instructions

1. Journal - 1. Fold five sheets of A4 paper in half to make a section. Wrap with a folded piece of A4 double-sided patterned paper and pierce five holes through the spine, one in the centre and the rest at 4.5cm intervals out. Take a double thickness of thread and sew a running stitch through the holes, starting from the inside centre, working out to one end, back to the other, and returning to the middle, knotting the thread tightly inside the fold. Repeat this for as many sections as you require.
   
   2. Glue together slightly oversized A5 pieces of cereal box to make two thick cover boards. Glue cotton fabric over them and fix the raw edges to the insides with tape. Use a tool to punch a geometric stitch pattern through the front cover. Sew through the holes with three strands of coloured embroidery thread, knotting the ends neatly on the inside.
   
   3. Cut four pieces of leather, 3cm x 9cm, and round the corners. Prick a stitch pattern on the ends of each . Use double-sided tape to fix the four straps centrally on the inner edge of the front cover, leaving a 1.2cm gap between each one. Pierce the cover through the holes and sew in place.
   
   4. Stack paper sections together and pass the unsewn ends of the leather straps under the threads along the spine, pegging the straps to prevent them slipping out of the loops. Place the back cover on the other side of it, tighten the straps to hold the front cover snug against the stack and attach the ends of the straps to the back cover with tape.
   
   5. Pierce through the holes as before and sew the straps to the back cover. Cut a leather shape, 3cm x 12cm, and a strip, 1cm x 7cm. Round the corners and pierce with a tool. Stitch both ends of the narrow strip to the front cover to make a loop and sew the long strap to the edge of the back cover so it can wrap around and tuck through the loop. Cut two pieces of A5 card and glue inside the covers to hide stitching.