DIY Foil Notebooks

I received product in exchange for this post. All opinions shared are 100% my own. #HSMinc

In my opinion, you can never have enough notebooks! Being able to make some yourself for a fraction of the cost of buying them in the store is even more of a bonus. These DIY Foil Notebooks are really fun and quick to put together with some printables and the Minc machine. The notebooks are a both stylish and functional way to organize your shopping lists, and as a journal or back to school notebook for the kids!

To create your notebook, you'll need to start with the cover. Simply print out the notebook cover (free printable available at the end of this post) on cardstock using a laser printer and trim. Make it fun by printing on any color of cardstock, then choose a coordinating color foil!

Using a ruler and a bone folder, make a crease along the center of the cover. This will make things a lot easier later on.

There are tons of ways to add foil to your projects, but none are as easy and quick as using the Minc!! The Minc is one of my favorite crafting tools that turns laser printed items (both pre-made or your own custom designs) into a beautifully foiled creation in just seconds. You can find the Minc starter kit and accessories at Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann, as well as at some local stores and online shops.

To create the beautiful foil look on the notebooks, set the Minc heat setting to 3 or 4. Then, cut a piece of Minc foil in a coordinating color to cover the paper. Open the carrier sheet and place the notebook cover face up. Carefully lay the foil over the paper (color side up) and lightly press down and make sure none of the text is uncovered. Carefully lay the top of the carrier sheet down over your project and smooth it out with your hand.

Tip: Sometimes static on the carrier sheet can cause the foil to shift, so just work slowly and try to keep everything in place as best you can.

Place the carrier sheet into the Minc until the rollers grab it to pull it through the machine. Let it run all the way through, then carefully open the carrier sheet. Remove the paper and foil, then slowly peel the foil off the paper. Now your notebook cover is foiled and looking gorgeous! It really is as simple as that.

Now that your cover is ready, you need some paper to go inside the notebook! I've created 3 different designs that you can print on regular copy paper:

1. Large lined, for kids to be able to draw a picture and write a short sentence below.
2. Standard lined paper, which is great for journaling or making lists!
3. Blank, for when you just want to do what you want.

Each notebook will need no more than 8 sheets of paper. You can print the sheets double sided, or mix things up. It's your notebook, so create it to work best for you!! Once the pages have been printed, crease the center fold of each page with a ruler and bone folder.

Download Kids Lined Paper   |   Download Lined Paper   |   Download Blank Paper

Now it's time to assemble the notebook! Lay the pages flat and align the creases of each page, including the cover. Make sure everything is centered, and use binding clips to hold the pages together.

Turn the notebook over, and use a sewing machine to bind the book together. Set the machine to the longest stitch and sew VERY slowly along the fold line. Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and the end.

If you don't have a sewing machine, no problem! You can hand sew (punch small holes along the fold line with a thumbtack), or even use staples along the fold line. Just make sure to keep the pages together with binding clips so the pages don't shift and make for a crooked notebook.

Once the book has been sewn, trim the excess thread. Now your notebook is finished and ready to be written in!! These notebooks will make great gifts, or would be a unique back to school notebook!!

When you first close the notebooks, they will probably pop right back open. Press along the seam with the bone folder a few times, and that should help the notebooks stay closed. I have two different printable cover designs to share with you so you can create your own DIY foil notebooks!

Download the "Be Silly Be Honest Be Kind" Notebook Cover
Download the "The Best Ideas" Notebook Cover

Some things you should know before downloading:

*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.

*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.

*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.

*If you share this on the internet, credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama & linked back to this post.