This week, I decided to use up some extra paper I had left from last semester and make myself a sketchbook! I’ve never done it before, but I did a little digging for a tutorial, and it was pretty easy!

Jessica asked me to post some process photos showing how I did it, but there are so many good tutorials out there, I’ll just make this short and sweet.

These are the materials I used:

Nothing too expensive or difficult to find:
1. Sketching paper
2. Cardstock (I used the leftover 100lb Classic Crest paper from Neenah)
3. Regular Elmer’s glue
4. Button/Craft thread
5. Regular sewing needles
6. Pencil, Eraser, Exacto Knife, Ruler, Bone Folder, Cutting Mat… the usual!
7. Sponge brush
8. Craft ribbon

And that’s about it! There are fancy bookmaking supplies you can use for the needles, thread, glue, etc. but it worked fine with just regular stuff you probably already have.

I just followed this tutorial for the punching of the holes and sewing of the signatures: Moleskine Reloaded. It shows you how to replace the pages from a Moleskine journal, and I followed it all the way through until the part where they start cutting up an old Moleskine. I couldn’t bring myself to do that so I just made my own cover out of the cardstock that I printed a pattern on. I made it the size of the pages with extra room for the spine. Here are the pictures of me putting the rest of it together:

The finished book, ready for the cover to be attached.

I glued a ribbon onto the inside of the back cover, spread the glue around the back cover, and aligned the pages to cover and let it dry. Then I repeated the same for the front. And here’s the final product:

I’m pretty pleased with how it came out for the first one I ever made. I’ll definitely be making more for myself and for gifts. I think I’ll try a heavier cardstock, maybe some different colored inside pages, maybe some fun illustration on the cover, or printing on the introduction pages of the book. I think the possibilities are endless and I can’t wait to try different variations! I’ll probably never buy a sketchbook again. (Sorry Moleskine, I’ve spent too much money on your fancy books but no more! …………….. Ah, who am I kidding? I will still buy Moleskines.)