Capturing Memories
by Heather Harden
This has always been a particularly poignant time of year for me. As a child, I remember the emotional complexity of saying a bittersweet good bye to summertime freedoms while anticipating the excitement of a new school year. It was a time when the gifts of an all too short Maine Summer were traded for the wonder and potential captured by a new box of crayons.
This month’s project is a trio of small handmade photo journals. They are just right for saving memories of summer fun and the perfect place to collect your friend’s school photos. They are super easy and fun to make. So, make lots to trade with friends and family members!
Tools:
• Markers, crayons or colored pencils
• Needle with an eye large enough to accommodate the ribbon
• Hole punch – ¼”
• Scissors
• 12” ruler
• Pencil
• Bone folder or a smooth edged butter knife
• Optional: Paper cutter
Materials:
• Card Stock – 8½ x 11”. This is available at most craft stores in the scrap booking section.
• Satin, grosgrain or organdy ribbon - ½ to 1” wide. Approximately 24” per journal. These ribbons are available in a variety of widths and colors at most craft or fabric stores.
• Small stick – about ¼ - ½” diameter and about 5” long.
• Medium rubber band- about 3 ½”
• Photo mounting squares or photo mounting corners or double stick tape
• Lots & lots of photos!
Getting Started – Gathering your Photos
The larger journal will accommodate photos that are 4x6” or smaller and the mini-journal is perfect for 2x3” wallet size school pictures. It is a good idea to gather your photos first. This will make it easier to choose paper that will compliment your photos.
Preparing the Pages for the Stick or Ribbon Binding
The preparation of the journal covers and pages for the two binding techniques will be the same up to the point of actually binding the pages. The journals will use 8½ x 11” paper, cut in half the long way. The bindings will accommodate a front and back cover and 10 – 20 pages. This means you will need 1 piece of one piece of cardstock for the covers and 5 – 10 pieces for the pages of the journal.
Starting from the edge of the long side of the paper, carefully make a line 5½” from the end of the paper. Cut along that line, using scissors or a paper cutter. Continue this process until you have cut the desired number of pages.
To ensure all the binding holes are punched in exactly the same spot, make a punching template from a scrap of paper. The template should be 5½” long and about 1½” wide. Make a line ½” from the left edge of the template. Measure 1¼” from each end of that line and make a mark. Using the paper punch, carefully center the punch over the point where the marks cross the original line and punch a hole.
To use the template, align the left edge of the template with the left edge of page and trace the holes.
Carefully center the hole punch over each of the traced circles and punch a hole. Continue this process until all pages have been punched.
To ensure the journal will lie flat when opened; each page needs to be scored and creased. Using a ruler that is an inch wide, align the edge of the ruler with the left edge of the page. Draw the bone folder or the smooth edge of a butter knife next to the ruler as if drawing a line using enough pressure to make a small indentation in the page. Using the scored line, crease the pages.
Photo: Scoring & Creasing
After the covers and all the pages have been punched and scored, neatly stack the pages making sure that all the holes are aligned.
Stick Binding
You are now ready to start binding the journal. For the first journal you will be using the rubber band and the stick to make the binding. From the back, insert the rubber band into the bottom hole.
Pull the rubber band through to the front and insert one end of the stick onto the loop formed by the rubber band.
Again from the back, insert the other end of the rubber band into the top hole and pull it to the front. Carefully stretch the rubber band over the other end of the stick.
This completes the first journal!
Ribbon Binding
The cover and pages for the ribbon bound journal are prepared the same as for the stick binding up the point of inserting the rubber band into the binding holes. Instead of a rubber band, a piece of ribbon will be used to secure the pages.
Once the covers and pages and have been cut to size, punched, scored, creased and stacked, thread the large needle with approximately 24” of ribbon.
From the front insert the needle into the bottom hole and pull all but about 10” through the hole. From the back, insert the needle into the top hole and pull the ribbon snugly, making sure that the ribbon is not twisted.
Again from the front insert the needle into the bottom hole, taking care to hold the ribbon already in that hole out of the way. Pull the ribbon through to the back. From the back, insert the needle into the top hole and pull the ribbon, making sure the ribbon is not twisted.
Pull the ribbon snugly; making sure it lies flat on the front and back. Tie the ribbon in a bow knot and trim the ends of the ribbon at an angle to reduce fraying. This completes the second journal!
Mini-Journals
This size is perfect to collect and trade wallet size school photos. This journal will use 8½ x 11” card stock cut in quarters. Cut the card stock in half the long way as in the previous formats and then cut it in half again. This will yield four 5 ½ x 4 ½” pages.
The cover and pages for the mini-journal will be prepared the same way as the larger journals. After you have cut the desired number of pages, use the punching template from the prior steps. Align the template with the long edge of the page and trace the holes, then punch them. The pages will also need to be scored.
After the covers and the pages have been cut, punched, scored, creased and stacked, use either the stick or ribbon binding technique to finish the journal.
Mounting Photos
Using manufacture’s instructions for the photo mounting squares or corners, mount your photos in your new journals.
Use your imagination to decorate the covers and pages to match the theme of the journal.
Add beads to the ends of the binding ribbons for a little extra pizzazz.
Most of all enjoy collecting old memories and making new ones!
Got cool spirit crafting ideas? Send them into SpriritLiving at submissions@spiritliving.org and please include pictures of the steps!
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