guest blogger - Sasha from The Guilded Bee:

Here's another DIY project from our sweet friend, Sasha - from the The Gilded Bee. Be sure to check out her awesome shop full of handmade packaging lovelies. Thanks for being here with us Sasha!

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hello, this is Sasha from The Gilded Bee. :)

I'm delighted to share my book tutorial with you today:

HOW TO MAKE THE MINI JOTTER+BOOK:

Supplies you’ll need to make this project:

• One—8.5 x 5.5 sheet of cardstock

• One---1/2 x 3 inch piece of cardstock or paper

• Two---2 5/8 x 3 1/8 inch pieces of cardboard, chipboard or matboard (not corrugated)

• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

• 25---3 x 5 inch ruled or blank index cards

• Two---3 x 5 inch sheets cardstock

• 2 rubber bands

• Pencil

• ¼ inch wide Ribbon: One-6 inch piece, plus two-1 inch pieces

To make the page block:

* 1. Fold the 25 index cards, and the two 3x5 sheets of cardstock in half.

* 2. With all of the folded edges facing the same direction, align the pages (this is important, if they aren’t perfectly aligned, some of the pages might not be glued properly/could fall out), and secure with a couple of rubber bands along the edges opposite to the folds.

* 3. With your hot glue gun, apply a layer of glue all over the end of the side with the folded edges (notes: pinch the paper together as you apply the glue to make sure it is the same width all along the finished edge. Use the tip of the glue gun held at an angle to help you spread the glue evenly. When applying the glue, start from the middle, and work your way up and down to each end, be sure to use enough glue, so that all of the pages stick together. This step insures that all of your pages stick together and that they will not shift around when you adhere the cardboard spine)

* 4. Apply a bead of glue down the center of the 1/2 x 3" cardstock or paper “spine”, adhere to the fold edge of the page block.

* 5. Center and glue a 1” piece of ribbon to each end of the spine, glue to overlap the edge of spine. Glue one end of the 6” piece of ribbon to the center of one end of the spine (this will be the bookmark).

* 6. Apply a dot of glue to the center of the front page of the page block. Align and adhere the folded 3x5 sheet of cardstock. Then go around under the three non-folded edges of the paper, applying a bead of glue and smoothing as you go along. Repeat on the back of the block.

To make the cover:

* 1. On your 8.5 x 5.5 inch sheet of make the following lines:

Make a little mark at the center of each side of your paper (4.25 inches on center).

On each side of those center marks, draw three lines paralleling each other (6 lines total):

5/16”, 5/8”, 13/16” inch from the center mark.

On each of the lines 13/16” away from the center mark, make a perpendicular mark on the center of that line facing away from the line.

* 2. fold along the lines, pinch to form little pleats.

* 3. Make a pencil mark, 1 9/16” on center, on one side of each of your (2 5/8 x 3 1/8”) cardboard pieces.

* 4. On the unmarked side of the cardboard pieces, apply a dot of glue to each of the four corners.

* 5. Flip over and adhere, using the marks that you made to align the cardboard.

* 6. Trim cardstock to approx. 5/8” all around the edge of the cardboard. At an angle, trim the corners, leaving a margin of approx. 3/8”.

* 8. Crease the ridges that you made in step 2. so that they face away from the center, and overlap the cardboard.

Fold, crease, and adhere the cardstock around the margin of the covers to the cardboard.

* 9. Use the technique that you used in step 6 of making the page block to adhere the inside cover (the red cardstock) to the inside of the back of the cover.

You’ll have a 1/16 margin all around the edge of the lining of the cover.

* 10. Repeat step 9, to adhere the front lining/page to the other side of the cover.

* 11. voila! You have a lovely custom book for jotting your dreams and schemes.

Lovely options:

* You could use colored or patterned papers and cardstock for the pages.

* Add multiple bookmarks. You could add beads or tassels at the ends of your bookmarks.

* Make the book smaller or larger.

* Add a label, bookplate, clip art, or illustrations.

* Add corners to the covers.