Are you the type who likes to own personalized things? The type that likes the idea of journals unique to your personality?

If you’ve been searching for ideas to create a personally-appealing Cover for your notebook, art journal, or bullet Journal Cover page, search no more.

This article is for you!

Before we look at some beautiful creations, let’s go through how to make journal covers. This guide is essential for people who are new to the craft.

Shall we?

How To Make Journal Covers

There are several ways to style your journal covers. Let’s go through three easy DIY styles for journal cover pages – fabric, decoupage, and felt.

How to Make Fabric covers

• Cut out the piece of fabric

Once you find your desired fabric, the first step is to open your notebook or journal widely on the fabric. Set it in the middle and mark a rectangle 2 inches wider than your notebook. Then, cut along the rectangle.

• Glue edges

While your journal is still centered on the piece of fabric, apply glue to the 2inch edges sticking out from your fabric.

Start with the top and bottom edges. Then, the left and right edges. Finally, you may want to give the edges a professional touch by creasing the triangle into the corners.

You can use a foam paintbrush to spread the glue across the edges of the fabric. That way, you can get glue neatly to all parts of your fabric. You can also check out the best magazine design ideas.

• Cover the raw edges Inside

The inside of your journal cover is probably exposed with raw edges of the fabric. To get rid of this, you can cut out some pieces of fabric and cardboard.

Cut out two pieces of cardboard about an inch smaller than your journal cover. Then, cut out two pieces of fabric about an inch or two more extensive than the cardboard size.

Glue the cardboard and fabric together. Then follow the same step you did with your cover page.

Don’t forget to apply plenty of glue. You don’t want it coming off soon.

• Decorate your fabric cover

Your journal cover design is pretty much done at this point. However, you can add some personality to it with embellishments like stickers, buttons, vinyl, feathers, drawings, scrapbook additions, or ribbons. The options are limitless.

Once you’re done, you can go on to create a collection of fabric-covered journals for fun or sales.

How to Make Decoupage Cover

Decoupage (découpage)is a decoration style that uses colored paper for special personalized effects on objects.

Follow these steps to make your decoupage journal cover.

• Add pure white chalk paint to your journal cover page

Chalk paint gives your journals a vintage look. Although it only sits in the background, it doesn’t fail to add its powers to your cover page.

Open up your journal and paint both sides simultaneously. Make sure it’s dry before adding any more decorations. Usually, this may take 2-4 hours of waiting. Or you could just wait till the next day to continue.

• Gather your desired paper embellishments

What would you like to add to your journal cover?

It could be some contact paper, old postcards or photos, cut-out magazine pictures, or cut-out drawings. You could also write a quote, design it and cut it out. It’s all up to you.

It could be multiple things to cover up all the space on the journal cover. Before you glue it to your journal cover page, take some time to arrange them into a beautiful pattern you’re comfortable with.

• Glue the pieces down with Mod Podge

Mod Podge is a crafter’s best friend. Works like magic. Spread evenly across the journal cover. You can add it in multiple layers to give your journal cover page a sturdy look.

Before adding a second or third coat of Mod Podge, you can paint your papers to add extra details and more life to your design.

Once it’s dry, you have a decoupaged journal ready to add to your collection of journals.

How To Make Felt Journal Cover

Felt is a type of textile material that’s made of matted, condensed, and pressed fabrics. It could be wool, acrylic, or other types of synthetic fibers.

Felt projects can be great for journal covers since they add a layered look to your journal cover pages.

Once you plan your design, you can follow these steps to make your own felt journal cover:

• Cut out a piece of felt

Just like you did with your fabric, spread open your journal on your piece of felt. Measure a larger triangle of 2″ around your journal. Cut out once you’re done with your measurement.

Don’t forget to cut out covers for the inside finishes too.

• Decorate your felt Material

To add flair to your felt design, you can add small decorative items, embroidery, glitter, or other materials that can be glued or sewed on the felt.

• Sew around the edges

Lay the edges of the inner and outer felt pieces overlapping each other and sew around the edges of your entire journal. You can use a machine if you have one. Or sew with your hand if you want to maintain the unrefined look of most felt journals.

Once you’re done, rescue the loose edges with super glue, if there are any. If there’s none, you’re pretty done with your felt journal.

Journal cover page design ideas

Now that you know how to make different journal covers let’s check out some real-life examples to get you inspired.

DIY Fabric Covered Journal

Fabric on a journal cover page can be a great way to reflect personality. For example, this journal below uses an African-styled fabric with a bold pattern and bright colors to convey a combination of aesthetics and origin.

Jean Covered Journals

Looking for a creative way to repurpose old jeans?

You can create a super cool denim cover page for your journal by giving a new life to old jeans. Pretty awesome, don’t you think?

Washi tape

Decorative colored tape can be a pretty easy and creative way to design your bullet journal cover page. You can choose to apply it in rows to a section of the cover or all around.

You can also make stickers from washi tapes and easily apply them to your journal covers. If you don’t know how to create washi tape stickers, you can visit craft pages on YouTube to watch a tutorial.

Faux Wood Vinyl

Self-adhesive faux wood vinyl can be great to make a stunning cover page for your journal. They’ll look absolutely unique.

DIY Painting

If you’re artistic, painting your book cover can be the perfect way to create a personalized art journal cover page.

If you have no idea what to paint, you can draw inspiration from your favorite artists or search for beautiful artworks online. Then, you can use acrylic paint or watercolor to create your own cover.

Zentangle Decoration

Zentangle is a form of focused doodling, haha. We described it that way because while it’s also about drawing repetitive designs like doodling, Zentangle is more intentional and focused on creating a consistent design in the prescribed method.

Embroidered Journal cover

Beautifully embroidered flowers can be a creative way to show off your needlework skills.

Terrazzo

Terrazzo is a unique art material that’s been around since the 15th century. It is a compound with different shades from granite to marble, quartz, or glass and is used to make floors and walls. It is a great way to give your journal cover page a layered look.

X’s and O’s Journal cover page

Are you looking to give your partner a journal? You could make draw inspiration from this XO cover. We bet they’ll love it. You can also make it a gift for a bridal or baby shower.

Vinyl Letter

You can use your vinyl lettering to create unique designs on your journal cover page. For example, the design could be your name or meaningful words.

Leather Stamp journal

If you’re the type who likes fewer decorations, a simple leather tag could be the perfect way to add personality to your journal cover page. But, of course, it’s always a project that appeals to all people and can be used as a gift.

DIY Floral Paper Journal

You can add a chic look to your art journals when you glue floral papers to the cover page. This makes your journal cover more artistic and colorful.

Mandala Artwork

Mandalas are also like zentangles. They give your cover page a unique outlook.

You can also create mandalas in future pages of your notebook. That’s because drawing a mandala can be therapeutic and super fun.

The interesting thing about drawing a mandala is that you don’t have to complete it in one take. You can make it a monthly or yearly project and do it when you feel like it. Consider it a way to awake your inner artist. Explore the best book cover design ideas.

Kraft Paper Current Year Design

By stating the date, you can create a neutral design for your journal cover page. In addition, if you have multiple journals, the dates will help you sort them out.

To make it lovely, you can use kraft paper and washi tape on the corners of the cover page. Check out this bullet journal cover page design created by Masha Plans.

Inspirational Quotes

A good quote or positive affirmations on your bullet journal cover page can be a great source of motivation.

You can steal this idea from Masha Plans. It has a message of hope and adds some pretty flowers as a sign of hope.

Pattern

Just like mandalas and zentangles, patterns can be a great way to add personality to your journal cover page. All you might need is a pen and a ruler.

You can mix other design styles with your pattern. For example, you can use washi tapes to create patterns.

Drawing

If you’re into art journaling, you can draw cute pictures on your journal cover page.

This can also be a floral design drawing. We can tell that flowers are often the easiest thing to draw, even if you’re not an artist.

Doodle

You were probably wondering if we’ll never mention doodle on your journal cover page.

Doodling can be a very random yet creative design to put on your journal cover page.

Embroidered Felt Journal cover page

Felt is a fantastic material for creating soft, cute covers.

Look at the designs below. You can gift felt journals to your partners, colleagues, family, and friends, and they’ll be glad you gave them something to hold personally in high esteem. Check out the best yearbook cover ideas.

Decoupage Collage Journal Cover

You could make fun decoupage designs on your journal cover with cut-outs from different materials. These materials could make a unique collage on your journal cover.

You can add buttons and beads to add flair to your decoupaged journal.

Emoji Journal Cover

Emojis are cute little things to put on your journal cover. It might look cheesy, but it remains a great way to convey mood on your journal cover.

You could paste or draw several emojis on your journal cover page.

Or draw a single emoji like this one by Smiling Colors

Duck Tape Book Cover

Instead of washi tapes, you could also use duck tapes to create patterns on your journal cover.

You could use the usual black duck tape. However, this might give a little eccentric look, but it’ll be fun.

You could also use colored duck tapes to make it more bright.

Gratitude Journal Cover

Check out this beautiful journal by Smitha Katti. She uses bright colored leaves and glitter alphabet stickers to create a design that pop.

You can be inspired by this design to create a journal where you express thanks and positive thoughts all year round.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, you can search through pages of websites like Pinterest, Behance, and Dribble or social media.

You’ll find tons of creative journal covers to get your creative juices flowing.

Bottom Line

Customized Journal covers can be a great way to communicate personality. However, you don’t have to go through the stress of creating the designs yourself, especially if you’re not the artistic type.

Even if you are artistic, sometimes creating bulk supplies can be daunting. For example, if you’re thinking of gifting guests personalized journals, it might be tedious to come up with multiple designs and execute them.

Stress not, All Time Design got you covered!

Let our team of professional designers handle the stress for you.

If you have less time at hand to plan events and create souvenirs, our designers understand the need for great cover designs and how they sometimes come at tight deadlines. At affordable prices, we can meet your request in real-time with top-notch journal covers.

Ready to give it a go?

Book a demo today!

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