How to Create a Guest Book

Creating a unique wedding guest book.

A guest book is a tradition at many wedding receptions. They are nice to have so that you can look back at some of the memories of your special day and the people who shared it with you. Create your own wedding guest book to add a personal look to your reception as well as to save yourself some money. The best part about creating your own guest book is that you can customize the book to coordinate with a theme or color scheme.

Things You'll Need

• Blank unlined journal
• Hot glue gun
• Coordinating fabric with enough to cover book and 3/4" overlay
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Pen
• Floral embellishment
• Sheet of coordinating card stock

Instructions

1. Lay your book down on the fabric and cut it with about 3/4" excess to wrap inside. You do not need a large piece of fabric; just enough to cover the front and back with a little overlay.

2. Fold the fabric over the inside cover and trim the ends with scissors to make it neat. Trim excess fabric around the spine to eliminate bulkiness. Apply hot glue to the edges of the fabric and press the fabric to the inside of the book. Allow the book to lay open until the hot glue has dried and hardened.

3. Cut your card stock to fit inside the front and back covers to hide the fabric ends. Glue the card stock to the inside covers using hot glue or any liquid craft glue.

4. Cut a coordinating ribbon twice the height of the book with a little excess. This piece of ribbon will act as a bookmark for the guest book, making it easier for your guests to find the next page. Glue the ribbon onto the cover or lay it in the book separately.

5. Adhere a floral embellishment with hot glue to the front of your guest book to give it an elegant touch. Use brads or other decorations to complete the look.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase a fancy pen to go with your guest book. Find these in the wedding section of a craft supply store or even an office supply store. A nicer pen will have better ink to last a lifetime without fading.

• You can add anything to the front cover, even a monogram, but adding a coordinating flower gives it a completed look. Purchase flower embellishments at craft retailers.

References

• Wedding Reception: Guest book