How I make my Documented Journals for the year.

  First I take apart a composition notebook that you can get from Wal-Mart for like 59 cents. Take out the papers and remove the thread holding them all together. I then put them in sections of like 7 sheets each.













                     Then I sew the sections together. If you notice in the picture below that there is a envelope sewn in. I save my junk mail and use the added return envelopes for my journal. I sew them in random spots sticking them out long or short or in half and sew them in with the paper all in one shot. I usually add pictures to the spots for a little fun through out the journal.     

 I then print off or have bought calendar printouts to washi tape and sew onto the pages at the right areas after counting out days of each month to know where to put the calendar.  I also printed out the cute month tabs to put on the top of the page for easy access to the calendars.

 Here is January and how I did it. I will also going through the year put a printed out picture or do a piece of art to put on the back side of the calendar. 

 Here is my years worth of sections with all the journaling, pictures, art. ready to be made into a book.

 Cut the composition book over in half, if you have another simular type paper or another book cut a section after measuring how tall your journal is.

 I then tape and sew it together with masking tape and my sewing machine.

 I choose what i am going to cover the covers with, this year i did chalkboard paper. Glue them on , you can also sew them on too after tacking them in place. Decorate to your preference.

 Ok now this is the binding, i measured this to match the spine on the cover, but just a hair shorter not much but some. then reinforce the card board with tape at both ends an measure out and mark out how many sections you have . then cut a little slit with a sharp craft knife on those marks. 

 I then take hemp string and put it in between each sections center, with the ends sticking out, take those ends and put on on the top of the cardboard and one on the bottom into those slits, tie it tight in center of the cardboard, I hot glue the knots in place. do this for each section.

  Hot glue spin to spine of your book cover. I then take masking tape and tape it into the cardboard top while it is sitting upright on the spine of the book cover. This helps hold the spine in place too and then you can add washi tape over the top of that to make it look nice. I do this too after adding the decorative paper on the inside of the cover. 

This is how it turns out. I punched a hole in front and back of the cover to add a ribbon to help hold the book closed. My books are usually around 5 inches thick for eash year. I love going back through them and running my hands over the papers and the art and the pictures..Hope this inspires you to make your own life journal.