Recycled Tea Box Journal Tutorial

 

The teen has been reading a few eco craft books: Craftcycle (H. Boyd) and Rubbish (Shoup). The Craftcycle book has a woven basket made of everyday box products; cereal, mashed potatoes, tea, etc... So now, the girls fight over who gets what box because they're collecting until they have enough. Since we drink a lot of canned soda, those boxes are a hot commodity. However, I claimed this little chai tea box for my own because I had a project in mind.

I thought I'd take pics as I went along, just to share. Easy peasy project I'm sure lots of people know how to do. It was just fun to document. I want to make more books out of products I can recycle. (NOTE: All images are from ArtChix Studios.)

1. Take the tea box and open at all seams. Cut off the small flaps so you have a pretty even rectangle with a small tab.

2. Pick out scrapbook paper to match; cut it to the size of the tea box and glue to the inside of the tea box. (Note the book and bottle of glue I threw on top of the tea box/paper sandwich to help it stick as it dries. lol)

3. Using a scrap of the inside paper, cover part of the front of the box for added detail. Continue to decorate the box cover with trims, rub ons, images, etc.. until you have it the way you like. I also took a butterfly image, glued to a scrap of the tea box to make it stronger and then stapled it to the cover. This way I could bend the wings out to give it a 3D effect.

4. Choose a pile of scraps. I used watercolor paper, painted papers, scrapbook scraps, vellum pieces, vintage music, cardstock, bridge tally sheets and more.  Fold them in half one piece at a time and then collate them into the signature you want. Clip the papers together so they don't slip.

5. Take a mat or wood piece like I used and lay the sandwich of papers on top. Taking an awl or pokey tool, hammer it into the middle, and then 1 to 1 1/2" out from the middle on each side. You should have 3 holes. Do the same for the book cover, lining up with the holes in the papers. (why do my hands always look so chubby in pictures? Oh wait! They are! lol)

6. Line up the cover holes with the paper holes and reattach the clip to hold it all together. Take a tapestry needle and thread with bakers' twine or a thin ribbon. ( Forgot to take pics of this step.)

7. Thread the needle through the middle hole from the INSIDE to OUTSIDE. Then, go through one of the side holes from the OUTSIDE to the INSIDE. Thread all the way across the inside crease to the other side hole (passing the middle hole)  and thread from the INSIDE to the OUTSIDE. Come up through the middle hole to the INSIDE once again. Cut your strings with about 6" on each piece. Tie around the string in the middle of the spine and make a bow. You can do this whole thing the opposite way if you want it all to tie on the outside.

8. Taking a smaller needle, black thread and an old button; sew the button on the front cover on the small tab or to the right middle of your book. Sew securely on.

9. Tie more butcher's twine around the button, loop twine around the whole book 3x and then double wind around the button again and cut off excess.

10. Take pretty pictures, find a friend to give it to or keep it for YOU! You've just made yourself a nice recycled journal to work in. Great to keep in your purse or tote bag for those last minute ideas and sketches.

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What have you recycled lately?!

Recycled tea book will be making its way to my Etsy Store today if you would like to claim it as your very own!