I Love You MiniBook

Valentineproject

This weekend I'm bringing you a little valentine book, complete with a how to & downloadable interior pages (includes handwritten "i love you" and lines for journaling). Here's to working ahead a bit rather than scrambling the night before! This is a book focused mainly on words but could be easily adapted to include photos as well. Make one for a spouse, partner, child, parent, friend - anyone you love.

Right now I am really into my sewing machine + I have had this big piece of felt just sitting here waiting to be used for something (purchased it with good intentions for something else over the holiday). I've been inspired by a lot of things Emily Falconbridge has been creating with fabric and stitching and such - she is so great at putting all kinds of different elements together. She, along with Rebecca Sower, continue to teach me that my sewing machine and paper and fabric can be very good friends.

So here's to a creative weekend + making simple handmade things for the people we love most.

Let's start with the end in mind with a look at the completed project:

V_1

V_2

V_3

V4

V_6

V_lastpage

Supplies:

• 2 pieces of red felt (9.25 x 5 was my end result - I started with a bit bigger pieces and then stitched and trimmed to the final size)
• 5 pieces of cream 8.5x11 cardstock
• chipboard heart accents (K&Company Smitten Chipboard Box Glitter Icons)
• 1 sheet of red patterned paper (Anna Griffin)
• red felt flowers (Making Memories Noteworthy Embellishment Jar)
• adhesive (Therm O Web Super Tape - love this stuff + have been using it a lot lately)
• sewing machine or needle + thread

How To:

This book can be made without felt if you are just not into the whole fabric + paper thing. Simply download the PDF cover and interior pages and adhere them all together (see tips below):

DOWNLOAD COVER | AEvalentines2008_cover

DOWNLOAD INTERIOR PAGES | AEvalentines2008

If you want to play around and create the felt cover you will need two pieces of felt. My finished felt size is 9.25 inches x 5 inches. Cut your pieces a bit larger than that to begin with and then trim down after you have stitched (I found that a bit of shifting happened while I was stitching so I was glad to have the excess I could trim off). Using a sewing machine (or by hand) stitch the two pieces of felt together.

Valentineflatcover

Lay a felt flower and a button on the cover (I used Making Memories Noteworthy Embellishment Jar for the felt flowers). Hand stitch button and felt flower (or use adhesive) directly onto/through the felt.  For right now ignore the stitching down the middle.

Next I printed out the interior cover (AEvalentines2008_cover.pdf) and the interior pages (AEvalentines2008.pdf). Each one includes trim marks so you can see where to cut the pages to size (8.5 inches x 4.25 inches before folding). I printed one interior cover and four interior pages (you could definitely do more if you wanted).

Work with the interior cover first. After printing and trimming, fold in half. I used a bone folder to get a nice even fold.

Valentine2

Turn the interior cover over and lay in the middle of the felt cover. Using your sewing machine or hand stitching, sew the interior cover right onto the felt cover.

Valentinesewingmachine

This is what it should look like when you are done:

Valentineinsidecover

Next fold all the interior pages in half with the printed portion on the inside.

Valentineinteriorpage

Valentinefoldedpages

You will now be adhering these pages all together back to back to create the inside contents for the book. For my adhesive on this project I used Therm O Web's Super Tape.

Valentineadherepages

Valentineadhesive

Valentineremovetape

This is what you are going for as you are adhering:

Valentineadherepgvisual

Valentinebooklet

After adhering those pages together you will create an initial cover using patterned paper. This part came about because when I went to add the pages into the cover they stuck out due to not coming to a point when they were adhered together (they did not fit into the stitched seam). To get around this I cut two pieces of patterned paper (9 inches x 4.25 inches) and glued them back to back (so that you see pattern on both sides).

Fold the patterned paper in half and adhere the booklet into the patterned paper. I left a bit of room near the fold of the patterned paper. This whole part took a bit of messing around and trimming edges, etc. Just go with it.

Valentineadheringtopp

This is what it looked like when I was done:

Valentinelookingdowninterior

Now you are ready to adhere the booklet into the cover page. Lay the booklet in, match up the seams, and adhere.

Valentineppintocover

There should be a bit of patterned paper sticking out of the edge of the cover page. Add a felt flower inside the cover to hide the stitching from the front.

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Add chipboard hearts (or photos or anything you have on hand) and journaling and you are good to go.

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Enjoy!

I also wanted to let you know that I did set up a Flickr group for sharing photos and creations that come about through these weekend prompts. You can access the weekend creative Flickr group here.

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169 thoughts

  1. ElizabethW says…
    01/25/2008

    Thank you so much! How fun - can't wait to make this!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Crazy Daisy says…
    01/25/2008

    This is a great project! I have been lacking motivation to use my sewing machine, so this is perfect! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. suetreiber says…
    01/25/2008

    This is very cute and will be well loved!
    Where did you get the poster in the background?
    I need one!

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Tona says…
    01/25/2008

    What a great idea. I think everybody would love to know "Why" they're loved and appreciated.

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Christine says…
    01/25/2008

    Thank you SO MUCH for this! It's wonderful! I'd really like to do this for hubby. I just made shadow box frames for his bday and I'm thinking that handmade gifts are the best.

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. b says…
    01/25/2008

    Wow that is so cute! Toooooo bad I don't have a clue how to sew!
    I tried. Believe me. But, it is just not made for me!
    Really!
    Your book is "sew" cute!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. anna says…
    01/25/2008

    love this project, thanks Ali x

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Angela says…
    01/25/2008

    Hey Ali,
    Super Cute project...posted a link on our blog!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Amy says…
    01/25/2008

    Ali!! Too many great ideas lately! lol I think I have to play hooky from work soon so I can stay home and play. lol I love how you talked about your husband ironing his own shirts, my Mom always says that's one of her favorite things about my stepdad.:)

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Martha Myers says…
    01/25/2008

    I don't normally post on a person's blog but I just wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed going through your archives and reading about Simon. I've added a ton of your links to my 'favorites'. I am a speech/language pathologist working with autistic children (along with being an avid stamper and sometime scrapper)and I can't tell you how lucky I think you guys are to have such a special child (and he to have you). Thank you for sharing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Terri Paulson-Sasaki says…
    01/25/2008

    So very cute, thank you for sharing. Please do this more, I love it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Erin H. says…
    01/25/2008

    OMG...I LOVE this and am sooo going to make it for my valentine!!! Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Rhonda Steed says…
    01/25/2008

    umn... CUTE!!!!! Great V-day gift! And nice work on being done so EARLY!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Corey says…
    01/25/2008

    So cute!

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Jane Young says…
    01/25/2008

    Thanks so much Ali! I can't wait to make this. I don't think it will be this weekend but I am seriously going to do it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Jessica says…
    01/25/2008

    Oh this is perfect. Funds are short this year and I have been trying to decide what to make. I am going to pass on printing the pages and make my own with my journaling stamp. It will mean more if the "I love you." is in my hadwriting. I can't wait to get started. I just finished reading your book. It has inspired me in ways that I can't express in this little space. Thank you for the inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Sarah van Wijck says…
    01/25/2008

    Thanks for the prompt Ali! I've surprised myself and made it already. Love it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Julie Howard says…
    01/25/2008

    Great little book! Love the pictures with the instructions! That makes it so easy! :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. cindy says…
    01/25/2008

    oh this is dang CUTE Ali. i am going to make a few of these for my son to fill out for the grandparents...love this idea & TFS how to's.

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Mary says…
    01/25/2008

    Thank you Ali!! You really inspire me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. mandy ford says…
    01/25/2008

    I absolutely love this little book! What a perfect Valentine's Day gift. :) I don't have a sewing machine, but I might try to sew this by hand. :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Budletsmom says…
    01/25/2008

    Wow what an awesome little project. I can't wait to make one. I have a stash of felt and can't wait to get out the sewing machine. I can see this being adapted to so many different mini albums. Thanks again for sharing the step by step directions.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Lisa Hall says…
    01/25/2008

    ****ALI ****
    what a very sweet simple book i have been wanting to sew, I have some very old wool i will do this little book for my girls,
    Sweet'
    Your the best
    Lisa Hall

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Maria says…
    01/25/2008

    Thank you for sharing, Ali!

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Margaret C says…
    01/25/2008

    thanks Ali!!! guess Chris is banned from todays blog entry - right?!

    Reply 0 Replies

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