Tutorial: How to make a Sketchbook from A cereal box!!

**hala** · June 19th, 2009, 08:18 PM

edit: sorry for all the spelling mistakes. that's what insomnia does to you ;p

Ok--I could not find a tutorial here, and I saw some threads where people were curious as to how to make your own sketchbook.

If this is in the wrong forum, I apologize--I thought this category was most fitting.

This is an extremely CHEAP way to make one with a cereal box. This is NOT the only way to make a hard cover book, but I find it to be the easiest way.

It takes PRACTICE! So don't be too frustrated if you mess up.
I made 3 books before I made my illustration book for my final exam--I messed up on that one, even though I had practiced already.

everyone makes mistakes.

Since the last step is very hard to explain in photos and words, I included a video of it! HERE IS THE LINK TO THE LAST STEP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ShD98KAf9A

I hope this tutorial is helpful--I know it might be confusing, so please ask questions

Like I said, this is only the cheap way to do it--not the best or the only way

Post pics of your sketchbooks if you made one

**hala** · June 19th, 2009, 08:21 PM

If anyone would like the demo on how to cover up the warped pages, let me know , I will post it here.

**joeparis** · June 20th, 2009, 04:37 AM

A very good demonstration, well done. I remember binding my own sketchbooks and photo albums at art school many years ago so you brought back some memories. It is a little time consuming but very rewarding and the few that I made are still good as new. We carried our bone folders around like trophies.

**Liam Harvey** · June 20th, 2009, 10:54 AM

awesome! gonna try and give this a go over the next few days. Crafty!

**SMILEFACE** · June 21st, 2009, 03:45 AM

**Aphotic Phoenix** · June 21st, 2009, 04:59 AM

Yay! I was just thinking about making custom sketchbooks the other day with alternating paper so I can take notes, do pencil/pen sketches, and watercolors all in the same book. (I've made some weird single signature books out of card envelopes, and mixed materials before.)

In your experience, how flat does this particular style lay in a scanner bed?

**hala** · June 21st, 2009, 09:14 AM

Joeparis: I'm glad to hear that! Yes, it is time consuming but you feel so accomplished when have a finished product

Gerbil: Please post pics if you do!

Grandmassa: hahah hi!

aphotic phoenix: if done correctly, this style of hardcover is made to lay flat when open, so if it turns out right, it will be fine for a scanner bed.

I haven't tried my new one out yet on my scanner, but it layed perfectly flat while drawing.
also, if you really make sure you use that bone folder and everything iscleanlyfolded, you should have no problem. Post pics if you make one!

**Nibras** · June 22nd, 2009, 02:08 PM

EDIT - Still waiting to give this a try. Will do it for sure!

**Aphotic Phoenix** · June 23rd, 2009, 12:19 AM

So here is my first attempt at a multi-signature book. For paper I went with 7 signatures of 110 lb card stock from Staples, because it was the cheapest heavyweight smooth paper I could find. Cover is some faux suede scrapbooking paper that's been laying around forever... luckily I had two sheets of it. XD I didn't have anything big enough to do a full cover, so I did an exposed stitch bind. (Although I wish I'd looked up the proper stitch pattern for that before hand.

)

**Victor B** · June 23rd, 2009, 12:31 AM

Very cool, thanks for sharing.

**hala** · June 23rd, 2009, 01:01 AM

That's pretty awesome phoenix

i've never seen an exposed spine like that, it looks great, let me know how it holds up

**Aphotic Phoenix** · June 23rd, 2009, 01:16 AM

Okay I found the name of the binding type (that I didn't actually do)...it's called coptic binding, and allows you to open a book ~360 degrees. It should look like a chain stitch that runs across the spine at each hole if done right. I have a journal done this way, and it's pretty sturdy although the tread used was much heavier than I could find locally. If I can find a good tutorial I'll update with a link.

*Edit* Apparently there are at least three different methods for that particular binding type, one of which involves multiple needles.

**GweNdZ** · June 23rd, 2009, 10:04 AM

niiice, so trying this out!

**hala** · June 30th, 2009, 02:36 PM

I hope you'll show us some pics if you do gwendz!!

**mary-cherry-me** · July 2nd, 2009, 03:06 PM

This is so awesome! can't wait to get my hands on a box of cereal and do this

**sketcheth** · July 4th, 2009, 01:30 AM

Well if it isn't awesome. I...don't have the patience to do that as of right now.

Still, really cool...totally respect what you're doing! Especially for making this tutorial! Very nice.

**Ian Barker** · July 4th, 2009, 12:07 PM

This is really cool, thanks for laying out all these directions! I'm definitely going to give this a try, although I think I may be scared to draw in it when I'm done. :|

**Bushido** · July 5th, 2009, 02:49 AM

Nice!

**hala** · July 5th, 2009, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Liffey

This is really cool, thanks for laying out all these directions! I'm definitely going to give this a try, although I think I may be scared to draw in it when I'm done. :|

Hahah I thought that way too, for this tutorial, I took a sketchbook that I simply felt paralyzed with everytime I turned to a blank page, and turned it into the one seen in the pictures, and when I open this one up, It feels right and I could draw for hours.

When you make something that's your own, it feels right to put your mark in it
(I hope this doesn't make me sound like a crazy looney XD )

Thanks for the comments everyone, if any of you try it and have questions or confused by my directions feel free to drop a PM

**ALH** · July 8th, 2009, 02:36 PM

Oh man, thats super professional compared to the abomination I made last year.

Had a big pile of cereal boxes collected over my final year at uni and nowhere to store them. ( I like the texture for watercolours, its kinda waxy and unpredictable )

A hole puncher and some random green wool later...

**hala** · July 8th, 2009, 02:58 PM

Hahah hey that works too! Oh man, cardboard is awesome to paint on, I've yet to try watercolors on it tho

Thanks for posting the pic man (makes me wonder what else can be made with stuff piled up from uni....ramen noodle packages...hmmmm) XD

**ALH** · July 8th, 2009, 03:34 PM

Ramen noodle packets..hmmm..

Glue them together and they could form-

An 'ironic' fashion statement

A ghetto umbrella

A bin liner

temporary underwear

a rather rubbish tent

sails for a mouse viking funeral boat

a flag to wave at anti student debt rallies :3

**hala** · July 8th, 2009, 04:11 PM

Oh man, there are so many "Ghetto" things that can be made XD

my fave there is the mouse viking funeral boat LOL!!!

**snootchy** · July 9th, 2009, 12:25 AM

oooh big props on this hala, gonna have to try this out, maybe even use some left over wallpaper and add some transparent slides with a white piece of paper underneath and then you got a sketchbook that's never ending as long as you sketch with markers that can be wiped off!

THanksee!!

**ryan mcshane** · July 9th, 2009, 01:14 AM

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1245456038

how did you make this cover? i want to do it to on of my sketchbooks

**hala** · July 9th, 2009, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by asayisarts

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1245456038

how did you make this cover? i want to do it to on of my sketchbooks

Haha sadly I did not make the fabric, I purchased it--it's a suede fabric and it goes on very nice, the glue doesn't seep through it.

if you have a walmart near you, some wal-marts have a bin in their fabric department of left over fabric, ranging from 1/2 a yard to 2 yards, for really cheap. I got a yard of that fabric for 50 cents from wal-mart.

or, you can buy plain fabric, and cut out a stencil and spray paint a pattern on, though this is very tedious ;p

Sorry I did not make it

But I hope this helps anyway!

**ryan mcshane** · July 10th, 2009, 02:38 AM

Originally Posted by hala

Haha sadly I did not make the fabric, I purchased it--it's a suede fabric and it goes on very nice, the glue doesn't seep through it.

if you have a walmart near you, some wal-marts have a bin in their fabric department of left over fabric, ranging from 1/2 a yard to 2 yards, for really cheap. I got a yard of that fabric for 50 cents from wal-mart.

or, you can buy plain fabric, and cut out a stencil and spray paint a pattern on, though this is very tedious ;p

Sorry I did not make it

But I hope this helps anyway!

it's okay thank you

i think i could get a bit of a wallpaper from a paint shop to go over the cover, depends how cheap they are..

**hala** · July 10th, 2009, 08:33 AM

instead of wallpaper, you could probably also use drawer liners, since they are essentially the same thing, but come in smaller sizes and cheaper

**H4DI** · July 10th, 2009, 10:17 AM

Many years ago my father used a technique same as this one to make notebooks for me.
Thanks for sharing

**ryan mcshane** · July 11th, 2009, 10:28 AM

thanks Hala
would any paint be okay to paint onto a sketchbook like this? except it's slightly seethrough, do you know?

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