The Top 8 Techniques for Personalizing Your Next Notebook Cover

A glimpse at the front of my junk journal notebook.

Bev G's TheRaggedEdge

A routine part of the start of the school year for me involved covering my notebooks and textbooks. Because we weren't allowed to add our own flair to the process, we were stuck using boring wallpaper samples from the 1970s. I didn't want to see another wallpaper sample after covering 12 composition books and who knows how many textbooks.

More effort is being made to add visual appeal to the covers of composition books. But it's a lot of fun to make your own cover, and you can personalize it however you like. You can choose a cover design that is simple, ornate, trendy, floral, or bohemian.

Listed below are eight suggestions to get you thinking.

1. Tape

There are currently countless tape options available. Some products worth trying are listed below.

• Dressing up your walls with Duck Tape Available choices range from metallic and shiny to printed.
• Tape with a decorative design made from Washi Washi tape's wide variety of thicknesses makes it a versatile tool for customizing your cover with unique designs and textures. The process is forgiving because you can simply take it off without damaging your cover.
• Used in conjunction with masking tape and a stamp. Masking tape allows you to create your own custom designs without the use of stamps.

2. Paper

The cover of a notebook can be easily customized with scrapbook paper. You have the option of going all out with intricate patterns or keeping things simple with a brown paper bag.

Paper can be used for book covers in one of two ways:

• Apply glue and squeeze any trapped air out of the cavity. When the glue has dried, cut away the excess paper.
• Prepare a paper size that is 2 inches wider than the open book. Put a decorative bow on the book by folding the flaps over the covers like a present. Use tape or a dab of glue to secure them in place.

Paint, collage, and buttons for personalizing book covers

TheRaggedEdge

3. Collage

Pick up a magazine and snip out some fascinating articles and pictures. Make a beautiful collage on your cover by gluing them together. No magazine is required, either. try:

• Notices from purchased tickets
• Examples of Handwriting
• Family photographs that have been scanned
• Online content that has been printed

Add your own personal touch to the collage by drawing or writing on it. Put on some goofy headgear, like a mustache and a hat, and some striped stockings. Transform humans into fairies or butterflies by giving them wings and antennae. It's easy to use Mod Podge as a collage adhesive. To finish sealing and protecting the cover, a single coat can be applied on top.

Compound No. 4: Acrylic Paint

Covers painted with acrylic paint are more durable. Use a credit card you no longer use to scrape off stubborn paint. It's possible that you'll use your fingers to create a swirl of two or more colors. Let the cover dry after being painted a solid color (perhaps pillar-box red) and then try pressing a black-painted hand onto it. If you want a textured paint job, you can also use sand.

Acrylic paint, tissue paper, newspaper, and mesh were used to adorn this book's cover.

5-Tissue Paper

If you want to protect your notebook with tissue paper, try this:

• Spread out your book with the cover up.
• Attach a sheet of tissue paper using glue; it should be bigger than the book.
• Wrinkles and texture can be achieved by squishing the paper.
• Hold off on tearing off the excess until it dries.
• You can now choose to either paint it or leave it unaltered.

Stickers, Number Six

Embellishing a composition book with stickers is a quick and easy project. Seal them with Mod Podge or another sealer to keep them from wearing out over time. You'll have a hard time deciding between all the fantastic stickers because there are so many options. For a unified appearance, I recommend sticking to a single theme.

Use stamps in tandem with any of the other suggestions. A stamp and ink pad are required. For a nice effect, try painting the cover a solid color and then stamping butterflies, seahorses, or whatever else you like on top. Next, using paint or markers, fill in the stamp. Even more fancifully, you could embellish them with tiny stick-on gemstones.

A composition book with some changes

The Hon. Rita H. Cobbs

Add Decorations to Your Book

For the finishing touches, decorate your book with small keys, beads, buttons, ribbon, fibers, sequins, brass cogs, or anything else you can find and glue it on. Enjoy yourself by letting your mind wander and using your imagination.

Inquiry and Reply

Can acrylic paint be used to decorate a notebook's black spine without the paint eventually wearing off from repeated opening and closing?

A lot depends on the paint's pliability and the volume of use expected of the book. My own creations have turned out just fine. You can always slop on some more paint if it starts to fade.

For my daughter, I decided to decorate a composition book. Felt, wall decals, a paper cutout of a colored pencil drawing, acrylic paint, sticker gems, and construction paper were all used. How do I preserve it with a spray?

The spray varnish, Gel medium, or Mod Podge are my recommendations. Any of those will repair the attachments and keep the cover in place. This is fantastic!

© 2012 Bev G

Are You an Ingenious One?

On 11/9/2015, murtaza said:

Nice site What a fantastic resource for all of my projects; I am truly awed.

The following text was contributed by Bev G. of Wales, United Kingdom on January 25, 2013:

Thank you so much for your help, Sharye11 and amberlybites! To that extent, I agree that covers can be both motivating and revealing. x

on January 25, 2013, amberlybites from Texas said:

Since I was very young, collage has been one of my favorite art forms. Your works are amazing. The best journals have covers that reflect their owners' personalities and serve as a source of inspiration.

On January 25, 2013, Jayme Kinsey from Oklahoma wrote:

Fancy thinking Students and writers alike can benefit from the aesthetic appeal of a nice notebook. As journals, these are superior; the covers can be themed or personalized. Voting up

why it's important that you learn this --- - January 7th, 2013:

awshome :3

U.S. citizen Erica Gourley on August 27, 2012 :

I've finally found what I've been seeking; many thanks

Author Bev G. from Wales, United Kingdom, on 12 August 2012 :

Thank you for asking, wiccanfemme! If you enjoy HubPages, I invite you to create some hubs of your own. There's a ton of enjoyment to be had.

A comment by wiccanfemme463 on 12 August 2012:

I was going to spend money on books, but then I found your HubPages and realized I could learn from you for nothing. to you for illuminating my ignorance

May 24, 2012, Bev G. from Wales, United Kingdom writes:

Please accept my gratitude, Angela_Michelle:-)

A. Michelle Schultz, a citizen of the United States, wrote on May 24, 2012:

Highly original Your finished-book photos are fantastic. They are really cool