Paper grocery bag: This old standby is quick, easy, and usually free. Plus, it’s fairly durable. The plainer your bag is, the more you’ll be able to add later in terms of drawings and decorations. Wrapping Paper: A little less durable and a little more expensive than thick paper bags, but the patterns and designs can make your binder look quite stylish! Save the remnants after you wrap gifts, and scope out sales on wrapping paper after holidays have passed to snag awesome patterns and designs. Printable cover: Try using a search engine to look for “free printable book/binder covers. " You should be able to find a good selection of free templates you can print off at home — be sure to pick a design that’s the right size for your binder!
Begin by lightly misting the wrinkled paper with water from a spray bottle. Place a hand towel on your ironing board, place the paper on top, and then place another hand towel over the dampened paper. On a low-heat setting, iron the paper through the towel, checking every so often to see if the wrinkles are being worked out.
If using a paper grocery bag, cut lengthwise down one of the sides. Cut the bottom off and spread the paper flat. This will give you a single flat sheet of paper to use. If using wrapping paper or fabric, simply roll out a length of paper (or lay out the fabric), set your binder on it cover-side down, then cut when you have enough material.
Measure the length and width of this center strip, and then cut a piece of your wrapping material to fit. This piece should fit exactly, with no overhang.
If you’re using fabric, consider spraying the back of the fabric strip with spray adhesive, and then firmly press the fabric in place.
Fold the top and bottom edges of the paper over the binder and lightly crease to mark to the fold. Remove the binder and crease the folds firmly in place. Note that you won’t necessarily be able to get a crease in non-paper materials like fabric. You can feel free to skip the creasing step with fabric if you like.
You may need to deal with the front and back creases of your binder one-at-a-time here — it can be tricky to keep both folded at the same time.
If using paper, tape usually works perfectly well. When removing tape, be careful not to tear the material of your binder.
Begin by folding the top and bottom edges over, and then fold in the side edges. It usually works best to begin at the center of the binder near the rings and work your way out. Apply more adhesive as necessary.
This will create a nice clean look when you open your binder.
Sharpie markers will draw on nearly any surface (even the slick plastic of a binder) and come in a variety of colors. If drawing on paper, nearly any pen or marker will work. If you covered your binder in fabric, try fabric pens or markers. [1] X Research source
If you choose a neutral colored paper in a mid-range grey or brown, you may be able to create more nuanced shading and shadow-effects. Use graphite and/or charcoal pencils for mid to dark lines, and you can use a white colored pencil for highlights. [2] X Research source Once you’re done with your sketch, you may want to protect it by carefully covering it with see-through tape. You can also use a protective spray (which are usually available at art supply stores and sold as “workable matte” or “workable fixatif”). [3] X Research source
Most basic acrylic and watercolor paints should work well on paper covers. Fabric, on the other hand, may require special fabric paints or even puff paints. Check your paint’s label before using it to make sure it’s suitable for use on fabric. For best results, your fabric should be a tight weave, so that the paint doesn’t bleed through. Cotton is an excellent choice, though you can experiment with other tight-weave fabrics like rayon or silk. [4] X Research source
If you’re using paint, tape your stencil down so that it’s tight against your binder cover before you start. Apply your paint sparingly. If your stencil isn’t tight or you use too much paint, paint can leak under the edges and leave you with a messy design. [5] X Research source You can make your own stencils, too — just print pictures and carefully cut around the edges with a pair of scissors or craft knife.
For example, draw “Chemistry” in bold, fun lettering across the front of your binder cover, but consider adding a beaker with colorful chemicals in it as well. Be as creative as you wish here — as long as you can keep your binders straight, there’s no such thing as a “wrong” label!
You could use pictures of your friends, family or pets. Make sure you have permission before cutting up old family photos. You could cut images from your favorite magazines, such as pictures of celebrities, athletes, or fun fashions. You could use newspaper headlines. You could use old comic or “funny page” clippings. You could use interesting postcards or stamps from places you’ve visited or would like to visit. You could use individual letters to spell words and phrases (“ransom note” style).
Set your pictures down where you want them to go, but don’t stick them down yet. Feel free to try different layouts and designs. Once you start securing your pictures, it will be trickier to make any adjustments.
You can glue the images to your paper-covered binder or, if you don’t mind ruining your binder, directly to the binder itself. Test the first couple of pieces to make sure the glue you are using holds firm. On the other hand, if your binder has clear plastic sleeves on the outside, you can just glue your collage to a piece of paper and slide it into the sleeve.
You can seal your collage with it with a paint-on fixative (Mod podge is a popular product that dries clearly). [6] X Research source You can also find spray-on fixatives and sealants (Krylon Crystal Clear is a product to try). [7] X Research source If you don’t have these products, you can try carefully covering the entire collage with clear packing tape, pressing each piece smooth to avoid wrinkles.
Negative space is the area that surrounds an object. Playing with both negative and positive space in your picture will help bring balance and interest to your design. [8] X Research source To create a negative space design, take a blank cover and cut shapes, letters, pictures, and so on into it — the binder underneath will show through and appear to give these shapes their own color. If you’re worried about the holes in your cover allowing your binder to wear, cover them with clear packing tape. You’ll still get the negative space effect, but your binder will be well-protected.
If you’re having a hard time getting the wrappers perfectly smooth, try rubbing them with a coin or the front of your fingernail to smooth them out. You can also use clear packing tape here as well to put a clear protective layer over your wrappers.
Simply cut the picture out, lay it on your binder, trim the edges to fit if necessary, and cover it with clear packing tape to secure it.
Making basic designs like checkerboards and stripes is fairly simple and will definitely liven up your binder. On the other hand, you can also make more complex designs with the “negative space” approach. Cover your binder with one color, then lay a second (different-colored) layer on top of this. Carefully cut shapes from the top layer with a craft knife and peel them off to make a negative space design.
Be sure to pick an attractive font, print out the quote, and then affix it to your binder with clear packing tape. You can also try your hand at calligraphy.
See our wikiHow on how to age paper using tea for detailed instructions.
Glue on rhinestones or sequins for a binder that sparkles.
This way, when you get your binder back, you’ll have something amusing on it to remind you of each friend! Plus, your binder cover will become a cherished keepsake that you’ll enjoy looking at years down the road.
