Buying a new leather-bound journal from the shops can be extremely expensive, especially if the leather used is of a higher grade. It may seem like quite a difficult process that may need machinery, but the truth is that it can be done at home with just a few tools and offers a significantly cheaper way of binding a journal with leather.
One of the great parts about this project is that many of the tools and materials needed can be found at a cheap price, and can be used again for future projects – and with enough practice, it can even be turned into a marketable skill that can bring in some money.
The Right Materials and Tools
To create a leather-bound journal, it’s a good idea to start by acquiring a complete sewing kit, some leather of whichever grade is in the right price range, and a few paper journals which have easily removable covers. While it’s possible to make the actual journal and its paper from scratch, this is a very involved process that can take an entire day, so it’s better to first buy journals that are already complete and dismantle them as carefully as possible.
The grade of leather for this kind of project does not make that much of a difference, as unlike clothing, a journal will not tend to go through the same stresses. It’s a good idea to purchase grade A leather, as this is some of the cheapest on the market, but also tends to be quite pliable.
Prepare The Journal
With the cover of the journal removed, it’s advised to stitch and/or glue some folded crafting paper on to either side. This provides a solid cover for the leather to be successfully attached to, but it also adds some extra stability to the journal, as well as an extra level of protection to the paper. If glue is used, it’s important that it’s craft glue, as this tends to be a much more permanent way of attaching the crafting paper to the journal paper but adding stitching means that the journal will last that much longer.
The Leather
The journal should be opened fully on top of a large piece of paper, and then measured with a pencil or market. Once done, a piece of leather, about as large as the marked paper, should be placed underneath of the paper and held in place using pegs. Taking an extremely sharp crafting knife, cut along the outline of the paper, making sure to be as accurate as possible, and to cut through the leather as cleanly as they can. For an added flap on the end to keep the journal closed with a button, a small triangle can be cut, but keep the dimensions in line with the rest of the outline.
Once removed, the journal should be held open and placed on the leather with crafting glue, where it’s give at least half a day to fully dry and attach permanently, plenty of time to catch up on chores or enjoy real money games online. This method is simplistic but effective and can be changed and altered in countless different ways.
