Have a Handmade Christmas {Week 7}

 With Christmas lights now sparkling in the snow outside it is beginning to feel very holidayish. Inside we are still decorated for fall (I like to stay that way at least until December and often until after my birthday on the 6th) but we are working a little more often on presents, there are some secrets around the house and we are having fun!

  We don't give large numbers of presents and everything has to be fairly small because our rule is "Everything has to fit in the stocking!". We still have the fun of presents without much stress. I am thankful we have decided to do it this way.

 We had quite a few projects started but not much finished so I hurried and got this one done this evening so I could share it with you.

 It is a journal for Mara. She has a nice normal journal (which she enjoys using) but I had read an idea once about a journal which you use to encourage one another. My plan is to write in the front page some encouraging words for Mara and then if she wants she can leave a message for someone else and stick on their pillow or someplace that they will see it. Or maybe it will be used simply for Mara with Ken and I leaving new notes every so often. I will see how it goes. I do think she will like it as she loves getting and giving little notes to say "I love you" or something else like that.

To make it I took around 20 sheets of paper and cut them in half. Then I took stacks of 5 and folded them in half.

Next I sewed a 3/8 inch seam down the side of each folded paper set, to hold the papers together. I think it is rather fun to sew on paper! :-)

 Next I cut out front and back covers. I just used brown cardboard. I cut them 5 3/4 inches by 4 1/2 inches- a little bigger than the paper.

Then I measured and marked 3 places for holes across the spine area of the papers and covers.

 Then I used a hammer and nail to make holes there so that I could put a needle through.

Then using some sturdy thread I sewed through those holes and tied them tightly together. I decided to leave the covers brown cardboard but they could also easily be covered with fabric or a decorative paper.

 Next I made a spine cover out of fabric. I cut the fabric 6 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches. I put a tiny hem in the top and bottom and then I folded the sides in to meet at the middle and hot glued them in place.

 I then glued it on putting a strip of fabric over the back and a little bit on each side of the cover.

 Next I decided to put fabric on the corners. I took a little strip which I hemmed on one side and glued on the outside of the cover.

 Then on the inside I folded over the raw edges and glued and then I folded them into the cover of the book and glued in place.

 This is what it looks like at this point. It could be done now but I decided to add a couple of touches.

I added a ribbon place marker which I glued one end of it in the spine and then put a couple of beads on the other end. I also decided to add some fabric flowers which I made from scraps using this idea. You could decorate your journal however you like best!

I also wanted to show you one of the gifts Megan (my 4 year old) has made.

She wanted to make cards with me the other day and I suggested she make some for Mara for Christmas.

She decided she wanted to use some veggie pictures that I had and then wanted to decorate them like Veggie Tales.  I pulled out the googly eyes and pom poms and she had fun. I love the result. She also wrote a card for her with parts of the Veggie Tales song and other things she wanted to tell Mara. We had a lot of fun working on this little project together.

What have you been making lately? Please join me and link up your handmade Christmas posts!

I would just request that you link up your specific post not just your blog and that you would link back to here. Thanks much! I looking forward to seeing your ideas!