Jun 1, 2018

Dollar Store Crafts Canvas Notebook Cover Tutorial


How could it possibly be the sixth month of the year!  Where does it go?  Today we launch the June challenge at Mini Album Makers.  I have been wanting to launch a new blog series on Dollar Tree / Dollar Store crafts.  Make sure to follow along for other ideas of how you can make fun craft projects with simple dollar purchases.



I picked up this journal for a buck and created a "souped up" cover for it.  The journal slides in and out of the cover so it can easily be written in and also replaced when filled with thoughts.


Here you can see how it easily slides out.  I was pressed for time this month, but you could easily add pockets and flaps and more to the left side.


To make the covers, first measure your journal insert.  Add 1/4" to the width and 1/2" to the height for your covers.  My insert measures 3 3/4 x 6 3/4 so I cut my covers to 4 x 7 1/4.  I used canvas board by Heidi Swapp.  Next, make a flexible spine.  I used two sheets of sticky back canvas by Ranger with the sticky sides adhered together.  Measure the width of the spine of your journal insert and add 1 1/2" to that (more if you want to add stuff to the left side inside your journal).  My spine measured 1/2" so I cut my canvas to 2" wide.  Adhere 1/2" Red Line tape to either side of the canvas and adhere one of your canvas boards to each side to form your book.  I cut off the excess with scissors once it was adhered.  


Please forgive me for not showing enough process pics...  I opened my covers and laid them on a paper towel then laid the Unblocked Stencil Girl stencil over the canvas and sprayed first Sea Mint Green Shimmer Spray by Lindy's, then C'est la vie Cerise Flat Fabio Spray, alternating the design and drying between colors.  


While I had the stencil wet I did a monoprint of each color onto some watercolor paper.  I cut these pieces to the size of my covers to decorate the inside of my journal.  I stamped the top of the monoprints with Seth Apter's Dot Matrix stamp to coordinate with the pattern of my $1 journal.  I made a wrap to hold my journal and adhered it around my paper then glued them inside to line my covers.  

I used more watercolor paper to mop up the extra spray inks and cut the new Stacked Baroque die and layered with a Mini Detailed Butterfly die which I embossed with Wendy Vecchi Watering Can EP.  


For my cover I embossed my IndigoBlu butterfly in Watering Can and then stamped the sentiment from Tim's Theories stamp set, both onto my  mop up paper.  I finished with a couple of Prima flowers and a vintage seam binding bow.  The ferns are from Tim's Garden Greens dies.


Here's a side view.  You can see the way the canvas boards look with their raw edges.  I love the feel of the canvas and it took the sprays very well.  Of course, you could wrap your covers with designer paper if you like and make a leather or fabric spine.  You could use iron-on interfacing to adhere two pieces of fabric together if you have some fabric you'd love to use.  There are so many options, this is just the basic.  I hope to make another similar design in the future and build upon this concept.  We'd love to see your albums in our June challenge.  One lucky winner will receive a $25 Stencil Girl certificate!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

29 comments:

Marina said...

I love the clever idea of making beautiful items from Dollar Store buys. (I wonder if they're similar to our Pound Shops in the UK?) This is wonderful.

Words and Pictures said...

Love the bright, fresh look of this album, Autumn - it's so cool to see the texture of the canvas on the covers. Beautifully bound too.
Alison x

SD pooja said...

I really loved this idea ! Looks lovely :)

Redanne said...

Oh I love the wonderful organic feel that stencilling on the canvas board gives, the colours are beautiful and so clean looking! It reminds me of the kind of ready made journal that you find in the high end stores... Hugs, Anne xx

Astrid Maclean said...

A fabulous cover Autumn, it has such a lovely summery feel to it and great binding!

Susan said...

I love your pretty cover. What a nice way to upscale the Dollar Tree notebook! I love Dollar Tree and look forward to your new series of posts. Can't wait to see wha you make!

Rachelle Olaridge said...

So beautiful. Love the details and background. Thanks for playing along in this challenge at Tuesday Throwdown. Enjoy your day. Happy Crafting!

Lisa said...

Wow, this is so stunning, Autumn!! The cover looks amazing!! I love the butterfly and pretty flowers!! And I love the the idea of dollar store crafting - what a great idea!! Can't wait to see more posts!! Have a great weekend, my friend!! Big hugs :)

Lisa
A Mermaid's Crafts

Helen Wallace said...

Fresh, Spring like colours on your covers and the inks look wonderfully organic on the canvas background. Lovely to see some dollar store bargains transformed into pieces of art.

Jennie Atkinson said...

Gorgeous colours and such great use of the canvas Autumn - such a wonderfully fresh feell to it all. Looking forward to seeing more of your dollar store crafting! Jennie x

Tracey@Hotchpotchcreations said...

I love a bargain and you’ve created a stunner with your find Autumn with those pretty embellishments and magnificent butterfly. Projects like this are so uplifting. You are so clever!
Hugs Tracey xx

Sue said...

I love this Autumn, it looks so crisp and cool - something that's definitely missing here at the moment! I'm like you, I don't have a clue how it got to be June, I feel like I'm still getting over Christmas! Have a very happy week, Sue xx

Mukta Parvatikar-Maniar said...

Sweet Autumn...this notebook cover screams TRANQUILITY AND SERENITY....loved the colors you used and the butterfly is just so precious. Loved that the embellishments are a steal deal...great work.
Hugs
Mukta

Mac Mable said...

Amazing inspiration, great project, always love a bargain too and so full of texture and colour x

crafty-stamper said...

Fabulous journal cover and reuseable too love the texture and beautiful flowers
Carol x

Marty F said...

Love this, Autumn, and what a great idea to get a little journal at the $1 store! I love your colors and your butterflies, the flowers are gorgeous as is your bow. Very inspiring!! Hugs :-)

Kleri said...

Gorgeous project and I love the idea behind it!I'm a big fan of altering old or bargain items!Very clever!Thank you for sharing with us at the Crafty Gals Corner!Hope you join us again soon!
Hugs
Kleri DT
http://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
http://kefartworx.co.uk/ (My blog)

Esther Asbury said...

Gorgeous project, Autumn! Love how you took the Dollar Store journal and created something beautiful with it! So inspiring!

MariLynn said...

Autumn Love the look of the canvas. That butterfly and the flowers are so pretty on this altered journal. Thanks for sharing.

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Gorgeous Autumn, adore the fresh colour palette. Wonderful transformation . Tracy ❤️❤️

Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith said...

A wonderful idea! So pretty and practical at the same time!

Wendy B. said...

What a lovely project Autumn and can't wait to see more in this series. I LOVE my local dollar store and with your creativity, gonna be a fun ride :) xo

Roxanne said...

I love the simplistic elegance of this cover. I wonder why so many of us are afraid of canvas material? I know I myself have had extra run off or bleed...need to practice I guess....this is a lovely cover and the butterfly and flowers really make it special. :) TFS.

Kim Hamilton said...

Lovely project! Thanks so much for joining us at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge :)

sarascloset said...

Beautifully made, just like you, my friend! Loving these fresh colors and the butterfly/flower bundle! Hugs!

Elizabeth Hart said...

I am running down to the Dollar Store now - this is a fabulous project. Thanks so much for joining us this time at the Crafty Creations Challenge, Elizabeth (DT)

Becca Sadler said...

Thanks for sharing Autumn! I belong to two Facebook groups: Dollar Tree DIY crafts and Junk Journal Junkies ETC, so your project is liking a marriage of the 2 groups! In the JJJ etc group I see so many fabulous journals made from old books, cookbooks, brown paper bags, leather, fabrics, and just marvel at them. But I love your approach because even today when I was in a Dollar Tree, I noticed they had a larger assortment of notebooks and journals with clever saying covers or cute graphic ones, which tempted me to add more to my purchases anyway!!!! Fabulous mixed media approach to your journal cover!!!

Barbara Bruder said...

Autumn, this is a lovely make and to think, it is very inexpensive to do. Love it!!Thanks so much for entering your lovely card into our 'Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow' challenge at Craft-Dee BowZ this month. I look forward to seeing what you create for our next challenge. Hugs, Barbara

Paper Wishes said...

Such lovely fresh colours, what a brilliant transformation. Thanks for sharing x Amanda

Popular Posts