Instructions 

Have you purchased the Dina Wakley Media Collage Collective yet? It is full of beautiful color images and patterns that artists can use to cut or rip up and incorporate into your mixed media art projects. There are so many possibilities with this book!  This project is how to use the Collage Collective to make a small handbound art journal with beautiful images that you can then journal on, or use as a springboard for a smaller spread. Enjoy!

Step 1: Tear out pages from the Collage Collective (it’s okay, you can do it). 

Step 2: Cut your pages down until you have 12 pages that measure 7.5” x 4.75”. Ideally, you’ll want images to be right side up, going the “long” way (7.5”), but even that is up to you. Fold your pages in half. Nest 4 pages into each other. Do this 3 times. You should now have 3 signatures (with 4 pages each) for your book.

Step 3: Cut an old cereal box to measure 8.5”x5”. This will be your cover. Score two vertical lines, one at 4” and one at 4.5”. Fold the cover on each line. You will now have a spine for your cover. 

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Step 4: Gesso and paint the cover. Spread Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint in Ocean and Olive across the gessoed cover and then spray with water immediately for a washed-out effect. Set aside to dry.

Step 5: Stamp the Refuse to be Ordinary face stamp generously with Archival Jet Black ink and stamp onto the cover. Let dry.

Step 6: Measure 1” down on either edge of the “mountain” (folded) side of your signature. Mark and poke through your signature’s fold on both ends with an awl. These will be the holes you will use to bind your signature into the spine of the book.

Step 7: On the outside (front) spine of your book cover, measure down from the edge 1-1/5” and mark three holes equal distance apart. Do this on both ends. Take care to space the first and last holes away from the spine. Poke through all the holes on the front spine.

Step 8: Take a signature and line its holes up with the cover’s spine holes on the inside of the cover. Take a threaded needle and sew through your signature on the “valley” (inside) side of the fold. Continue to sew through the corresponding hole on the inside of the cover’s spine. Leave some slack on your thread and take off the needle and reattach it on the same thread, so that you can pull the other end of the string through on the other side. Once both threads are sticking out through the spine, tie them together (double knot) and trim the excess. Repeat with other 2 signatures. Your book is now complete!