School Supplies for Grown Girls: Fabric-Covered Notebook
August, actually, is the cruelest month. And this period of time, as summer pivots into fall, is the most melancholy of all. School kids get to distract themselves from the slight change in the sunlight and the shorter days with freshly sharpened pencils, books with spines that have yet to be cracked, and notebooks just waiting to be filled. This year, I have no such distractions, and yet I am totally distracted. Twice now I’ve gotten the “M’am? M’am?” as I stood in line, oblivious to my turn at the register. “Oh, sorry, I’m in another world,” I said both times, not planning the words, just hearing them spill out of my mouth.
I am in another world. It’s a strange world of quietude and transition, though I’m not sure yet what I’m transitioning to. I find myself caught up in whirlpool thoughts that spiral deeper and deeper. “What are you thinking about?” a friend asks me after hours pass on a bus with not a word from this chatterbox. And I don’t know.
But it’s a nice change, and I welcome it. At the end of a summer of exposed shoulders and nights out, you can feel so over-exposed; you’ve been out there in the unforgiving sun for months now. And when September comes out of nowhere, perhaps you, like me, are ready to come home early, pull on a cardigan, and peel back clean, cool sheets earlier than ever. You are ready to have hot coffee instead of iced, and to curl up, maybe soon enough with a camp blanket, and try to make sense of all those swirling thoughts. Or at least have them lull you into yet another daydream.
If fall puts you in a writing mood, make a pretty notebook out of 99 cent composition book. No frills here, just a nice cardboard cover easily spruced up with fabric or a multitude of other fineries, your writing included.
Fabric-Covered Notebook
what you’ll need:
composition book
fabric
construction paper (so you don’t see the funny marbeling of the notebook through flimsy cotton)
glue
scissors
There are much finer ways to make a cover for a notebook, but the absolute simplest is this: measure out a strip of fabric as tall as your notebook and four times as wide. Set the spine of the notebook in the middle of the fabric, and fold the two flaps of fabric in so that the inner and outer cover of both front and back is draped in fabric. Glue any which way you like; I recommend along the top and bottom edge.
Joyful Abode: Cute! I had a similar idea last year, when i made covered composition books for all of my students as end-of-the-year gifts. Well.. it was my idea, but my awesome little sister actually assembled them for me while I packed up my classroom stuff.
We used scrapbook paper and adhered it with rubber cement, and they turned out great!2 years ago
renee: what a great idea! i have spent so much money on journals over the years, only to get tired of them and move on to the next.
i’ve found myself drifting off these days too. i think that’s where some good ideas can come from. too bad it mostly happens to me in yoga class.2 years ago
Buffy: You make me proud to love pink!2 years ago
Thea LaVigna: I just discovered your blog and love it. Thanks for the great ideas. what a fantastic way to make the outside of a journal or sketchbook as personal as what goes on inside!2 years ago
Sarah: So many great, simple ways to customize these dime store notebooks — I love the idea of paper. Pretty wrapping papers like those from Snow & Graham would be wonderful, too.
So glad to see some new names in the comments section!
2 years ago
Maddy Bray: Hey Sarah,
You may not remember me, but we went to Macalester together (you were friends with my boyfriend, Marc).
A few months ago I opened up a Jane magazine I happened to find on an airplane, and there you were. Weird! Anyways, love the site!2 years ago
Sarah: Of course I remember you, Maddy! Hi! I’m going to check out your site right now.2 years ago
Shane: PS:2 years ago
Becca: What a great idea. But I had a question. How do you make the inside look neat? Do you glue another piece of fabric or a piece of paper on the inside to hide the edges of the fabric that covers the actual book?2 years ago
Sarah: Hey Becca!
I folded the fabric in so that it completely covered the inside cover of the journal. In other words, I measured fabric to cover the outside of the journal, and then doubled it to could cover the insides as well. Does that make sense?
I probably should have shot how-to pics to illustrate this, but I hope that helps.2 years ago
Evon T.: Awesome! I love this idea, and would be more enthused to take my writing seriously, recording my thoughts in such a beauty. Almost too pretty to stowe away, I hope I don’t get too carried away and decide to use my journal as a coffee table book.1 year ago