How to Decorate a Boring Craft Notebook and Make it Fun

Have you ever had trouble finding the right notebook for you? I sure have, and recently I decided to do something about it. I was at the mall looking for a journal and couldn’t find one I liked. I looked through stack after stack and finally decided to compromise and get something I wasn’t really crazy about. Before I headed to the checkout lane I wised up to the situation and quickly put it back on the shelf. I marched down the mall to Michael’s craft store and picked out a craft notebook instead.

I really liked the binding on this craft notebook made by Recollections, but I admit it looked pretty boring. It’s a good thing I know how to decorate a boring craft notebook and make it fun, right? Let me share with you how I jazzed up this notebook and turned it into my new favorite journal. This post contains some affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Materials used for this project:

Craft notebook (this one is similar – mine can only be found in stores so I couldn’t link to it)
Gelatos Pigment Sticks by Faber Castell
Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers
Krylon Matte Finish Spray
Washi Tape
Xacto Knife
Pom Pom Trim
Tacky Glue
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
Decorative Stamp
Pigment Ink Pad
Baby wipe

You can substitute any of these materials for items you have on hand, of course. These just happen to be some of favorite crafting supplies, though, so I’m a little biased and think you should stick with them. OK, let’s get started

First I created a design I liked using the Gelatos Pigment Sticks. I just swirled them around in rows and added some stripes on the outside. I really didn’t plan any of this, but you could lightly sketch any design you wish before starting. Me? I like to wing it!

Next I used a baby wipe to blend the Gelatos together, adding more pigment in areas that needed it.

After the Gelatos dried, I used my Mermaid Markers to add some accents. These ink brush pens are my favorite these days. You can only find them at Michael’s craft stores when they’re in stock, so be on the lookout for them. They’re worth every penny!

Next, I sprayed a couple of coats of the Glimmer Mist on the notebook, letting it dry between coats. This added a beautiful gold shimmer to the cover. So pretty!

I decided to spray my notebook with this Matte Finish spray to seal and protect the cover. I sprayed two light coats and let it dry.

Once the front cover was done I repeated all the steps to the back cover before grabbing my Washi tape and Pom Pom trim.

I added a few strips of Washi tape to the cover, leaving a small strip exposed where I planned to attach the pom pom trim. I used the Xacto knife to trim the excess off the edge. I then used the tacky glue to glue the pom pom trim to the cover. My last step was to stamp the bottom right corner of the notebook and then my project was complete. Yay!

Can I tell you just how happy I am that I decided to decorate my own boring craft notebook? It turned into quite a beauty if you ask me! This proves that a book should never be judged by it’s cover, because the cover can be changed. I hope I’ve inspired you to decorate your own boring craft notebook, too!