DIY Leather Journal (see description for more info)
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- I show you the process that I go through to make a complete leather journal.
Link to Matt Karl's first attempts at journal making:
• DIY Leather Journal - ... . (fantastic results!!)
Link to MiT's journal creation from leather boots:
• DIY Faux Leather Journ...
recommended materials:
leather (or faux leather, old pair of jeans, cardboard...)
parchment paper (or any kind of paper)
waxed linen thread
stitching needle
awl
pliers
cutting board
scissors
paper cutter
ruler
Thankyou for sharing. I'm going to make a journal for my son who is planning to travel. Then I'll make one for my girl and then myself. I can't wait to get started. You've inspired me.
You're very welcome! It means a lot to me that you are getting use out of my video! I hope you have fun making the journals and have fun using them:) Take care!
thanks so much I had to make one of those to finish my skit for class in history u got me an A±
You're very welcome! I'm glad I could help:) Good job on the A+!
I have been junk journaling during this past year - trying to keep my hands busy while trying to make sense out of things... I have a left-over piece of leather my industrial designer son had from his college days and so wanted to do something with it for him. This video gave me the perfect idea! Thank you so much! Be blessed! :)
Great tutorial. I plan on using this technique for a distressed wedding album. Thank you for taking the time to do this.
That is a wonderful project! Have fun making the album. Thank you for watching my humble vid!
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions. I've been doing leatherwork for a year now and something like this would be perfect for my daughter. Didn't know where to start and now I do!
You're welcome! Thank you for watching my vid! I hope you have fun crafting a journal for her:)
i kinda like the hand size journal one. it's awesome
Your leather journals look amazing! Thank you for sharing! Off to buy some leather to make my own!
+Yvonne Yam Thank you! I hope you have fun making your own personalized journal:)
Thank you for this tutorial... I appreciate your willingness to share your gifts and your gentle guidance and skill as a teacher. Blessings!
+Lynda Griebenow You're very welcome and thank you for watching!
These are beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to share how you made them, as well as how informative you were. I can hardly wait to make some for my friends and family.
Raraviel1979 Thanks! Appreciate you watching! I'm glad you found this video helpful! I hope you have fun making these as I do:)
One of the best tutorials I have ever seen…thanks!
Am I the only one trying to make John Winchester's journal????
did you end up making it
Holy shi- this is literally what I'm doing now in 2024
Love that notebooks.... They are gorgeous. The only sad thing about them - they are not endless.
This tutorial and voiceover were so well worded and thought-out! This helped me so much!! Thank youuuuuu!!
Thank you for your kind words!
A shoemaker once told me to make the leather wet/damp before using the dye on leather. The colour wouldn't be notable different, but it would save dye and be easier to apply.
Thank you so much for posting this video. This is exactly what I have been looking for to make my own journals. As much as I love buying things, I love learning to make things that I can also make for gifts. I am paper, fountain pen and ink obsessed and I cannot wait to make one.
Holly Pickett You're very welcome! It's always nice to custom make something and tailor it to your specifics. I love buying stuff myself but I love making things more! I too like fountain pens and at one point owned quite a few, but it got be rather an expensive hobby lol. I'm sure you'll have great fun making one of these and making more in the future. I've made over 200 to date. I've sold them in the past and given them away as gifts. Best wishes to you and your craft!
That was a very sincere thank you. nice journals
Bronson Rodriguez Thank you! And thank you for watching my video!
This is a superb video. I have been looking at other videos and websites and this is the first one that actually made sense. Great job dude.
Thank you! I'm glad I could be of help!
beautifully done. thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your leather binding tips...I have made paper and card stock ones but neded to know how I should go about things when making a leather one for a friend...your video makes all very clear, thanks again...Di xx
Thank you for watching! I'm glad I could help!
Am i using this solely because im thinking of making Johns journal from SPN? Yes.
How did it turn out? I wish UA-cam would let pictures be uploaded
Thank you so much for taking the time to show this process. I make vintage junk journals and have recently acquired some leather that I would like to put to some use:)
You're very welcome! Thanks for watching!
Awesome video man! I copied it almost entirely except I made a full size wrap around. Thanks for the inspiration and quality instruction. Some hiccups occurred but I feel it turned out great.
Simply Omnipotent Thank you! The stitching technique in this video can be used in all types of covers. As with any handmade items there will almost be some "hiccups" that is completely natural. If I could show you my very first try versus what are in this video you'll see a world of difference! The most important part is that you enjoyed the process of creating your own journal and that you are happy with the results. Your journal is a one of kind that can not be replicated exactly:) Thank you for watching my humble vid.
It was fun enough that I am already setting up my plans to make my next one. Likely as a gift to a friend of mine. Thanks again and keep up the good work!
you should try making a Book of the dead or necronomicon
The bamboo tooling looks awesome. I really love the aged, rustic weathering, it adds a lot of character!!! Thanks for sharing, and Happy New Year!!!
Thank you! The tooling is a lot of work but it's worth it for a totally custom look and feel. Weathering is my favorite effect for the covers and combined with tea stained pages are just the best IMO. Thank you for watching and Happy New Years to you as well!
This video is very well done. Instructions are clear and you are very talented. Thank you for posting this video. :)
Thank you:) Appreciate your kind words!
I remember doing coffee stains on paper to make it look like parchment / treasure maps [+burning the edges] x.x Great video as always. Do you ever plan to get even more complicated? Just wondering, wouldn't it be easier to create templates in photoshop, so that every line and hole is exact/precise? And this way the templates are easily accessible, re-printable if damaged, easily change-able, etc.. That softening step reminds me of force-ably breaking in a baseball mitt. Ah nostalgia lol Nice end, sounded totally like a pro tutorial vid
Thanks man! I've never thought of using PS for the templates, that's a good idea. My only concern is that the size is always a tiny bit off when I print from PS. But ultimately I like to tell people my journals are 100% hand crafted, this includes the templates lol:) I like to soften the covers on all my journal, it lends a very nice feel and you won't have to spend years getting that effect. As for your part 2 comment, I have thought about more complicated covers but the problem with adding more features on the inside or outside (ie, button closures, zippers, pockets...) is that it makes an uneven surface for writing. That's why I elect to go with wrap ties and or bands. I've tried several different decorative closures in my past creations and afterwards I noticed it would be annoying to write on, specifically the first few pages at the beginning and at the end of the book. I'm more for functionality first and then looks:)
I know this is 3 years old, but I found it and others will too so in my book comments are still relevant. Doing things with "templates" takes away from that hand-crafted look you are after. you get perfection instead of that subtle roughness that makes hand-crafted items so special. Love you work!
I wish leather wasn't that expensive but I've tried this wih faux leather and I got great results.
Thank you so much for not being stingy with your knowledge!!!
Thank you. This was well done and informative, I hope to try this.
Also the journals you showed look beautiful. Have a good day.
Thank you! I really hope you give this a try, it's a very fun project.
Love this. Thanks for sharing. Just made my first one last night and then found your video this morning because I am going to have to make some more! ~Lynn
Hi! Thanks for watching my video! Cool, I hope you had fun with your project :) I hope you make tons more. I've been meaning to get back into this hobby. Not enough time these days unfortunately. Happy crafting!
Whoa more leather working please this is amazing!!!!
You know, alcohol will dry out the leather as bad or worse than dying and casing the veg tan leather you use. Try using Neatsfoot oil or golden mink oil instead as that will put the moisture back into the leather as it will also preserve it. You will see less shrinking of the leather this way as well. Also, using a stitching chisel or small hole punch (1mm or 1.5mm) will save you a lot of headache when stitching and less chance of breaking your needles. if you're using 1mm thread, you should use a "big eye" needle and pre-punch ALL of your stitching holes.
All that said, I will likely try the method to make a journal for a friend, except for the leather working issues I've pointed out here. Thanks for the tutorial.
I fully realize that now. Since this video I have refined my methods of using Neatsfoot instead. I have also upgraded my tools a few years ago with pronged punches. I have a couple more recent videos of my journey in to making bags. There are no step by step in those but the method and tools as mentioned are put into practice with all my new projects. Thank you for commenting:) Take care.
I just stumbled upon your page. What a fabulous tutorial!!
+Kath McMillen Thank you:) I'm happy that you like the video.
I'm impressed! You're very good at what you do
Amazing and very original work!
Love Madrid Thank you, I appreciate your comment and for watching my video:)
This is the best video for this!!!
Thanks! Appreciate you watching!
this is so amazing! it is by far the best lether journal toutorial I've seen on youtube. thank you so much for this wonderful video :)
+Chiara Schmid Thank you:) I hope the vid was easy to follow and helpful!
Yes it was. I made my own journal the next day :)
Thank you!
Like!
This was a long video, but defenitly worth it! I would love to try it out myself !
Thanks for taking the time and watching my vid! I know it's a long one but I wanted all the details of how I go about making these. I hope you do try this out some day, it's fun and rewarding! Makes a very special book for your own thoughts because you know there won't be another one out there quite like the one you made:)...or a great gift for someone special!
very nice to see this.. going to make one myself this week. thank you for this
Amazing video. Thanks for sharing
Subscribed. Nicely accomplished.
Thank you! :)
Do you think I could use a rabbit skin instead of cow leather?
Thank you very much... this is a terrific video!
Great idea. Good video. Angel from The Bay
Ahh! Fabulous well done video. Thanks so much for sharing. Saving to my favorites until I have a day I to make. Soon! Thank you so much.
Krystal Arnot Thank you:) Appreciate you watching! I hope you do get a chance to try it out. Best of luck with your custom journal:) Take care!
This is really neat!
this is such a perfect video and exactly want I was looking for.
+Mykala Shew Thanks! I hope it was useful:)
Amazing video! That's a labor of love, but the end result is fantastic :)
+Vanessa Gomes Thank you:) Yes I take a lot time and effort in my projects. It's a great feeling knowing that I'm the one who made the entire finished product!
Excellent video my friend
Thank you:) Appreciate you watching!
Beautiful
Thank you!
Awesome!
Can you please make a tuturial for the journal at 0:55?
That journal was made with the exact same techniques as the one in the video. The main difference is that I took all the pages and soaked them in hot tea. I let the pages dry and then press them flat for 48 hours. The rest of the process is the same.
darkchild57
Thanks :P. Looks awesome btw, you could make a good profit in these, I suppose?
jpcancela One could make a decent living making these...all depends on how skilled they are. I did ok. I make these because I enjoy leather crafting I charged a fair price based on size and the amount of customization.
darkchild57
Yes. These books you made are much better looking than all the leather journals I've found online, if you aren't selling it yet I might have to make one myself.. Hmm
jpcancela Thank you for your very kind words! I highly recommend that you make one. This is the whole reason I've made the tutorial. I find great relaxation and enjoyment in leather crafting and I hope you feel the same way when you create your own journal. After you're done you'll find that the journal means that much more to you because it was your own creation:)
Love this video you made its awesome, now can you make more of these because I’m trying to make some myself and if you can also let us know what supplies exactly I’ll need to buy if I don’t already have them... thank you!😊
Gotta try this ! thanks !
This is so cool! I love leather journals and I'd like to make my own, thanks so very much for making this video
Thanks! I hope you do make one. The process is really relaxing for me and it brings out the creativity:)
😍😍😍its so perfect..this is what ive been looking for
+Ginny S Thank you:) Glad I could help!
You kinda sound like Misha Collins ! I literally was hypnotized by your voice and your work, haha. It's really really good.
Hey thanks! You are most kind! No one has told me I sound like him yet lol. Appreciate you taking the time to watch my video:)
Well there you go lol ! It quite shocked me to tell the truth haha. Anyways, your work is awesome, I wish I had that much talent ! But I'm going to try my best :)
Honorine Bertin I'm sure your book will turn out very nice:) Besides it's the experience of making a journal that I really love. I just wish I had more time to make them these days.
Thank you ! That's right. I hope you're gonna have more time to make them, you're really good at it :) And, who knows, if I can't make one, you might get a private message from me discussing prices haha !
Wow good Job.
Thank you!
This is really cool. I love the step by step explanations. Any idea how I would sow in a book that has already been bound but has no cover?
Wish I had known how to do this in 8th grade, that was a really long time ago. We watched Roots and then had to make a "journal" as if we were a slave that was brought to America. Mine was still the best, but I wasn't happy with it.
I've always been interested in book binding even as a child. But I could never figure out how to do it. There were no home computers when I was growing up so no google lol. The local library didn't carry anything. One day I decided to just play around with some faux leather and paper and made my first journal which looked nothing like the ones in this video. I think when it comes to a book that is personally bounded on your own, it means so much more, regardless of how it may have looked. Of course you not being happy with it is the natural artist in you:) I have bounded countless journals over the years and I have still yet to make that "perfect" one that I want to be my own. Every one is unique in it's own way and thus beautiful to me. I hope you try to make another!
I am thinking of doing something like this for my D&D games but I'd like to inlay the cover with metal some how.
That would be a nice looking journal cover with some metal in it. I haven't done one like that but I suppose it can be done, maybe with some high strength glue. I'm sure someone has already perfected a method of attaching the metal to the leather.
@ roberthix: Your comment didn't give me a reply option. I use thinner leather usually from the shoulders. In my experience when you dye the materials it can get quite stiff after it dries so I take that into account. Since I do mainly wraparound covers I don't need much of a stiff cover. The leathers I use are about 3mm in thickness maybe. For covers that don't have a wraparound (such as a midori style cover) I'll use something thicker.
The rigidity of the leather is more to do with the tanning method. My veg shoulders are stiff and thick. I also have oil tan sides that are really soft.
This helped me so much. Thank you!
+L Monte Welcome! Thanks for watching!
You should sell these, I would definitly be a costumer, I buy white paged book all the time to draw and write but none looks this great from the outsite.
+jpcancela Thank you:) I did sell these at one point but my Etsy store is closed for the time being while I sort some things out. I plan to reopen it when I have the means.
So beautiful. I want one:.....)))
Really good video! Thank you so much for this video it was great! Please make more of these DIY? :)
Wilma ellison Thank you:) Appreciate you watching! I can make more DIY vids in the future!
I love the green one with bamboo. Do you have a video on that one?
Thank you! I don't have a video of the green journal. The process to make that one is the same as the techniques in this video. The main difference is the hand tooling of the bamboo design. There videos on YT that will demonstrate tooling on leather. If I get some time I'll make one in the future:)
Nice!
Awesome video! Just what I was looking for. A couple of supplies questions... 1) what kind of needle do you use? 2) where do you get your parchment paper? Thank you!
Thank you! I get my sewing needles from Tandy Leather Company in a bulk pack. They are larger gauge and sturdier for use with leather. Parchment paper is from your normal office supply store or online.
@@darkchild57 Thanks so much!
@@wbrussell19 Regarding the needles, what size are they exactly? And are they suitable for other journals in addition to leather, such as fabric? Thanks again!
Very concise explanations.Since you do not sell all of these I am curious what you use them for?
Carol Gallupe Hi, thanks for watching and commenting! When I first started out I made these to write and draw in. Then I made them as gifts for family and friends. Finally I started to sell them. The ones in this video are left overs from what I couldn't sell. I don't really use them at all at this moment.
I need to learn how to do these Leather Jounal, please!!!!
Your very welcome and ok cool
This is just fantastic! About how much cost goes into making a journal like the one you did here (leather, thread, parchment, dye)?
Very usefull
Your tutorial is certainly going to help a ton! Quick question, when (during the whole process) would you recommend starting to stamp the leather with leather stamps? Would it be before or after dying the leather?
Adrian Gutierrez Thank you:) For the stamping it depends on what effect you're going for. If you wanted to create a two toned (or multi colored) effect you could stamp it first and then apply the dye. If it's just a matter of stamping in an initial or name or logo then I usually do it afterwards.
this is awesome. I would like to make a journal where i can have or make the books and take them in and out, thus being able to reuse the leather cover. i love the wraparound style, but I know that for this i would have to be ale to slide the front and back covers into the leather counterpart....Any ideas??? thank you so much
+Melissa Bowman Thank you:) There are many tutorials on how to make a journal in the way that you have described. It's not too hard. You could always make a "Midori" style cover. I have two video tutorials on those, just check in my playlist under DIY I think.
they look so fcking awesome!
+Le Kat Glad you like them:)
A good series of videos on book making is bookbinding101. Highly recommended.
+408Magenta Thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to check them out!
darkchild57
Relaxing.No noise. Just a master doing his trade and with ease and simplicity. Text is provided. NO metal noise or hillbilly stuff.
hey there! GREAT video, thanks for sharing!! For those of us who don't have TIME to make one, do you ever sell your journals??
Thank you:) I do have an Etsy store although it's not really in service at the moment. I few events in the past year has forced me to stop making these. I have a few left, mainly the ones you saw in this video and a couple others. I'll send you a PM.
make one on how to make your personal journal please
nice
So cool! Can't wait to make my own. What size needle did you use for stitching? I made a journal before (more like a hardback notebook) and I had troubles with the needle fitting through and really had to widen the holes. I'm sure the pliers will help a lot though!
que lindo
great work ! i was wondering how would i go through with the stitching if i want to include 2 signatures in the same row, meaning, i want to stitch 8 signatures but only want 4 rows of rope to show on the cover. how would can i do that?
I'm not too sure how that would be done. If you want the same amount of pages with only 4 signatures you would double up the signatures but not too sure how you have two signatures in the same row to be honest. You could stitch through the first signature and then go directly to the second signature and then finally through the cover. Or use two sets of thread and stitch through the two sets of signatures individually and then use the same sewing holes of the cover for both threads.
I have a quick question -- what stitch pattern would you recommend if we want our leather journal to become a scrapbook/junk journal (so lots of gluing things inside). I feel like if the stitching is too tight, the leather won't be able to hold all the scrapbook things? But I'm a complete beginner who has never done anything like this before, so I figured I'd ask XD
Thank you for this great video. After watching it I was inspired to make leather journals for my four children and my wife. I followed your method for making the paper inserts and the tip for softening the leather using vaseline was great. I have been working with leather projects for years, but didn't like how stiff the leather got after dyeing it. I Modified your design by adding a fold over cover with a clasp. I also tooled a border and added initials. I posted photos of my end product on Wordpress at Wordpress pdwhitcom.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/leather-journal/. Thanks again for taking the time to document your great idea.
Wow, those are absolutely beautifully done! Thank you for sharing your creations with us. Vaseline is a good method to making the leather soft and it serves to weather proof the covers. If you want a more natural way of softening then try Neatsfoot oil, I would apply sparingly, allow to dry and then dye the project. I've noticed it's harder to treat with Neatsfoot afterwards because some water based dyes will not allow for absorption. The clasp and tooling are a wonderful addition to your designs. This is what this video is all about, being creative. My video was always simply a base, a starting point to get the creative juices flowing:) Thank you again for sharing and watching my video!
Tutorial starts at 3:55
OMG I want the green one. how much for that. I like old looking beat up journals. I love your tea stained pages to. amazing work, for real. can u state me a price for these size journal. that broken larger one u picked up, the cow one, is really nice. I prefer flexible one.
Me too:) Love the old vintage looking worn out journals. I make them specifically worn out and distressed. My journals start at 45$ USD goes up from there because of extra work like hand tooling designs into the leather, tea stained pages or specialty paper.
Hey,I really like ur work,ur notebooks look very nice,but could u tell me where can I get those leather that u use for ur notebooks,i really want to try to make it by myself,if u don't mind. Thanks.
Thank you:) I get my leather from Tandy Leather Company
Beautiful tutorial! I like the bamboo cover! What material is it made of? Where can I buy it? Thank you very much for the video!
*Sigh* I rlly want to make journal 1 and I need a red journal. Internet does not have it for me. The size, color, blank pages, nothing. I am blocked by this simple detail to bring my dreams to reality
Did you ever get your red journal? 🤔
@@swonkknows8646 no
How do you get the spine to have more of a boxy look than rounded? The journals I've made all seem to have a rounded spine rather than a squared off one like yours.
I dampened the spine slightly and did a bit of wet molding to get the shape. I'm not a fan of journals that have a rounded spine :) With that being said the way my journals open will differ from a journal that has a rounded spine. But both will over time "loosen" up with use. This is purely cosmetic IMO.
Thank you for this awesome video! It answered many questions. But I do have one question. How do you do a book with both wood and leather cover (the leather covers the wood)?
Thanks for watching! I have never done a wood and leather cover before. If I was to get creative I would probably use a coptic stitch. Maybe glue the leather on top of the wood, drill the holes for the coptic stitch. To further enhance the cover you could get some decorative screws and secure the corners down or maybe even some metal corners from a craft store. Or you could use the same techniques in this video and attach thin pieces of wood to the front and back and sew the pages into the spine.
darkchild57 Thank you soooo much. That actually makes a lot of sense! Thank you for the tips! ir definately try drilling hole's
How do you tie these off to keep it from opening?
Hi do you know if it is possible to use kiwi brand rub on shoe polish that comes in the little cannister to give faux leather a vintage look?
I think I read somewhere on Yahoo Answers and other sites that it can be used on synthetic leather. I would personally test it on a small area of the material first.
Hi! I'm from México, really love green, do you think you could do a tutorial on how did the bamboos texture? thanks, i enjoyed your tutorial :D
Hi:) Thank you very much! I can do a tutorial in the future about it, but right now I don't have much time available. If you want to watch some videos type in "tooling leather" on UA-cam and there should be a ton of videos detailing the process etching designs into leather.
how did you attach the needle to the tread there?
Hello was wondering where would you get the paper that you used
Amazon