Altering an Old Book -
Before you start embellishing your journal, you'll want to take some time to prepare it first. It takes a little patience, but it is well worth it. You wouldn't want to spend hours lovingly creating a journal and then have it fall apart.
Choosing the Right Book
Not all books are made the same. Choosing the right book to alter is a very important first step to take. There are two types: the sewn binding, and the glued binding. Sewn bindings are stronger and if prepared properly, the pages will be less likely to fall out. If choosing a glued binding, inspect it carefully for a sound spine, and it should be fine.
Think about how large you would like your altered book to be. Children’s books come in all sizes and shapes, and may have just a few pages. Textbooks on the other hand can be large volumes, and you will end up with a journal that has many pages. The possibilities are endless, it's all in what you want in an altered book.
There is an abundance of old books out there. Finding one should be fairly easy. Often you can find one for less than a dollar. Here are some ideas:
Flea markets
Yard sales/Garage Sales
Library book sales
Thrift stores
Craigslist
eBay
Etsy
Used book stores
Friends and family
Preparing The Book For Journaling
First you'll want to tear out pages from the book. There are different ways to do this, depending on if the book has a sewn binding or a glued binding.
The Sewn Binding:
You can tell it is a sewn binding because it is put together in "signatures", which are little bundles of pages sewn together. These bundles are stacked together to make a book. This is a very brief description, but you get the idea.
The first few pages can be left intact. Look for the middle of the first signature (or bundle) by finding the stitching down the center. Tear out these two connecting center pages being careful not to break the thread. Tear out at least three of these. Then find the next signature and do the same. Do this to all of the signatures. The more pages you tear out, the more embellishments you can add to your journal. You may wish to glue some pages together to make thicker, stronger pages, I choose not to do so.
The Glued Binding:
A lot of people don't like using a book that has been glued, they say it is not as strong as a sewn binding. Just be sure you select one that is well made with a strong spine.
Leave the first few pages intact. Then tear out five to eight pages, leave two pages, tear out five to eight more, leave two, and so on until you finish the book and leaving the last few pages intact. You don't need to be exact in how many pages you tear out. The idea is to get a lot of the "bulk" out of the book so you can better embellish it. Now find two intact pages that are before and after a section of torn out pages. Holding the two pages up straight, glue these two pages together, which will hide the torn out stubby bits of pages in between.
Gluing Pages:
You can use white glue, or any other glue you feel comfortable using. Spread the glue on evenly using a 1" sponge brush. You might want to put a piece of scrap paper underneath the page you are gluing so that the glue doesn't get on your table, or on other pages of the book. Be sure to spread the glue right to the edges and corners of the pages, then press together. Try to smooth them out as best you can, but in most cases there will be wrinkles, and that is ok.
Priming Pages:
You can always leave the book pages as they are, or you can cover up the words and pictures with gesso. Gesso is a thick, white primer most often used on art canvases. You can find it at most art and craft stores. You can also use paint, but I prefer gesso. Putting gesso on each of the pages takes awhile, but I find it relaxing, and it's worth it. As with gluing pages, use a piece of scrap paper underneath the page you are gessoing so that the gesso doesn't get on your table. I use a hair dyer to speed up the drying time. It's your choice whether or not you want to put gesso on the covers of the book.
That's pretty much it. Your book is now prepared for embellishing and journaling.