Collaged Garden Journal

Collaged Garden Journal

Keep track of your gardening progress in a journal adorned with nature stickers and handmade paper.

Materials

•10-inch square journal or scrapbook with cardboard covers and spiral wire binder

•Wooden cutouts: 8 (1-inch) squares, 6 (1 1/2-inch) squares, 2 (2-inch) squares, 2 (2 1/2-inch) circles, 3 1/4-inch oval, 2 5/8-inch oval

•Caramel suede-finish textured spray paint

•Acrylic spray paint: cream, moss green

•Brown alphabet stickers with 1-inch uppercase letters and 1/2-inch lowercase letters, and sticker with word "our"

•Flower and butterfly stickers

•Garden saying on clear paper

•Gold fine glitter

•Gold microbeads

•Decorative papers: brown, cream, green, pale green

•Assorted fibers in coordinating colors: yarns, pearl cotton, cord, narrow ribbon, braids

•Spray matte finish

•Paintbrush

•Drill with small bit

•Craft glue

•Glue with tip applicator

•Large-eye needle

Instructions

1.Spray journal covers with one coat of textured paint. Add second coat as necessary for good coverage. Note: If desired, remove covers before painting by turning coils until book is unthreaded. Re-assemble when paint is dry.

2.Spray 1-inch and 1 1/2-inch squares, one circle and larger oval with one coat cream paint; spray remaining cutouts green. Let dry; add second coat as necessary.

3.Drill hole in one corner of large square and at one end of circle and smaller oval to use these pieces as tags. Drill hole in both ends of larger oval.

4.Spray cutouts with two light coats of matte finish, letting finish dry between coats; keep holes open.

5.Center uppercase letter stickers to spell "GARDEN" on cream 1 1/2-inch squares; press firmly. In same manner, apply stickers to spell "journal" on seven 1-inch cream squares; place "our" sticker on remaining 1-inch cream square.

6.Select flower and butterfly stickers to decorate remaining wooden cutouts. Press each securely in place.

7.Cut 4 1/4 x 6 3/4-inch rectangle from green paper. Tear remaining paper as follows: 4 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch piece brown, 2 1/2 x 5 1/2-inch piece cream, 2 1/2-inch square from pale green. Referring to photo throughout, arrange papers on front cover. Apply garden saying to cut green rectangle; glue papers in place.

8.Thread a few fibers through holes in large oval tag (use large-eye needle if necessary); knot ends and clip to 1 1/2 inches. Glue three cutouts with stickers to front cover. Glue "GARDEN" and "journal" squares to brown paper background. Glue "our" square on top of larger "G" and "A" squares.

9.Make fiber tie: Cut a variety of fibers 14 inches long. Fold bundle in half and slip loop through wire coil at top of binder. Pull ends through loop and tighten. Attach three stickered tags to different fibers, threading fiber through hole and knotting end. Clip excess close to knot. Vary hanging length of each tag.

10.Use applicator tip to apply glue to selected areas of flower stickers -- centers, bases of leaves, etc. Cover with microbeads; let dry, then shake off excess. Apply glue to knot on fiber tie and fibers on oval tag; sprinkle with fine glitter. Let dry, then shake off excess.
 
 
Creative Woman