The inspiration for my December Daily album this year comes from an old copy of A Christmas Carolthat my Grandparents had when I was little. I really wanted to create that traditional vintage 'book-ish' feeling, so I went with a matt finish 100% cotton book cloth to cover a small photo album purchased at the thrift store. The album pages measure 8.5" x 6.5" (at their widest).
I should say that I've never taken a book-binding class and have no experience in that area, but the do-it-yourself-er in me would not be deterred. I bought an inexpensive bone folder from a local bindery and ordered the other supplies online.
The first thing I did was to give the surface a good sanding to get better adhesion with the PVA. Next I lined the inside spine with a length of 1" wide cotton trim (from the fabric store) to give it a finished look. Then with a foam brush coated the SPINE ONLY with a generous, but smooth layer of PVA. Position it to the wrong side of the book cloth (previously cut to size) applying pressure until slightly dry and firmly adhered. Next (coating just one surface at a time) I applied PVA to the covers and stretched the cloth taught around the front. Be sure to keep the binder in the closed position -- not laying flat -- as you wrap it around. Carefully fold the corners as though wrapping a gift. Lastly apply PVA to the book cloth at the top and gently maneuver it around the folds of the spine, using the bone folder to get the corners as precise as possible. Repeat with the bottom edge.
White rub-ons give the cover a seasonal detail, as on an old book with the paper jacket removed. I lined the inside front and back covers with dotted swiss textured card stock from Bazzill Basics. I considered using a pattern, but there will be so much going on throughout the book that I decided to leave it simple, clean white space; breathing room
Materials: Book cloth: kennett by Talas (Brooklyn) in Evergreen; white sleigh + reindeer: rub-ons: We R Memory Keepers white-out line.
Monday I'll share a bit of the inside and my organizational approach.
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This is my version of the December Daily project conceived by Ali Edwards. You should not miss her wonderful books from years past and her current process as she prepares for this holiday season.
