How to Create Your Own Bride's Cookbook

Create a cookbook for the new bride that includes not only her favorite recipes but also family favorites that have been passed down through the years as well. Design this personalized gift in no time at all using simple supplies and also adding extra pages for the bride to include new favorites. Present this special gift to the bride at her wedding shower or on her wedding day.

Things You'll Need

• Lined white index cards or recipe cards
• Recipes
• Pen
• 1-inch letter sized binder or decorative notebook
• 3-hole punch
• Letter-sized paper, decorative or solid
• Glue or tape runner
• Word-processing software
• Scanner
• Printer

Instructions

1. Design a cover page for the cookbook using any word-processing software or if you are artistically inclined, draw your own. Add a title, subtitle and author byline. Include a photograph or clip art of food on the cover and perhaps a personal note to the bride. Print the cover page and adhere it to the front cover of the binder or notebook.

2. Write the recipes onto white index cards or recipe cards. Make sure to include the correct amounts on all of the ingredients as well as proper directions for cooking. Use your favorite recipes as well as family recipes that have passed down through generations or include foods you know the bride or groom loves. Scan the recipes into your computer and print a copy of each one or type the recipes into your word-processing software, if you would rather not hand write them.

3. Stack the recipe cards in the order you want them in the book. Decide whether to categorize them by meal or ingredient type.

4. Place glue on to the back of a recipe card. Place the card on to the top of a sheet of paper and then glue a second recipe card directly below it. Continue to glue two recipe cards to each sheet of paper. Punch three holes along the side of each sheet of paper. If you've used a computer for this project, simply ready the pages for binding.

5. Place the recipe pages into the binder with the recipes in the correct order. Or you can use a decorative notebook filled with solid paper instead of a three ring binder and glue the recipe cards to the blank pages.

6. Neatly hand write or type a table of contents on a solid sheet of paper. Include page numbers for each recipe. Punch three holes along the edge of the table of contents and place it in the front of the binder or glue it directly on to the front page of the blank notebook.

7. Add notes next to the recipes as well as sources for the recipes. Include thoughts on items that substitute well for certain ingredients or variations on the recipe that include extra ingredients.

8. Include several extra sheets of paper with lined recipe cards already glued on to the pages. This will allow the bride to add her or her husband's favorite recipes to the book as the years pass.

References

• Make a Family Cookbook