessory stash
- Stamps and our favorite ink pads
- Embossing powder
- Paint and brush
- Tacky glue and/or hot glue, ruler or tape measure, cutting board, scissors, pencil
Find another altered composition book DIY here.
Prep your dress up papers for your Altered Composition Book DIY
I chose one 12″ x 12″ black flocked paper to cover the spine, one 12″ x 12″ silver and white glitter swirls cardstock for the fronts and backs, and two 12″x12″ grey and white swirl un-glittered papers for the inside covers. These papers are likely not in the shops by now, but there are so many options. Check out the link on our Supplies list above, or search the internet for free scrapbook papers you can print yourself.
Start by cutting the glittered paper in half. Position it over the book so it is centered top to bottom, and 3/4″ beyond the open side of the book. Glue just the outsides of the composition book to the cardstock, first the front, then the back.
When the glue is dry, open the front. Create a fold line 1/8″ from the edge of the composition book. This will allow a small lip, so the inside pages of the book are smaller than the covers.
Here’s a diagram:
Turn the flaps in and glue well. Repeat for the back of the composition book.
Close the book, and measure the spine from top silver swirl paper edge, around spine, to the back silver swirl paper edge. Your cut will be around 4″ to 4.25″ x 12″.
Center the paper top to bottom on the book front, and glue just the front spine piece, butted up to the silver swirl paper. When this is dry, wrap the spine paper to the back, and glue the back only. You do not need to put any glue on the spine.
Open the composition book. With the covers flat on the table, cut slits right at the spine, top and bottom, front and back. Trim the outside corners. Glue the flaps up, leaving a 1/8″ lip like you did with the silver swirl paper. Trim the spine pieces flush with the folded flaps.
Glam up time!
The papers I used were pretty enough without adding a lot of fun stuff, so I kept it simple.
I glued a silver/black zipper where the papers meet on the front cover, wrapping it around to the inside about 3/4″.
My stash included a raw wood cut out with a center cut that works well as a buckle for the ribbon to run through. I painted the wood black with acrylic paint. Then with black stamp pad ink and Stampendous Frantage powder, I embossed the top of the cut out, giving it a vintage metal look.
Cut two 12″ lengths of ribbon. Glue about 3″ of each ribbon to the inside of the composition book, centered top to bottom, both to inside front and inside back.
Bring the front cover’s ribbon up through the center of the cut out. Glue the ribbon and the cut out securely to the front cover. Let this all dry well.
Optional: Finish the inside of your Altered Composition Book.
If you decide to DIY the inside to match the outside of your journal, this is what we did:
Measure the inside covers of your journal, and cut the two grey/white swirl papers 1/8″ smaller than the cover measurement. Glue in, secured well over the ribbons and zipper edges.
You can stop now, or take the DIY up a notch by decking out the inside pages of your book. E.g. DIY matching tab pages, etc.
This journal we just finished is almost too gorgeous; nice enough to be a wedding guestbook, or a wedding planner journal.
When you decide what your journal will be used for you can create inside pages to express your topic.
Just for fun, we’ll make a first page for an engaged couple who will use this as a wedding planner.
If I was going to use this Altered Composition Book as a planner, where you’d include more papers or sections, I would cut out some middle pages. (Be very careful, so as not to cut the binding threads.) This would allow space for the bulk of added pictures and papers.
