How to make a Dinotopian journal cover

Whether you're a newly arrived dolphinback or a twentieth generation Dinotopian, it certainly helps to have someplace to keep notes of the remarkable journeys to be had. For this project I simply added a new cover to a cheap notebook featuring faux leather and some original stylized Parasaurolophus designs. 


And the close-up:


Inspirations


Materials
-Cheap pocket journal with cover
-Faux leather vinyl
-Gold paint marker

Tools
-Scissors
-Hole punch
-Superglue

1. Gather the materials
For this project the key ingredient is a cheap journal, which was from a CVS pharmacy store for about $3. The faux leather and gold paint marker are basic craft/fabric store items.

2. Cut the materials
In order to cover the entire journal cover, first a few measurements and a little math is needed. This'll be different depending on the dimensions of the journal you decide to recover. First I took out the notebook and spread the cover flat. The dimensions there were 6 inches by 7.75 inches, the inner flaps each 6 inches by 2 inches. So for the entire cover a rectangle of 6 inches by 11.75 inches was needed. 


And then trace the journal strap and cut two tabs to cover the front and back of the strap. Although you can cover up the metal of the snap I used a hole punch so that the metal will remain exposed. 


3. Fit the cover
Once cut, it helps to make a few marks on the inside to guide how it will fit over the top. At two inches at either side I made some markings. 


And with the cover loose you can test how the cover will fit and then anticipate where you can cut a slit to allow the strap to pass through. You can see where I planned to cut the slit here. I used a hobby knife to add the slit for the strap and then for the black loop that would secure a pen. 


You can see where the strap passes through the slit in the next picture. 



This a good enough time to glue the front and back strap covers onto the existing strap, just needed to be fit snugly around the snap and then secured with a few drops of superglue. 


Before fitting the cover, also be sure to find where the snap on the cover would need to pass through the new cover. Then you can start gluing the new cover on, starting at one inside flap.


And then moving along with new rows of superglue. 


Until the entire cover is fitted. 


4. Make and add embellishment
To make it truly a Dinotopian journal it helps to have some dinosaurs or footprint alphabet. This time I decided to flex my drawing skills a little. Drawing from internet references, I sketched a basic outline of a Parasaurolophus. Then I got some ideas for stylizing the drawing with spirals, etc.


I cut out the pattern and traced it onto some scraps of the same vinyl, cutting out two dinosaur figures in mirrored positions. Then I used a gold paint marker to add the stylized sort-of-tribal details.


And then I glued onto the front and one on the back. In retrospect I should've planned the design to better accommodate the snap on the front cover, but it works out well enough. 


And here's what the back looks like. 


And there you have it, a way to repurpose a cheap, conveniently size journal cover into something decidedly Dinotopian. For more details you can always add some writing in footprint alphabet. Good luck and keep crafting!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to make a simple medieval hood from cloth napkins

Image
All right, so to exercise my rudimentary sewing skills I have challenged myself to make a medieval hood. Before committing myself to making a more complicated design with my better fabrics, I decided to play around with basics with some fabric that won't matter if it goes all to hell. So I experimented with some old cloth napkins and it worked out pretty well. Obviously the rougher design is not all that useful for cosplaying as nobility, but could easily work for a basic outlaw, forester, or Robin Hood type costume. Forgive the stare of death, I needed a dramatic photo... Materials -4 decorative table napkins -Antler or other medieval-type button Tools -Scissors -Needle/thread -Superglue -Measuring tape 1. Gather the materials The materials list is pretty simple. The key part here is finding a set of four cloth napkins that have a believably medieval look to them. Given the roughshod approach, this is a hood better suited to a lower-status medieval person, so...
Read more

How to make rebel pilot leg flares

Image
Another basic part of the Iden Versio costume or any other rebel pilot are the leg flares and flare holder. It's the gray/olive band holding 8 silver "flares" on the left leg of Rebellion pilots in New Hope , Empire Strikes Back , and Return of the Jedi . There's a great tutorial using olive nylon webbing by Gil Guemes aka JediXXL at Rebel Legion , but since I couldn't find suitable webbing I adapted this for using basic fabric instead. Inspiration Materials -Olive green heavy fabric -3/4 inch diameter wooden dowel -Silver spray paint -Clear coat spray enamel -Snaps (or Velcro) Tools -Hacksaw -Sandpaper -Needle/thread -Snap tool 1. Gather the materials First I had to locate just the right fabric. The original Gil Guemes tutorial recommended using olive green 2-inch wide nylon webbing at the basis for the flare holder. Unfortunately I could find none in local craft or hardware stores. Instead I roamed a fabric store looking for ju...
Read more

How to make the collar from the Stargate Anubis Guard

Image
For those intent on becoming the Prime of Ra and adopting the appearance of ancient Egyptian gods to terrorize the populace, welcome to my step-by-step guide of becoming the Anubis guard in the Stargate film. Most of these elements are going to be made from EVA foam, so this simple collar-piece was a good introduction to cutting, detailing, shaping, and painting foam. References Materials -8mm EVA foam -E600 clear glue -Dark copper metallic spray paint -Plastidip -Turquoise acrylic paint Tools -Dremel tool with sanding attachment -Box cutter -Woodburner -Foam wedge for painting, paper towels 1. Gather the materials For this build, you're going to need a thinner EVA foam most easily purchased these days from craft stores. I chose a 8mm thickness, picking up a roll from a craft store for about $20. For this project, I needed about a third of the 24in x 60in roll. For the paints, I chose a dark copper metallic spray paint from Rustoleum. For the Horus guards...
Read more