Four-in-one Micro Journal Tutorial

4-in-1 Micro Journal

Inside view

If you are like me, you probably have tons of bits and pieces of scrap papers left over from your other projects. The idea of converting them into four-in-one micro journals came one day when I was thumbing through Shereen LaPlantz's Cover to Cover. I tried different versions (see below): thick papers, color coordinated papers, stapling, stitching etc. The version I have chosen for the tutorial is quick and easy and can be completed in an hour. I call this four-in-one because there are four micro journals stacked together and bound into a folder folio cover.

Materials:

1. Five coordinating scrap papers of the following sizes for the covers
    12"x 6" (folder cover)
     8"x 4 1/2" (journal cover)
     7"x 4" (journal cover)
     5 1/2" x 3 1/4" (journal cover)
     4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (journal cover)

You can change the cover sizes but keep in mind that a standard stapler has a reach of only about 4".

2. 10-12 standard size  ( 8 1/2" by 11") printer paper
3. Velcro closures
4. Stapler
5. Glue stick
6. Pair of scissors

Materials

1. Take the largest scrap paper  (12"x6") and create a triple fold with the following measurements: left flap 4", center flap 4 1/2", right flap 3 1/2". This is the folio folder cover.

2. Fold the remaining cover papers in half on the wide side. These are the covers for the micro journals.

3. Now prepare the signatures. Since the journals are small, you can create multiple sheets out of a single paper by folding, cutting and trimming to fit the cover. See photos below.

When done you should have roughly twelve sheets (24 pages counting both sides) for each journal.

  
4. Now prepare each journal by matching the sheets and the journal cover and stapling them together. When done you will have four journals of four different sizes.

5. Now you need to stack the journals together and this is how you do it. Take the smallest journal and apply glue on the back cover and glue it to the top of the journal next in size and so on till all the four journals are stacked and glued together.

6. Take the journal stack and apply glue on the back of the largest journal and glue it to the center flap of the folio folder.

7. Attach velcro to the inside of the top flap and outside of the bottom flap and fold them close.

8. If you choose you may embellish the cover. Here I have added a charming bird picture from the Graphics Fairy.

Thanks for visiting. Hope you find the tutorial useful.

Note about copyright: You are welcome to create your journals using this tutorial for personal or commercial use. However, the ownership of the tutorial with all the contents and the images rests solely with the author of this post, which is me.