For just a couple of dollars and an hour (or less!) of your time, you can create a stunning, cloth covered journal where you can keep favorite recipes, record your memories or dreams, copy down poems, or customize and give as a gift. Or use the following directions to create your own fabric-covered photo album.

Materials: - Composition Notebook for journal or book with blank pages for photo album - 1/3 yard of fabric, either light or medium weight - 1/3 yard of iron-on interfacing, only for use with lighter fabrics - 15”ribbon to use as bookmark - Two 8 ½”X 11”pages of cardstock or other heavy paper - Glue stick - Scissors - Ruler - Pencil
Directions:
	Lay notebook in the middle of fabric and measure 1" around all sides. Cut out fabric. If using interfacing, fuse to the wrong side of fabric with an iron.Lay notebook in the middle of fabric and measure 1"around all sides. Cut out fabric. If using interfacing, fuse to the wrong side of fabric with an iron.
	Fold fabric in half and with an iron press a crease down center. This is where you’ll place the spine of the notebook. To cut the tabs where the notebook spine will be, measure 1" from the top and bottom of your fabric cover and cut two 1"tabs on each side of the binding. These should be the same width as the notebook spine.
	Spread glue on the inside of the tabs, fold up and press down. Turn the notebook face down with cover up and generously spread glue all over both front and back covers.
	Put the notebook, cover side down, on the wrong side of fabric, carefully matching the tabs at spine (made in step 3). Turn the notebook over and use your hands to smooth out any wrinkles or creases in the fabric.
	Like wrapping a gift, first fold the two corners of the front of notebook over and glue. hen put glue on remaining edge of fabric on front cover and fold over. Repeat same procedure for the backside of cover.
	Then put glue on remaining edge of fabric on front cover and fold over. Repeat same procedure for the backside of cover. To make bookmark, glue one edge of the ribbon near the top spine of the back cover of notebook, about 1" down.
	Put glue on one side of the paper and press it over fabric edges and in center of cover.

Decorating Options:

Sew beads onto the cover.

Use acrylic paint and rubber stamps to decorate fabric before gluing
onto notebook.

Sew a button on front cover of notebook. Before gluing on the
cardstock, glue another piece of ribbon on to back cover at center.
Use this to fasten the book closed. (See example in photo.)

Cut out smaller pieces of fabric, in desired shapes, and glue these
onto the fabric cover in the form of a collage, patchwork quilt, or
framed picture.

Glue on shells, sequins, or other baubles to decorate cover.
If the journal is going to be a gift, personalize it by writing a
poem, favorite recipe, or special message as a dedication to the
recipient on the first page.