How to Make a Laminated Keepsake Cookbook

Turn your family recipes into a family treasure

We all have family recipes scribbled on paper, torn from magazines or the labels off of cans. You can easily turn those recipes passed down from Grandma or Aunt Sue into a family keepsake to be treasured for years to come. Easily washable and easy to add new recipes to. You can keep it and pass it down to your kids, give as a gift or make it a family project that everyone can participate in. It will keep your recipes organized for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Recipes
• Binder
• Card stock
• Computer
• Printer
• Laminator or Self Laminating Pages
• 3 hole punch
• paper clips

Instructions

1. 

   Gather all of your recipes. Type your recipes onto your computer in a file named "Recipes". Remember to include all ingredients, detailed instructions and any nutrition information if you choose. Each recipe should be it's own document. If a recipe takes a couple of pages, that's alright. At the end of each recipe on a new page add details about the recipe. Such as where it's from, any special occasion that it was made for. Anything memorable. Keep in mind that this is meant to be a keepsake. Special details will only add to how special you choose to make it. If you have a ton of recipes you can separate them into categories such as appetizers, desserts, breads, main dishes. vegetarian dishes, chicken and so on. Do one category move to step two and so on. Then you will be able to see your progress. This way may also seem less overwhelming.

2. 

   Choose binder and card stock. Choose a binder to reflect what it is for.A vinyl binder with some design may be a good choice. It will be easier to keep clean. The color card stock is your own personal preference. Choose any little touches that you may like to add. Scrap book stickers. Index divider to separate sections. You can make it as simple or as detailed as you wish. Include a table of contents.

3. Print recipes. Before you print you need to double check and make sure you have not forgotten anything. Ingredients, special instructions or special details you thought of after you typed it. Spell check and preview each recipe. Be sure that the detail page is it's own page. It will be the last sheet of your recipe. You will understand why in the next step. Once you are certain it is ready and complete print recipe. Please do not skip the print preview step. This will save you a headache and paper. Print each recipe one at a time. Paper clip individual recipes together. This way you avoid mixing any pages up.

4. 

   Prepare to laminate. At this time if you are planning to add any special details such as stickers do so now. On the detail page you can add a picture of a special occasion such as a holiday or birthday. Or write a little note on the page. You may also choose to attach the original recipe card if it will fit. To see the original from a family member is a very nice touch and will keep the memory unique. This is why it needed to be it's own sheet. Personal touches are what create a family treasure. When done you are ready to laminate. Pages can be laminated back to back .This will cut costs on lamination and save on space. Make sure to keep in order and that the pages are right side up. Laminate and allow them to set if self stick laminate pages or cool if heat laminating. Laminating the pages will keep them clean and keep the recipes from fading.

5. 

   Now you can use the three hole punch and add recipes to your binder. Be sure to punch holes in one sheet at a time. Right side up facing you holes on the left hand side. Sometimes we rush and make mistakes that would end up taking more time to fix. Punch holes fill binder and enjoy. You have successfully created a family keepsake that will treasure for years to come. You can easily add new pages for all new recipes..

Tips & Warnings

• Include your family . Make it a project.

• Create a gift for a wedding gift. Have other members of your family make pages to include.

• Makes great Birthday, Graduation and Mother's or Father's Day gifts too.

• When using heat lamination keep away from children and read all directions .

• Burns may occur if used incorrectly.