Faux Leather Crafts: Mini Covered Notebook Tutorial

Make a mini notebook with a vegan leather cover to keep it protected in your bag or pocket!

These little notebooks are simple to make, and you can easily remove and reuse the leather cover once the notebook is full.

This tutorial is the last in the series of synthetic leather crafting ideas I've been sharing this week. It originally appeared on the Village Haberdashery's blog and was created using synthetic leather and other craft supplies from their shop. (Here are the other tutorials I've shared this week: a lightning bolt brooch, a geometric necklace & a star headband). 

You will need:

- The notebook and notebook cover templates (follow the links to view and download the PDF template sheets).
- Some synthetic leather
- Coloured card
- Plain or scrap paper
- Sewing thread to match the card
- 90 cm yarn in a co-ordinating or contrasting colour (or embroidery thread or narrow ribbon)
- A standard sewing needle and a large, sharp sewing needle for the yarn
- Sewing scissors
- Scissors for cutting paper and card
- A ruler
- An air-erasable fabric marker pen or an ordinary felt tip pen

To make the notebook: 

Use the card cover template to cut a piece of blank card, then fold it in half. Then use the page template to cut eight pages from plain or scrap paper and fold these in half as well.

Use a large, sharp needle to poke three holes in the fold of the card, measuring their position with a ruler. Make one hole right in the centre of the fold then one above and one below it, each 3cm from the central hole. Then poke holes in the pieces of paper (two sheets at a time) in the same positions as on the cover.

Line up the pages and the card cover, and sew them together using a double thickness of sewing thread to match the card. I started in the central hole of the card cover, leaving a length of spare thread hanging loose then returned to the centre after stitching the pages and card together, knotting the two ends of thread together securely then trimming away the excess.

Use the leather cover template to cut out a piece of the synthetic leather. Place the paper template on the back of the leather, trace around it with an air-erasable fabric marker pen or a felt tip then cut out the shape with sewing scissors.

Wrap the cover around the notebook until you’re happy with it, then unfold it and open the notebook to the first page. Use the holes in the card as a guide to pierce three matching holes through the leather.

Cut a 90 cm piece of yarn (or embroidery thread or narrow ribbon). Use the large needle to thread the yarn through the two outer holes as shown, threading it through the leather and the card of the notebook. Pull the yarn through the holes so there is an even length of yarn at each side.

Thread both ends through the central hole, pulling the yarn tight. Knot the yarn to secure the notebook and leather cover together.

Close the notebook and leather cover as shown, wrapping the yarn around it and tying a bow to secure it.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many notebooks as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire tutorial / share my templates on your site. Thanks!

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Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

My Favourite Pens (and Pencils)

Do you have a favourite pen? I do!

The black Uniball Eye is officially my favourite - I adore writing with them, they're just soooo wonderfully smoooooth.

The only downsides to these pens is the price (not super expensive but much pricier than a standard biro, and I write a lot so I get through quite a lot of pens) and they're actually so smooth that if I'm not careful sometimes my already slightly wild and loop-filled handwriting gets a bit out of control! Overall though they're an absolute pleasure to write with and I love how my handwriting looks with the lovely solid ink line these create.

I used to use the "fine" Uniball Eye pens for drawing the templates and patterns for all my tutorials, but I recently switched to the thinner "micro" version and don't know why I didn't switch sooner, because the thinner line is perfect. The clear ink lines scan beautifully and I find these pens help me draw really nice smooth curves when I'm inking over my pencil lines. 

I'm also a big fan of the classic Cristal Bic biro! Usually a blue one, but sometimes only a black one will do - especially when writing on coloured paper.

I use these for everyday notetaking, writing all my To Do lists, updating my planner,* writing postcards, and so on. (*People are always raving to me about their digital calendars and planning apps but I cannot function without a proper paper diary to scribble in).

As for pencils? Well, I used to never have to buy pencils. There were always loads in my stationery stash after years of buying cute pencils as a kid or picking up free ones at conferences and other events in my teens and twenties. I just kept on aquiring random pencils but hardly used them until I started designing stuff for a living. These days I do a lot of sketching, and I've been slooooowly using up all the random pencils in my house... and now there are no more random pencils left and I have to buy pencils on a regular basis.

My favourite pencils are definitely the classic yellow Staedtler Noris (HB/2, without an eraser on the end). They're really nice to both write and draw with, they sharpen easily, and I'm a sucker for a bright colour.

I use them for sketching, of course, but also pencilling things into my planner and sometimes drafting bits of writing because (weirdly) I find that writing in pencil can help ease any pressure I'm putting on myself to write something "perfect". Even though it's just a messy handwritten draft and I'm going to cross bits out and scribble all over it anyway as I edit, knowing I can erase every word if I want to somehow helps free up my brain when it's feeling a bit creatively blocked.

Honestly, though, I will sketch with anything I can lay my hands on when inspiration strikes. Oh, and I also have a pack of plain "stage pencils" in my craft supplies stash which are super cheap and nasty to actually use (they sharpen terribly) but look great as props in photos.

When I shared these pics on my social media they prompted lots of strong pen-related feelings. So, do you love these, too, or loathe them? Tell me your faves!

October, November & December in Pictures

Time to catch up with what I got up to in the final quarter of 2017!

In October...

... I ummed and ahhhed about what colour to use for the quilting thread and binding for my scrappy quilt. I started this project in my teens, finished the quilt top a few years ago and have now promised to (finally) turn it into a quilt as a gift for my mum. But what colour(s) should I use to finish it?? I still can't decide.

... I had a studio clear out, listing a whole bunch of craft supplies and other bits and bobs over on Instagram. I quite enjoy these sales, they remind me of the days when I used to sell craft supplies in my shop and the sometimes-tediuous but often quite soothing process of photographing, measuring, weighing, listing, packing and posting.

... I took a quick trip to Burnham-on-Sea, walked along the esplanade, ate some delicious chips, and fell in love with a wall (isn't it a fabulous wall?).

... I blogged about the dolls clothes I've inherited which were handmade by my grandmother, and October's kitty-themed addition to the A Year of Wreaths tutorial series.  

... and I won a fabulous stationery bundle from Roger La Borde!

In November...

... My first two faux leather craft projects were published on The Village Haberdashery's blog: tutorials for making a star headband and a mini notebook.

... I unpicked a section of my mini squares blanket (that sticky-outy dark red block just didn't look right!) which took ages but was totally worth it.

... I stitched a custom order of snow globe ornaments, which then proceeded to get lost in the post for months (argh) but finally turned up (phew!). (If you want to sew your own snow globes, you'll find the free pattern here).

... I finally found a use for these paper snowflakes which had been in my craft stash for almost a decade (because they were just too nice to throw away after the Christmas I made them), using them to decorate an Advent "calendar" of small gifts for my parents.

... I gave myself a slightly lopsided DIY haircut (all my haircuts are DIY haircuts, some more lopsided than others!)
 

... and I also started blogging about my trip to Liverpool, shared a tutorial for making a novelty Christmas jumper, and finally started a weekly email newsletter after literally years of thinking that I should probably get round to starting a weekly email newsletter.

Then in December...

... I blogged about my Holly Wreath tutorial and lots of DIY Christmas card ideas, and shared a gorgeous tutorial for making leafy paper snowflakes.

... I wrote about the lovely treats I got from the dotcomgiftshop for being a terrible blogger (it's a long story).

... I posted an old behing-the-scenes pic which I don't think I'd posted before, of the "making a mess designing things" stage of making this doll.

... I made lots more mess working on a secret project (there's a desk under there somewhere!).

... and I shared the weirdest thing I achieved in 2017: writing a very silly joke about losing a sewing needle which ended up going slightly viral on Tumblr!

Finally, I ended 2017 working on something very colourful and very relaxing: adding a few more blocks of colour to my ongoing using-up-my-leftover-scrappy-threads cross stitch project.

Quite delightfully, this snap ended up becoming my most popular photo of 2017 (albeit not actually in 2017 itself) as it got shared on January 1st by mega craft blog A Beautiful Mess... which was a very fun and really rather exciting way to start a brand new year.

Here's to another twelve months of colourful, crafty goodness!


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Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, and the Pen Museum

During my week in Birmingham, I spent a lot of time in museums.

If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know this is something that happens on most of my travels! I love museums big and small, and as well as exploring their exhibits I also like to support them by eating in their cafes whenever I can.

On my previous trip to Birmingham I'd spent a very short amount of time in the main Museum & Art Gallery - just enough to decide that I had to come back to the city for a longer trip so I could spend more time exploring all the exhibits!

I ended up spending so much time there on my return visit that I actually had to abandon some of my other plans for the trip. As well as exploring the permanent collection, I was lucky to be visiting during an excellent temporary exhibition devoted to William Morris & Andy Warhol. This exhibition was so fascinating (and so packed with interesting art and objects) that I visited it multiple times during the week (and all for free thanks to the magic of the Art Pass) 

The building itself is gorgeous - it's well worth a visit just for the architecture alone.

If you visit the museum, make sure to pop into the Edwardian Tearooms for lunch or a cuppa. The setting is fabulous, the food delicious and the service impeccable.

At the other end of the museum-size scale is Birmingham's Pen Museum: a lovely little museum, absolutely jam-packed with interesting objects relating to the city's pen trade and the history of writing.

I mean, just look at all this fabulous stuff!

I'd expected to just quickly pop in here as I worked my way around the Jewellery Quarter Heritage Trail, but ended up spending ages looking at everything and being generally delighted by it all.

Big municipal museums might have fancy buildings and famous artworks, but nothing quite beats the charm of a small museum devoted to something rather niche! The Pen Museum is just round the corner from the excellent Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, too, so you can easily fit both of them into one day.

Missed my earlier posts about my Birmingham trip? Follow the links to read about architecture, owls and the Jewellery Quarter.

Hello 2016

Happy New Year to you all!

2016 has started quietly here, which is just how I like it. After a couple of weeks off over the holidays, I'm starting to get back to work and to make plans for the year to come. Pretty notebooks are an important part of the planning process, of course :)

 

I've had my eye on those Rifle Paper Co. notebooks for simply ages, and was delighted to receive them for Christmas!

I also got some gorgeous Rifle Paper Co. cards and this charming letter writing set...

 ... and treated myself to a stack of British Library Crime Classics (which my mum already has her eye on borrowing).

I'm looking forward to spending lots of evenings curled up writing letters and reading books in the coming weeks!

Pretty Purchases

I'm still on a tight craft-supplies-shopping budget after splurging on fabric this summer, but I have made a few purchases in the past few weeks.

I got a yummy bundle of colour in the post on Friday: some lovely Liberty fabric!

I'm working on a secret project that involves small-scale florals... and no-one does nicer florals than Liberty.

So I headed to Alice Caroline and spent a while umming and aahing over which prints to buy. In the end I settled on a scrap pack and a couple of fat quarters. Aren't they lovely?

I also treated myself to a couple of small crafty things when I visited Thread last month...

I bought a wooden cross stitch blank from Cloud Craft (because I've wanted to try stitching on one of those blanks for aaaages) and some charming wooden snowflake buttons from Ray-Stitch. The lovely Nicole from Cloud Craft also gifted me a sheet of fab neon pink wool felt - I can't wait to find the perfect project for it!

I also bought a screenprinted notebook from Sarah Waterhouse Textiles and a couple of sweet sewing-themed notecards from the Farnham Maltings shop... because you can never have too much stationery, right?

P.S. I'll be blogging about my trip to Thread sometime soon :)

Meet My Sponsors: February

A day later than usual (because February is totally getting away from me), it's time to meet my current sponsors!

Blooming Felt sells 100% wool felt sheets, colourful fairtrade felt craft supplies like felt flowers and felt purses, plus other crafty goodness including buttons, ribbons, flat pad findings, glue, embroidery floss and craft books:
 

Fox & Star sells modern stationery, including diaries, notebooks and cards, plus lots of washi tape:

 

  

At Story Box you can create personalised gifts by filling a 3D frame with mini objects to represent a friend or loved one, or to celebrate a special occasion:

St. Louis Folk Victorian is the blog of quilter Kristy Daum who sells modern quilt patterns but also shares free tutorials and blogs about her personal projects:

 

Big Fish sells lots of colourful buttons and felt balls, as well as other craft supplies like pins, ribbons and mini embroidery hoops:

 

Joe's Toes sells thick wool felt, punched felt shapes, plus kits and supplies for making wool felt & leather slippers & felt ipad cases. They're currently running a giveaway for a pair of slipper soles (your choice of size and colour!), head over to the Joe's Toes Facebook page for the details & to enter before 23rd Feb.

 

The Button Shack sells lots of buttons and other craft supplies including ribbon, fabric, embroidery threads and wool blend felt:

The Dusty Attic sells handmade felt brooches and other accessories. Get 25% off your order with the discount code BUGSFISHES (expires 23/03/1).

 

Made by Aiza sells customisable typography prints, baby name prints, nursery prints and wedding posters:

 

Jumbo Jibbles sells giant plush fruit & vegetables, fun jewellery and unicorn hats & headbands:

 

Over at Sew Stitch Knit you can follow a blogger's textile journey as she sews, stitches and knits:

And the DIY Box Shop sells specially-created craft kits - a new box is released bimonthly with all you need to get crafting:

P.S. Interested in promoting your shop, company or blog? Ad spaces on my blog start from just $5 for 30 days (that's currently about £2.98!) and I now offer a 25% discount if you buy 3 consecutive months (90 days) of ad space at once. Your site will feature in a sponsor post like this one and I also give new sponsors a shout out over on my Facebook page.

Click here for more info re: rates and my blog's traffic, and to buy an ad.