How to Make a Personal Logbook in 10 Easy Steps

I've recently started my fifth logbook! and it means it's time to make the next logbook so that it is available when I need it. My current logbook is a resin, color-shift dragon eye cover book that I made myself using mold, resin, and mica powder. I bound the pages together using a Coptic stitch and green waxed thread. I'm going to be using the same stitch on a Flamingo Party Logbook that I'll be making but will be making a different style cover than I had used for the Dragon Eye Logbook.

For this project I will be using the following materials:

1. 65lb Cardstock Paper (doesn't have to be white); for the signatures
2. Waxed Cotton Round Cord for Bookbinding; for the Coptic stitch
3. Bone Folding Tool, optional; can make folding the papers easier
4. Decorative Paper at least 7x10 and Flexible Enough to Fold Cooperatively; for the cover
5. ThunderBolt 5.5 x 8.5-inch Chip Board; To make the cover sturdy 
6. Single Piece of Decorative Paper, optional; for the book spine decoration
7. Tacky Glue Spray, All-Purpose; for gluing the cover pieces to the chipboard, but any glue will work
8. Eyelets and Fastener Kit; for covers to make holes cleaner

This will be the first of my logbooks with non-white paper on the inside. It's mostly off-white, confetti paper. It's an artistic choice, but I'll note that most people would want white cardstock paper. Most people will likely use decorative scrapbook paper as the cover, and I'm not likely to repeat the logbook cover paper. I actually have other scrapbook paper for use on future logbooks that I'll share photos of when I complete them.

See below for a step-by-step guide on making these logbooks. I had intended on taking pictures of each step but got sidetracked. When I craft, I easily enter the flow state and forget what I'm doing! There's plenty of video content on YouTube on how to do these things if you're not a "picture person".

Step 1: Identify your base paper and chipboard. Lay the chipboard centered on the back of your paper and cut the corners off of the cover paper at an obtuse angle. You'll want at least an inch of clearance on each side.

Step 2: Fold over the edges to wrap around the back, like a hug. Then, remove the chipboard and glue the face to one side of the chipboard. Then glue the edges and fold over to the back of the chipboard.

Step 3: Cut a piece of paper the same size as your chipboard, but about 1/8 inch shorter on each side. Glue to the exposed chipboard, this will be the inside of the cover of your book. No need to match the paper to the cover of your book.

Step 4: Smooth out any bubbles using the bone folder or a credit card and lay them on a flat surface. Stack heavy books on top and let dry. The heavy objects will keep the chipboard from warping. Note: Old college textbooks work great!

Step 5: While your covers are drying, it's time to make the signatures. Signatures should be made with cardstock (to avoid stamp bleeding) of at least 65 lb. You'll want 4-8 pieces of paper per signature. Fold the pieces of paper in half using the bone folder for crisp edges.

Step 6: Combine signatures together and keep tight. Then cut the edges of the paper to make them even. You'll want all of your signatures cut evenly so that none look out of place when building your book. Note: You don't have to use white paper. 😊

Step 7 (optional): If you'd like, you can take an extra piece of paper and fold it xylophone style for a decorated side of your book. 1 signature = 2 folds (one back, one forward)

Step 8: After the covers have been dried, it's time to add the eyelets. Identify where you want to stitch, and punch holes that match the size of the eyelet (most likely 1/4"). Then add the eyelets as directed. Make sure that the eyelets are even between the front and back covers

Step 9: Line up the holes on the covers with the fold of the signatures. Mark the location of the holes on the signatures, and poke holes through the fold and the spine decorative page.

Step 10: Now it's time to do the Coptic stitch. if you don't know how to do this stitch, I recommend watching a YouTube video. This one from Sea Lemon is probably my favorite. It's more of an item you'll learn from watching than me typing it out, but there is a diagram above if you want to try it. After you tie off the stitch, your book is complete and ready for stamping!

The most interesting part of this process (apart from getting to hold the final product in my hand) was the eyelets. The eyelets are more of a functional decoration. They aren't necessary but do make the binding more secure and less likely to make the chipboard or paper rip. I chose to use gold eyelets for my Flamingo Party book, but the set of eyelets I bought was cheap and came with gold, chrome, antique silver, and antique gold. It was fun putting them in the book but frustrating too!

The chipboard is quite thick and required a lot of muscle to get the hole punch to go through. If I use this method again, I might try and find an industrial hole puncher or something. Once I punched the holes, I stuck one end of the eyelets in the hole with the brad facing the cover. Then I needed a hammer to hammer the closing piece to the back of the cover, but we don't have a hammer at home. I know, how we get through our days, I can't answer. Anyway, so I brought it to work the next day and used the office hammer. It worked perfectly! I will definitely be using the eyelets on future projects because of how clean it makes the covers look. 

A mistake I made that I'll be cautious about for the next book: thread tension. It's too tight. I was overly concerned with keeping the spine held together and I made the tread too tight. I know it's too tight because when it sits flat, the top cover naturally lifts. Of course, the logbook will still work, but I'm going to have to make future books looser and will try to loosen the thread on this logbook.

I do love this logbook and will be looking forward to using it in the future!