2025 Journal Complete

Tonight, I finished up my 2025 journal. I'm fairly happy with this year's look. All except the ribbon. It's pretty, but it's too stretchy so it doesn't hold the journal closed very well. It just keeps stretching and loosening. So frustrating. But I like the retro papers and how it turned out over all. 

This is the front, sparkly retro papers. I was gifted this paper, so I was happy to be able to use it in this journal cover. 

 Below is how it all started. I start with a composition book, its cheap, I take it apart, removing the paper from the cover. I cut the cover in two.  Then I divide the papers up into sections for however pages I need for the year, each month usually 2 days to a page. Adding the month tabs on top, a calendar page for birthday reminders and appointments etc. I sew each section down the center to keep them together. I then go through the year and cover each page with a paper etc. like I have shown you in past posts. Now we are here, the binding. I use a good piece of cardboard and cut it to the size of my stack of journal sections. Cover edges with masking tape so that it is sturdier, as I am going to be using the hemp string to lay through the center of each section and then tie to the cardboard to hold in place. I also notch the designated number of notches for the number of sections I have. That way the string with settle into that notch and stay in place.

I decide on my papers for my cover inside and out and for the spine. All papers are mod podged in, sometimes I have to ruff up the front of the composition covers to make sure the papers stick better. I cannot do the spine of course until all are attached and front covers on. 

This is a picture of how I find the center of the section and lay the string down it and then pull it to the spine section and tie it and hot glue each tie to make sure they do not come undone as you see below. Cutting off excess string. 

Then I add a piece of heavier card stock to the back of the pretty paper I'm putting on the spine to cover this to make it sturdier and also to allow me to hot glue it to this mess of string without it showing the bumps through the spin paper. You have to do it in sections when dealing with hot glue. Overlap the paper onto the covers to make a nice-looking book. So there it is, 2025 all bound! I now will start a new book, making my sections, sewing the sections, I better get busy, the new year is just a few days away!! Thanks for stopping by!