This is a small gift book.
It measures 82 mm wide by 11 mm high.
Here, the dust jacket has been removed and set aside to be used in this or another project! As you can see, the word “Wanderlust” is imprinted on the cover. I liked it and I think it will work well for a journal!
A major critera for making this kind of Junk Journal is that the pages must not be glued to the spine. When you open the book, there should be a space, as shown in the picture.
The first step is to remove the pages. To do this, I used an X-Acto knife and cut where the fold is between endpaper and the pages.
Repeat this process on the other side so that you can remove the pages completely. These can be set aside to use in another project. Measure the closed pages, and write the numbers down. You will need these to cut new pages. For my book, that is 95 mm high by 75 mm wide (for a single page; 150 mm for double!)
Now it’s time to go hunting for various papers that can be used to make pages. You can use writing papers, scrapbook papers, magazine pages, whatever suits your fancy.
It’s time to make your new pages. You are going to cut paper so that it is the correct size to replace what was there before, using the measurements you wrote down!
There are various ways you can cut your pages. Single pages (1), double pages folded in half (2), fold out pages (3), or any way that makes you happy!
One edge of the pages will be attached at the spine, so keep this in mind as you are cutting and folding. For example, if you place the fold of a double-page at the spine, it will create two pages. If you place the cut edges of a folded, double-page you will create a single page with a hidden space between them.
The edges at the outside of the book don’t have to be even. You could tear them, or cut them with decorative scissors. You could cut them in a shape, or make them not as tall as a standard page. It’s totally up to you.
You will need a stack of papers which are the same size as the stack of original pages. How many you need will depend on what papers you use, how thick of a stack you need, and how you have folded them.
Keep in mind that, when used as a journal, you will probably be adding more bulk to the pages, so try not to make your stack thicker than the original! Your book will get fatter as you add to it.
So, take some time, get your papers all cut and ready and then come back tomorrow to learn how to assemble!