Journals

I am working on some Graduation Gifts. There are personalized journals, that they can right down their dreams, goals for their future & also what God does in their lives' along the way.

I bought $3 journals from Big Lots. This is what I started with.

I pried open the binding with my hands & took the covers off.

This is what my finished covers looked like. I painted the spine part of the cover where the holes are. I had to paint a couple coats because the surface was so smooth. I should have sanded it some first so the paint would stick better. Then I cut the cover card stock about 1" larger than the cover on 3 sides. Then I notched out the corners by cutting up to the corner from each edge. Then I cut little slivers off those cuts. That helps it fold & lay nicely. I used a foam brush & put Mod Podge on the cover then placed my card stock on it. Then I turned the cover over & put Mod Podge where the cover would fold over to the inside & pressed it all down smooth. Then I cut the blue cardstock about 1/8" short on 3 sides & put Mod Podge on the cover & then adhered the blue cardstock down. After that I cut out & adhered the white tag, dream, and name on the cover. Then I brushed Mod Podge smoothly over all the cover. It dries clear but you will still see any brush strokes so I try to brush it all in the same direction & make it look nice. Repeat all the steps for the back cover but don't embelish.

After all of it dries put the covers back in the binding & gently pinch the binding back together.

So here is what I started with & the finished project. This one was oviously for a boy but you can make it with any colors & cardstock you choose. I plan to make some more & I will use some of the already designed words like: Believe, Hope, & Faith. I know Home Decor Cartridge has several scripty words that will work great for it.