DIY: Simple Bookbinding - Make Your Own Notebook! ( + my travel diary!)

So, I needed a travel diary. I adventure to Typo. I find a gorgeous little travel journal, I pick it up and skim through the pages. I smile. I turn it over and look at the price tag. I am appalled! I put it back out, and leave the store immediately.

There is nothing I like on Ebay.


There is nothing I fancy on Etsy.


Even Amazon fails me.


This left me with no other choice.....


I must make one myself.


And this is how I did it!

 

 

You're gonna need:

 

 

 

 

~ Something to use as a cover. I made this myself with a piece of cardboard I found and covered with vintage wallpaper that I already had. You can use a manila folder, old book covers, or you can do what I did and find a piece of cardboard and either leave it plain or cover it with fabric, paper, wallpaper or whatever you take a liking to.

~ Thread and a needle with an eye big enough to fit the thread through. (TIP: lick the end of the thread and squeeze it flat to fit it through the eye of the needle.

~ Something to use as an awl (which is a bookbinding tool). So basically, something strong and pointy to poke small holes with. Kay?

~ Paper

~ Scissors

~ A pencil.

 

Alrighty, so you got your stuff? Let's go!

 

 

 

Step 1

 





 

Decide on how many pages you want, and then half that number and fetch that many pieces of paper. I wanted 24 pages, so I got 12 pieces of paper. Put all these pieces together and fold evenly. You want the fold to be sure of itself, so grab a bone folder or a knife or ruler, and use the back of it to get that fold nice and...uh...folded. Not just curved.



Step 2

Put your paper flat on your open cover, and position it so the fold in your paper aligns with the fold in the cover. Grab your pencil and mark where the holes are going to go on the paper. I did mine about an inch apart all the way down. Hey look! I got a text message!




Step 3

Now it's time to poke some holes! Get your sharp pokey thing and make a hole in each dot.

 

 

 

Step 4

 

 

 

Place your pages on your cover like you did before. Making sure your pencil is sharp, put the point in each of the holes in the paper to mark where the holes will be on the cardboard. Clever, huh! You also want holes right at the edge of the paper on the cover as well, so mark there too, like I am in this picture. Then poke your holes like you did last time!

Step 5

Cut a length of thread, tie a knot at the end, and thread it through your needle (remember my tip from earlier in this post!)





Step 6

 

 

 

Now for the fun part, let's sew! Okay so, to start, poke your needle through the first hole at the top of the paper in the cover, and pull the thread through until your knot catches. Now, come back up through the next hole, and pull tight. Then go down through the next hole, and pull tight, and up through the next and so on until you reach the end like this:

 

Now, we do the same thing again but coming back up the other way. So, down through the next hole, pull tight, up through the next, pull tight.

Step 7

 

 

When you reach the end, make sure that everything is pulled tight and your pages are secure. Now we want to tie off our thread. To do this we take our needle down through the first hole where the knot is, and bring it back up through the next hole. Pull your thread through, tie it off with the tail of the knot at the hole with a good, strong triple knot. You can even dab a bit of glue on it to be extra sure. Then snip off the excess string and.....

 Voila!

You have a book!




Now, if you want a button and string clasp like I have on mine (see in picture at top of post), it's really easy! Thread your needle and tie a good strong knot like last time, and from the inside of your book, thread the string through the centre hole that you made and pull it through until the knot catches. Okay so that part's done. Now pick a button, and sew it on to the cover like in the image on the top of this post. and there you have it! A button and string clasp.


Now go use it!



I hope you found this tutorial helpful.



And before you wander off....

Check out our facebook page...and like it!!
And have a squizz at our Pinterest...and maybe even follow us!
We sell pretty things on our Etsy...
And our Twitter is lots of fun!





God Bless!




Annabelle





<3




xxx



Wonderland.

 

 

 

There's nothing like a trip to the op shop with a couple of good friends.

 

 

 

 

 

If I were to go to Wonderland, this is what I would wear.

The shirt is thrifted, and was about $5

The dress once belonged to my oldest sister

The belt was thrifted for $2



 

 

 

Yes I do have other bags and shoes.....I just reeeeally like these ones!!

The shoes were thrifted for six bucks

The socks were a Christmas present

The bag was thrifted for three dollars.

 

 

Another cheap outfit! It just goes to show what you can do if you really have fun at an op shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before you go...

 

 

We have a Facebook page you might fancy liking.

And a Twitter that might float your boat.

Not to mention a pretty little Etsy store!

Oh yes, and a Pinterest!

 

And if you fancy a chat, an email: annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au

 

 

 

Have a wonderful week!!

 

 

 

 

Annabelle

 

 

 

<3

 

 

 

 

xxx

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



DIY: Fresh Pasta without a Pasta Machine!! (Gluten free)

Um, YES please!!

I made this with my lovely boyfriend, it was a bit of an experiment, but it worked! It was one of those light bulb moments you have when you're desperately trying to get to sleep.


Okidoke. Let's do this thing.



Let's see what we need...

A bowl.
A rolling pin.
A fork.
A wooden spoon or other stirring device.
Four eggs (small). Less if they are large.
 300g  of plain flour (I'm gluten intolerant, hence the gluten free flour).
And if you are making gluten free, and you have some within reach, use a quarter teaspoon of Xanthan gum. You don't need it, but it helps the pasta from breaking up too much.
Your hands!

This recipe makes about enough for two large servings. Yummeh.



Method:


 First.

 

 

 

Measure your flour and pour it in to your bowl and add + mix in the xanthan gum

 

 

 

 

And then.

 

 

 

 

Make a little well in ze middle, and then.....

 

 

 

 

Crack your eggs in to the middle! Ours spilled :(

 

 

(avoid this)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, now we....

 

 

Gently whisk the eggs, without letting any flour in. Once you've done that, slowly add in the flour and mix it till all the flour is mixed together.

 

 

 

 

And then we want to:

 

 

 

Bring the dough together until it is all stuck.

 

 

 

Next, we:

 

 







 

Knead it.

 

 

 

 

 

And pat it on to a floured work surface.

 

 

 

And after that we:

 

 

 

 

Grab that rolling pin and get rolling! Roll it out as thin as you want the pasta to be (keeping in mind the fact that it will swell when cooked). In hindsight, I would say separate the dough prior to rolling it out and roll out those pieces. That way you could get them as thin as you want without rolling the dough over your entire kitchen bench. We were confined to a piece of cling film because we didn't want to messy our bench...so our pasta was fairly thick! (Phew, "rolling" is an odd word when you write it out that many times!)

 

 

 

(I would recommend wearing an apron)

 

 

 

 

 

When you have finished that:

 

 

 

 Make sure that the surface of the dough is floured. Now for the cool trick! Roll it up from end to end (props to Jamie Oliver for this idea!). Then chop up the roll as wide or as narrow as you'd like your pasta to be, and take each piece and un-roll it carefully, and pop it in to a bowl! Then sit back and admire your handiwork whilst you boil your pot of water.

 

 

And finally....

 

Cook it up, and dish it up! We are so hungry we forgot to take a photo of the finished product...Ooops!!




This was a bit of an experiment, and the next time I do it I would probably roll out the dough thinner amongst various other changes. As I improve I will update you on the new procedures! Either way though, it was delicious.



See you next time!

If you have any questions or just want to chat, email me at annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au




Annabelle





<3





xxx





I'm BAAAAACK! + Little red shorts.

I have returned! And I have come baring a new weapon: a schedule.

I am, officially at least, going to be creating a new post each Friday, Monday and Wednesday. There may be a few surprises here and there, but this is just to get things in working order, and to give you pretties something to look forward to!

So, as a reward for your patience whilst I have been away resting myself, here is a pretty little number for you to enjoy:


Little Red Shorts:
(please excuse the quality of some of the pics, our SLR was flat at the time D: )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

So I went on a little outing with my parents in out new car last week.

 

And I was a happy little chap in this outfit.

 

 

The shoes, as you know, are thrifted, and were about six big'uns.

The socks were a Chrissy present a couple of years ago, I do believe they come from CottonOn Body

The bag is thrifted, $3

And the sunnies were a big, fat, painful $10 from Dotti.

My shorts are thrifted, I think they were about five dollars from le Salvation Army

The shirt was thrfted from Vinnies YEARS ago and I cannot recall the price (sorry dears)

The belt is from Vinnies as well and was $2

And the bracelet (which is actually a necklace, sneaky, I know.) was my dear mother's.
The scar belonged to my older sister, once upon a time,

And the jacket.  That precious thing. That B-E-A-YOOOOtiful (kudos to you Bruce Almighty fans) little number...is vintage AND was $2 from a garage sale.

uaibwuiddugusioahioad;gqwuodbsdvhyfhaoishq. Amazing, I know.

My lippy is Revlon "Blushing Nude" mixed with a little red

And my nails are Revlon "Midnight Affair", a lovely blue that mummy got my for Christmas

 

 

I do believe that is all.

 

 

 

Cheerio, chaps!

 

 

 

 

 

Annabelle

 

 

 

<3

 

 

 

 

xxx

 



Budget Living - DIY and Learning Crafts.

I've always been a crafty person. No, not in the scheming deceitful way, but in the creative make-something-out-of-whatever-I-can, collection-of-toilet-paper-rolls type of way.

Crafting can save you  A LOT mulah, and if you get it right (which isn't as hard as you might think!) you will be a smiling loon at the end of the day when your masterpiece is ready for use. Depending on what you make, DIY doesn't have to take very long either, so if you use the excuse that you "don't have time," you are dead wrong! Nice try, slick.

And, to make things even more awesome, DIY is incredibly environmentally friendly if you do it in the right way. You can re-use almost anything and make it beautiful and use it yourself, gift it or even sell it and make money!

Craft can save you money in so many places! These include:

• Storage, you can make beautiful storage containers out of old jars, decorated boxes or containers and even old wood and furniture, if you are so bold as to attempt some woodworking.
• Gifts! Gifts are one of the best things to make yourself. The list is endless: jewellery, cookies, beanies, cushions, cake stands, skirts, make-up holders, and so on. The fact that you have put the time aside to make something for your friend makes it all the more special.
• Pretty much anywhere, really. Almost everything you use daily you can make yourself: clothes (which I really hope you use regularly..), jewellery, bedding, laptop sleeves, notebooks, shampoo and conditioner, candles, curtains, scarves and so on, and on and on and on. In most cases when you make something yourself, especially things like shampoo, they are better for your health.

And if you want to get really thrifty, pretty much any supplies you need for craft can be found at any op shop! Save your more typical supplies like glue. Some of the things I regularly buy myself from the thrift store are wool (at about 50 cents a ball!), fabric, buttons, vintage wrapping papers (as craft paper),  jewellery to use for beads, jars, boxes, baskets, sewing patterns, ribbon, lace, the list goes on.

Your Kit:
If you want to get crafting, for simple projects such as clothes or perking up items, like this lamp that I did a few months back, you are going to need a simple kit. Most of these things you can pick up at either your local supermarket, op shop of craft store. So, you will need:

• Two pairs of scissors. Fabric scissors and normal scissors. You do NOT want to use fabric scissors on paper, as you will blunt them and scream angrily every time you try to cut fabric with them for the rest of eternity.
• Glue. Depending on what you want to do you will want different types, but for starters all you will need is PVA, and an all purpose glue (Uhu all purpose glue is great, and affordable), and a basic glue stick.
• A needle
• Pins
• Cotton
• Measuring tape and a ruler
• A pen
• A collection of fabrics, beads, rhinestones, trimmings, and whatever else takes your fancy!

If you're a busy person, I would recommend craft books, I have a few, mostly given to me by my boyfriend of his lovely mother (thanks guys!). If you don't want to spend your money on those, just spend five minutes here and there looking at tutorials on the internet and saving the ones that you like to a file in your favourites or on your computer for you to check out later when you need to make a gift or something. YouTube is AH-MAZING for tutorials.

There are so many things out there you can craft up. If you find a cupboard you like at a thrift store but the colour doesn't suit your décor, grab some sandpaper and paint and do it up! Make some pretty labels for jars and spray paint the lids to keep your flour, herbs, and sugar in. Cut up the clothes you don't like anymore for fabric, or make a dress in to a skirt.

Once you've got your basic crafty skills down-pat, start looking at more complex ones to learn and even specialise in! I've taught myself crochet, felting, drawing, painting, and sewing amongst other things, and I'm looking at learning cross stitch and embroidery when I'm well enough!

 Just a few of the things I have made for gifts and for myself include a crochet blanket, crochet collars, pendants, beanies, doilies, high-waisted shorts and skirts, flowers and heaps more.

All you need is a few tools and an open mind.

One thing I really recommend is when you really want something, anything, first ask yourself how much you want it and how much you actually need it.

Then sit down and think. Is it possible for me to make this thing, so I don't have to buy it? Do I have anything I can use instead?

If it's possible for you to make it, do it! Because you can make it your own, and it will save you money. If there is something you have that you can use instead, then: You. Don't. Need. It.

However if you desperately want it, and don't need it, but can make it yourself, knock yourself out! I didn't need these high-waisted shorts, but I sure wanted them! Nothing could keep me from making them, not even this chronic fatigue. And they cost me under three dollars! Under two, even.


So you see, craft is fun, and it is money saving. So why not?


Happy crafting!

Email me at annabelle_1995@hotmail.com.au if ye want any advice, if you have questions, or if you just want to chat!
Also, check out our Facebook page and like it, if you like! It will keep you updated and smiling.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TeaSymphony/413282935422189


Love love love love love!


Annabelle.

<3


xxx



New Series!.... "Living on a Budget!"

Budget. The very word makes you feel bored, yes? Well, no, not really. It can be fun! And if you do it right, you can get quite a kick out of it. I promise you I'm not lying.

For me a budget is unavoidable. I've never had the health to hold a job, and now that I've gone and got chronic fatigue (clever me!) I have no hope of a real job for a while! But it will happen, and when it does, I will still enforce budgeting because, honestly, I love it! And I'm skilled at bagging a bargain (not to toot my own horn ;) ).

Whether you can't have a job like me, don't have the time because of school, are in a tight situation or just want to save money, this series will be a help! Even if you don't like my ideas, I promise you it will make you smile and give you a few light bulbs of your own!

In this series there will be a few things that you will read about, like:

• Wardrobe and clothing
• Outings on a budget
• DIY and learning crafts
• Crafts on a budget
• Décor on a budget ( I will use my bedroom as an example)
• Saving your dollars!
• Food on a budget, and
• Above all, how to go about all these things in the most sustainable and fun way possible!

So I hope you enjoy, and I hope I can help you!!!


Annabelle.

<3

xxx

DIY: Perk up those boring denim shorts (or overalls, in this case!)

I've had these overalls for a few years now, but I've only worn them once! They were much too short, and they were just, well, blech.
But I fixed it! And now you can too! Enjoy this tutorial lovelies!

You will need:

~ Sewing machine (OR a needle and thread, if you have lots of time)

~ The item of clothing you wish to decorate/prettify/add modesty to

~ Enough fabric to sew in to the circumference of the leg holes, I got mine from the thrift store (coz I'm all for economical sustainability) 

~ A trimming of your choice, I chose some pretty mauve lace I picked up at the thrift shop for cheapies!

~ Scissors

~ Measuring tape

~ Pins, and

~ Cotton of the appropriate colour.

 

 

STEP 1

 



 Measure the circumference of the leg holes! (As accurately as you can).
Then you want to write it down. You don't want to forget it!

Note: If your fabric is too short, like mine was, divide the number in half!

 

 

 

STEP 2

 

 

 



Figure out how much length you want to add to protect your modesty, or just for looks ! :)
We are going to be folding the fabric in half to give it a nice finish, so double the number and snip, snip, snip! If you're adding trim like I am, remember to allow for the length that will add. I wanted the fabric part 5cm long, so I cut 10!

STEP 3

If your fabric was long enough to fit the entire length of the circumference of the shorts-leg, cut two lengths. If you were silly like me and didn't think of that (ooooops), cut four halves!


STEP 4 (for those of us whose fabric length failed us)

Pin and sew two pieces together on only one end. Make sure the "wrong sides" of the fabric are together, man!


STEP 5

Once you have sewn the ends, fold and pin each strip lengthways and sew away! Sew fairly close to the edge as you don't want to loose too much length (if you were clever and used your brain, unlike me, you may have made the strip wider to allow for this step...but no, not me, chronic fatigue brain strikes again!)

STEP 6

 

 

If you are using a trimming, pin it along lengthways and sew it on! Easy peasy.

 

STEP 7 (almost there!! OMGSHHHH)

 

 



Turn the shorts inside out, and pin your extensions on to the legs, all the way around, being careful that it isn't bunching anywhere. Once again, break out that sewing machine and warm up your peddle, and sew along! And VOILA!

Finito!

Now you can frolic around the hillsides without a worry of anyone seeing anything scary! And you'll look good, too.