About two years ago I made a stack of photo topped mini notebooks for sale in my shop. It was such a fun project...even my daughter got into it and made her own. There is a bit of prep time and waiting (for glue to dry), but the end results are worth it in my opinion. If you want to try it out Photojojo has put together a simple tutorial for d.i.y. photo topped mini notepads that looks perfect.
A few extra tips from my experience:
- Printing covers on photo quality premium heavyweight paper yields really nice vivid results. I tried it with standard cardstock and was unhappy with the muted results. I didn't use actual photographs on mine because I felt that they would become scratched more easily during use.
- To protect my covers from damage by the binder clips I made sure to fold pieces of scrap paper around my book before applying the clamps.
- I used a nice pH Neutral glue (good for photographs) on my books. My first attempt was with standard craft glue, but I found it to be too runny. The variety I used was PVA Glue from Paper Source and It felt that it was a great thickness to work with.
- For a nice finishing touch you can cover the top of your notepad with a small piece of book bining tape. I purchased mine from Paper Source, but it is available other places as well.
- Also, I have never tried it, but it seems like Japanese Masking tape would look great topping your books!
Have fun! If you give it a try I'd love to see the results! xo Ez
You can find more of my favorite tutorials and projects right here.