Fab step by step instructional video. It's all in the details, so Thank YOU for taking the time to be so thorough. It's what's needed to really learn the basics, because without that, starting a journal, junk or otherwise, will remain intimidating. I appreciate this series so much!!
Thank you Jessica for your Great Tutorial! Such a Straightforward, Very Neat Method that Adds Strength and not Bulk to the Spine! Thank you for sharing!!
Great tips, like pushing the fiber into the spine gap, and wetting the paper to reshape it. Even though I've made lots of journals I've never made one with the soft spine like this. I'm going to give this a try! thanks for starting this series.
Thanks for doing this series! I always call them journals, because even though some are junky so to speak, they are all art in some fashion. It is nice to see that there are materials which are easily accessible.
This is cool beans nice to see back to basics its nice and I am addicted to readers digest books thanks to you, lol I scored a big lot of them someday I will let them go and they are the pretty covers, they belong to a couple that collected them. Thanks for sharing this Jess & take care!
Okay now ready for part two. Your videos are addictive. Would love to be able to binge watch several at a time like Netflix. Thank you. You are so good at what you do.
Jessica -- this is a superb tutorial on getting started on a journal -- making a cover. "How to" and "problem solving" and "materials to use." I think this series is going to be an enduring classic!
I just found your channel and am so excited to sub and follow along ! Perfect timing for your video as I was given 3 Readers Digest books! Woohoo !! Lol !
The first time I saw you do this- blew my mind!!! I was putting so much reinforcement into my book spines- they just wouldn't wiggle right!!! And thank goodness you decided to do these videos to help those of us who were new to learn how to make these amazing spines!! Now- I don't even like making a hard spine book anymore!! Even my glue books are soft spines like these!!
Ironically, I just bought the same Reader's Digest book at a thrift store today! I didn't even pay attention to the adorable deer cover until a couple hours ago. In love with the cover, after I really paid attention to it. I bought it for the yellowing pages. 😁
I still only use recycled and rescued (and scavenged haha) stuff to make journals. I like really junky and grungy jourmals but I get it that alot of people want pretty. I really like your style too. I could definitely pick out a Jessica journal in a police lineup! 😄💚💙
I have recently come into quite a few (ok, lots) older books that aren't 1st editions but I wrestle with deconstructing them. I am anxious to start a few..and give myself permission to give them a new life..I appreciate the video..thank you!!
Thank you for the tutorial maybe I get some guts and start I’m one. My question: can the sewing machine go through the cardboard (I don’t sew but found it interesting when you said that sometimes you sew it.) Thank you for all of your patience.
Jessica Rapp twosilveroranges, I doubt very seriously that any newer machine could handle sewing thru book covers. But what you could do if you are doing a fabric cove os sew it first and then put it on the cove. No one would know that it’s not sewn into the book.
You are so gifted at teaching, Jessica-seriously, you are just good at explaining things and telling the ‘why you do this and that’. If I had some room on my desk, I’d play along. But I’m collaging right now. So I’ll just watch while i collage, lol. Oh, I noticed in your last video, you lost some rings again😉 xo
I appreciate you doing this with things that everybody either has or can come by easily. Also I'm glad you didn't go with the ring bound journal. I've watched a bunch of tutorials on junk journals and have collected a LOT of "stuff". I'm gonna eventually make a junk journal. I have made a hard back/ cloth covered journal and a couple of manilla envelope journals. But just a bit intimidated to do the junk journal. Or, maybe I'm just procrastinating. Lol. Time to start one.
I am new to all this. I have a question. Could you use tyvac instead of the fabric? I love your videos, you are a great teacher! I find you very easy to follow. Thank you for sharing with us! Love and Hugs!
Yes, you could use tyvek, except I'm not doing a hidden spine and you will be able to see it in the end unless you cover it somehow before binding the signatures in.
Don’t take this as a Debbie Downer post it’s just meant to shed light on everybody doing different things and thinking of the journals in different ways. It’s interesting, I found you through a very small mini journal you did for Mitts where she pulled the papers to use in collage. In turn, those were the first pieces I’ve bought from you. I’m not a junk journaler at heart. I love your covers and the great ephemera you get. But, mostly I like using them on pages that I create. So for me, the ultimate ‘journal’ is a great interesting cover, filled mixed media, tamoe River, onion skin, or more plain vintage papers to paint and collage on. Then pair with it a pile of great ephemera. So, your paper packs and ephemera kits are perfection.
That's interesting Terry. I remember making those little books and adding them to packages as gifts. Then when she showed hers, I got a gazillion requests for them... I was like....uhm... ok!? Lol I know what you mean about the papers though. If I was a journals, I would want a nice variety and lots of options. Xx thanks for commenting and watching my videos, and for your business. Xx
Can we use tacky instead of pva glue? Where can I find pva glue? Thanks, this video is very helpful, showing how to easily put a journal cover together from a gutted hard back.
Yes, you can use Tacky glue. You can also use Elmer's Glue All or basically any glue that you trust to hold fabric to paper. I personally dont like fabritac or fabrifix, they're just so messy!! I'll add a link in the description for the glue I used in the video. Xx
As an addendum to this series, could you also show how to do alternate signatures within a journal, meaning 2 sewn signatures on either side of an elastic bound one in the middle? I would like to be able to have 1 signature that I can add or subtract pages to & I don't know how to do that. Thank You!!
I found a Readers Digest JUST LIKE yours today at an estate sale!! Great video. Now I'm not afraid to gut the book. Why did you use a light fabric? Does it need to be cotton, or can it be anything in my stash? Did you get my envelope? :) Joyce
I look at rescuing books from Goodwill/thrift shops/bins etc... the same as rescuing a pet. I dont mean any offense. Imo, feels so good to rescue books and give them a new life. I recently watched (no names) a vid of a brand new book haul from Amazon. Well, I wasnt too happy about it. The (new) books said person recieved and unboxed....ugh all taken apart. Why?! I just dont get it. I couldnt watch the rest of the video. So many books out there just about ready for the trash can and said person ordered 8 brand spankin' new books to rip apart. Smh. The least of all worldly problems right?! 🤓 I'm just a nerd who was raised to shop at flea markets/thrift stores/reclaimed artsy shops etc...🙂
It's hard to always do the right thing when theres so many different schools of thought. Many people feel that tearing up old books is a sin, and would say the same about us tearing up old childrens readers etc... I buy books on amazon to tear apart sometimes. I recently did that with a botanical book that I used in a video a couple back. But I know what you mean, theres so many books in the world that get dumped. It's very sad really. I try to use as much old and reclaimed paper items as possible, but sometimes theres just something I have to have. Xx I feel ya though.
@@twosilveroranges I concur! I had a pretty beat up Children's book from a goodwill bin that I brought home. Even though it was like legit falling apart, I didnt feel right. I taped and glued it back together and took it back to goodwill. Also, I hear a lot of parents/guardians are homeschooling. I just cant tear up kids books at all. But yeah, I dont get those who get so mad over upcycling a book/s thats about to go into the garbage. Yeah dont get that at all. They just dont understand us lol hugs~Jenn
A while back I rescued 7 or 8 crates of books from a ketbside cleanup. Every time someone complains about me chopping up books, I send them the link to my video and politely advise them that In Sydney Australia, anything put out in a kerbside cleanup goes to landfill so I'm actially doing the world a favour by chopping them up lol. 😄
Jenn's Artlandia, I try so hard not to use books that still have life in them. My mom had an entire floor to ceiling bookcase full of readers digest books when I was growing up. I have no idea what happened to them over the years. We only moved 2 time in my life living at home. It now makes me a little sad I don’t have them. I got my love of reading from my mom. So if a book has any kind of life that someone would like to read, I have a hard time tearing into it. On the other hand if you can make something beautiful out of it, I feel that breathes new life into it and can give someone joy as well. I certainly would not tear into a book that is really valuable. I’m struggling with some very old bibles that I don’t have any emotional attachment to but we’re my moms ancestors. That one is hard for me.
Fab step by step instructional video. It's all in the details, so Thank YOU for taking the time to be so thorough. It's what's needed to really learn the basics, because without that, starting a journal, junk or otherwise, will remain intimidating. I appreciate this series so much!!
As always, love watching your videos Jessica! Thanks for all you do!
What a great instructional video! Thank you so much! Can't wait to finish this series!
Such a helpful video! Thanks so much!
Thank you Jessica for your Great Tutorial!
Such a Straightforward, Very Neat Method that Adds Strength and not Bulk to the Spine! Thank you for sharing!!
Good basic tutorial. Thanks
Thankyou!!! This was a real help.
You gave great instructions great job
Thank you...very helpful!
Great explanations and not complicated!
Great tutorial. Watching as she works and describes what she is doing makes it so easy to understand 😄
Great tips, like pushing the fiber into the spine gap, and wetting the paper to reshape it. Even though I've made lots of journals I've never made one with the soft spine like this. I'm going to give this a try! thanks for starting this series.
You are so generous telling your "secrets" and your your so easy to understand. Thank you!
I just got that deer digest yesterday! Thanks for sharing
Great tutorial for beginners. Blessings and Hugs 🤗
Thanks Susie!! :)
Hi Jessica, your videos are always so informative. I always learn something. Going to be playing along with you on this series. TFS C xx
Thanks for doing this series! I always call them journals, because even though some are junky so to speak, they are all art in some fashion. It is nice to see that there are materials which are easily accessible.
Love it. So well explained. See you in part two. :-)
Very informative tutorial. I have a book cover from one of your kits. Looked to be about the same size as RD book. Will definitely follow along!!😍
This is cool beans nice to see back to basics its nice and I am addicted to readers digest books thanks to you, lol
I scored a big lot of them someday I will let them go and they are the pretty covers, they belong to a couple that collected them. Thanks for sharing this Jess & take care!
Thank you so much, Jessica for this wonderful tutorial.
Thanks for watching Gracie!! Xo
Okay now ready for part two. Your videos are addictive. Would love to be able to binge watch several at a time like Netflix. Thank you. You are so good at what you do.
If you turn autoplay on, UA-cam should play them in series. I'm curious to know if it does though.
Thanks for this series--looking forward to the rest!
The fabric that you used is called osnaburg--it's a great neutral for lots of things!
Thank you!! I know I bought it at Joanns, but could not recall the name of it. I think cream of wheat is a good description though. Lol
Jessica -- this is a superb tutorial on getting started on a journal -- making a cover. "How to" and "problem solving" and "materials to use." I think this series is going to be an enduring classic!
Awesome! Thanks for watching! I just hope it's not confusing anyone. I'm pretty sure many fell asleep, but meh... I sleep during videos all the time.
I just found your channel and am so excited to sub and follow along ! Perfect timing for your video as I was given 3 Readers Digest books! Woohoo !! Lol !
The first time I saw you do this- blew my mind!!! I was putting so much reinforcement into my book spines- they just wouldn't wiggle right!!! And thank goodness you decided to do these videos to help those of us who were new to learn how to make these amazing spines!! Now- I don't even like making a hard spine book anymore!! Even my glue books are soft spines like these!!
Yay!! I'm glad you appreciate them. I just like my journals to feel already loved and worn. Xoxo
How timely....I have about a dozen of these covers I need to use. Thank you for doing a RD series!
Tear em up!! Might as well right!?. Xx
Ironically, I just bought the same Reader's Digest book at a thrift store today! I didn't even pay attention to the adorable deer cover until a couple hours ago. In love with the cover, after I really paid attention to it. I bought it for the yellowing pages. 😁
I still only use recycled and rescued (and scavenged haha) stuff to make journals. I like really junky and grungy jourmals but I get it that alot of people want pretty. I really like your style too. I could definitely pick out a Jessica journal in a police lineup! 😄💚💙
I have recently come into quite a few (ok, lots) older books that aren't 1st editions but I wrestle with deconstructing them. I am anxious to start a few..and give myself permission to give them a new life..I appreciate the video..thank you!!
Once you get started you'll be glad you did! Xx
Thank you for the tutorial maybe I get some guts and start I’m one. My question: can the sewing machine go through the cardboard (I don’t sew but found it interesting when you said that sometimes you sew it.) Thank you for all of your patience.
Yes. My old machines can stitch through a couple layers of book board. The newer one, maybe not. It's not necessary though. Xx
Jessica Rapp twosilveroranges, I doubt very seriously that any newer machine could handle sewing thru book covers. But what you could do if you are doing a fabric cove os sew it first and then put it on the cove. No one would know that it’s not sewn into the book.
Thanx for starting this series. Can’t wait to try on a reader’s digest.
You are so gifted at teaching, Jessica-seriously, you are just good at explaining things and telling the ‘why you do this and that’. If I had some room on my desk, I’d play along. But I’m collaging right now. So I’ll just watch while i collage, lol. Oh, I noticed in your last video, you lost some rings again😉 xo
Hahah! I did! Sometimes they just feel heavy. It's kinda like skinny dipping when I take em off! Lol
I appreciate you doing this with things that everybody either has or can come by easily. Also I'm glad you didn't go with the ring bound journal. I've watched a bunch of tutorials on junk journals and have collected a LOT of "stuff". I'm gonna eventually make a junk journal. I have made a hard back/ cloth covered journal and a couple of manilla envelope journals. But just a bit intimidated to do the junk journal. Or, maybe I'm just procrastinating. Lol.
Time to start one.
I am new to all this. I have a question. Could you use tyvac instead of the fabric? I love your videos, you are a great teacher! I find you very easy to follow. Thank you for sharing with us! Love and Hugs!
Yes, you could use tyvek, except I'm not doing a hidden spine and you will be able to see it in the end unless you cover it somehow before binding the signatures in.
Don’t take this as a Debbie Downer post it’s just meant to shed light on everybody doing different things and thinking of the journals in different ways. It’s interesting, I found you through a very small mini journal you did for Mitts where she pulled the papers to use in collage. In turn, those were the first pieces I’ve bought from you. I’m not a junk journaler at heart. I love your covers and the great ephemera you get. But, mostly I like using them on pages that I create. So for me, the ultimate ‘journal’ is a great interesting cover, filled mixed media, tamoe River, onion skin, or more plain vintage papers to paint and collage on. Then pair with it a pile of great ephemera. So, your paper packs and ephemera kits are perfection.
That's interesting Terry. I remember making those little books and adding them to packages as gifts. Then when she showed hers, I got a gazillion requests for them... I was like....uhm... ok!? Lol I know what you mean about the papers though. If I was a journals, I would want a nice variety and lots of options. Xx thanks for commenting and watching my videos, and for your business. Xx
I think I was the first watcher on this one. 🤩
Hahahah! Good job Jan!! I wish I could see who watches and give out prizes or something! Lol
Can we use tacky instead of pva glue?
Where can I find pva glue?
Thanks, this video is very helpful, showing how to easily put a journal cover together from a gutted hard back.
Yes, you can use Tacky glue. You can also use Elmer's Glue All or basically any glue that you trust to hold fabric to paper. I personally dont like fabritac or fabrifix, they're just so messy!! I'll add a link in the description for the glue I used in the video. Xx
As an addendum to this series, could you also show how to do alternate signatures within a journal, meaning 2 sewn signatures on either side of an elastic bound one in the middle? I would like to be able to have 1 signature that I can add or subtract pages to & I don't know how to do that. Thank You!!
The cover on the right is very pretty❣
I found a Readers Digest JUST LIKE yours today at an estate sale!! Great video. Now I'm not afraid to gut the book. Why did you use a light fabric? Does it need to be cotton, or can it be anything in my stash? Did you get my envelope? :) Joyce
I did!!! Yes! Thank you Joyce. 😊 my mom just brought it down yesterday. Thank you so much!
I use a light cotton because it's thinner and also sturdy.
Curious what sewing machine you have that sews through the book?
Do you do the machine stitching just because it's your preference? Or does it strengthen it? Thx enjoyed this.
It's kind of both really. I'll talk about that again in the next video. Thanks for asking. I'm sure alot of people are wondering. Xx
I look at rescuing books from Goodwill/thrift shops/bins etc... the same as rescuing a pet. I dont mean any offense. Imo, feels so good to rescue books and give them a new life. I recently watched (no names) a vid of a brand new book haul from Amazon. Well, I wasnt too happy about it. The (new) books said person recieved and unboxed....ugh all taken apart. Why?! I just dont get it. I couldnt watch the rest of the video. So many books out there just about ready for the trash can and said person ordered 8 brand spankin' new books to rip apart. Smh. The least of all worldly problems right?! 🤓 I'm just a nerd who was raised to shop at flea markets/thrift stores/reclaimed artsy shops etc...🙂
It's hard to always do the right thing when theres so many different schools of thought. Many people feel that tearing up old books is a sin, and would say the same about us tearing up old childrens readers etc... I buy books on amazon to tear apart sometimes. I recently did that with a botanical book that I used in a video a couple back. But I know what you mean, theres so many books in the world that get dumped. It's very sad really. I try to use as much old and reclaimed paper items as possible, but sometimes theres just something I have to have. Xx I feel ya though.
@@twosilveroranges I concur! I had a pretty beat up Children's book from a goodwill bin that I brought home. Even though it was like legit falling apart, I didnt feel right. I taped and glued it back together and took it back to goodwill. Also, I hear a lot of parents/guardians are homeschooling. I just cant tear up kids books at all. But yeah, I dont get those who get so mad over upcycling a book/s thats about to go into the garbage. Yeah dont get that at all. They just dont understand us lol hugs~Jenn
A while back I rescued 7 or 8 crates of books from a ketbside cleanup. Every time someone complains about me chopping up books, I send them the link to my video and politely advise them that In Sydney Australia, anything put out in a kerbside cleanup goes to landfill so I'm actially doing the world a favour by chopping them up lol. 😄
Jenn's Artlandia, I try so hard not to use books that still have life in them. My mom had an entire floor to ceiling bookcase full of readers digest books when I was growing up. I have no idea what happened to them over the years. We only moved 2 time in my life living at home. It now makes me a little sad I don’t have them. I got my love of reading from my mom. So if a book has any kind of life that someone would like to read, I have a hard time tearing into it. On the other hand if you can make something beautiful out of it, I feel that breathes new life into it and can give someone joy as well. I certainly would not tear into a book that is really valuable. I’m struggling with some very old bibles that I don’t have any emotional attachment to but we’re my moms ancestors. That one is hard for me.
@@BonnyAndClive ❤❤❤😹😹😹