How to Make a Ribbon Journal

Writing in a diary allows you to express your feelings, vent your frustrations and describe your dreams. Create your own journal with colorful ribbon and basic crafts supplies to have a book as personal as the words it will contain.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chipboard or cardboard
• Patterned paper
• Photos and memorabilia
• Stickers
• Rubber stamps and ink
• Embellishments
• Cardstock
• Notebook paper
• Paper trimmer
• Pencil and ruler
• Hole punch
• Ribbon
• Scissors

1. Trim two pieces of chipboard or cardboard to serve as the covers of your journal. Personalize the front cover by layering with patterned paper, adding a favorite photo, creating a collage with stickers and memorabilia, designing a background with rubber stamps or adorning with embellishments like buttons, paper flowers and die cuts.

2. Decide what you will use to make your journal pages. Try cardstock, patterned paper with a lined design or simple notebook paper. Use a paper trimmer to cut it to fit between the covers.

3. Use a pencil to make evenly-spaced marks along the left side of the cover. This is where you'll be adding your ribbon binding, so consider how many holes you'll need to secure a journal of this particular size. Placing them an inch apart should allow you to add a good number of ribbon ties.

4. Punch holes where you've made each mark, then use the cover as a template to punch holes in the back cover and journal pages.

5. Pull a piece of ribbon through a corresponding hole in the front cover, the journal pages and the back cover. Tie a knot that allows you to open and shut the journal easily. Trim the ends with scissors, leaving an inch on each side that will fray decoratively over time. Repeat the process until the journal is completely bound. Try different ribbon colors, patterns, textures and widths as an eye-catching touch.

6. Consider adding a long piece of ribbon to the top tie where you can hang a pencil or pen for added convenience. You can also tie charms or acrylic shapes to the ribbon to further customize your journal.

Tips & Warnings

• To expand your journal, simply snip the ribbon and add longer lengths to bind in additional pages. You can also use metal binder rings instead of ribbon to add pages quickly.
• Achieve a similar look in less time by buying a spiral notebook to serve as your journal, then knotting short lengths of ribbon along the entire binding coil.