I thought it might be easier to give you all the links for the fabric covered notebook all in one post – it should save a little bit of searching
So, from plain notebook to decorative fabric journal, here you go:

You need your supplies to start the project.
The batting & fabric get glued together.
The edges of the cover get glued down and finished.
Scissors make the spine a little neater and the tops of the cover are finished.
It’s the spine’s turn to get glued down.
A little fabric-folding is needed to make sure the corners are neat.
Last, but not least – …read more

 Alrighty -let’s get this notebook done!
I like to finish the inside of the covers by gluing in a piece of decorative paper or non-woven fabric (so it won’t unravel).  Measure the inside of the cover and then subtract a 1/4″ from the top and side.  Cut the paper out and test fit it on the cover:

 If it fits, apply a thin layer of white glue to the paper and glue it in place – like this:

 Leave the book to dry overnight and you’re finished… or if you want – we can add another decorative element
I like to add …read more

 Okay, let’s get back to this poor, neglected covered notebook!  When we last saw our notebook, the edges were glued down, but the corners were still loose.  Our next step is to glue them down.
To begin, fold back the fabric on the corner of the book and cover the fabric underneath with glue:

 Now fold the loose piece of fabric in half, like this:

 And press it smoothly into the glue, so it looks like this:

 Use clothespins or clips to clip the glued corners closed until they’ve dried – so your book will now look like this:

Never fear – we’ll take off …read more

 Okay, when we stopped last time our fabric covered notebook looked like this:

We need to trim off approximately half of the length of those little tabs of fabric that are sticking out of the top and bottom of the spine.  Liberally coat the wrong side with glue, so it looks like this:

 Now take a popsicle stick, or the end of a paint brush and poke the fabric tab into the spine of the book.  That way you’ll end up with a nice, smooth spine that looks like this:

 
all images: © C Findlay-Harder

Okay, I feel like I can safely handle a pair of scissors, so let’s get working on our notebooks again!
Our next step is to make a cut straight down on either side of the book’s spine, leaving a tag like this, on both the top and bottom of the book:

 Now cut diagonal notches out, next to the flaps you just cut.  This removes some bulk so the book will close easily.

 Here’s a another shot of what the spine of the book looks like, with the little central flap and the two diagonal notches on either side:

 Glue the flaps of fabric …read more

Your notebook should be dry enough for the next step!
We need to glue the fabric to the sides of the notebook now.  Run a bead of white glue down the side of the front cover – slightly narrower that the flap of fabric.  It should look like this:

 Fold the fabric over the glue and smooth it out – make sure there aren’t any bubbles or puckers in the fabric.

 Repeat on the back cover.
The book should now look like this when it’s closed:

The fabric is nice and smooth on the front cover, and the book closely flat.
Let the glue dry overnight …read more

 The first step in creating your own fabric covered notebook is to cut the batting to the same approximate size as the cover of your notebook:

 I don’t get fussy about it at this stage – an extra 1/4″ around the edges is fine.
Now take the batting off the book and lay it out onto the fabric you’re using for the cover.  Use the batting as a pattern, leaving an extra two inches of fabric all the way around the batting.  It should look like this:

 Time to break out the spray glue!
Remember to use the glue in a well ventilated area …read more

I love notebooks!  I think I probably have a dozen of them in my studio at any given time.  But, not all notebooks are all that decorative, so what’s a fabric hound to do?
Cover them in beautiful fabric of course
For this project, you’ll need a notebook, scissors, spray basting glue (I use Elmer’s spray glue), a good quality white glue (I like the Ultimate), some light weight batting (I’m using Warm & White for this project) and of course, the fabric you’re using to cover the notebook!

 We’ll start working on your book tomorrow.
image: C Findlay-Harder