DIY paper project: Russel+Hazel binder cover

Hi!  My name is Kris and I'm very excited to share this paper project with you.  I'm obsessed with DIY projects and have a craft room, and a long (very long) list of to-do projects to prove it! 

This project is great for anyone who wants to spruce up a binder of any size. The R+H Signature Binders work great because they already have linen or laminated vinyl covering the spine which is durable and sturdy, and both covers are plain book board, which is a great foundation.

I chose to cover both exterior and interior covers of my R+H binder. Although the interior cover is a great marker board (very clever!), I know I won’t use it. It’s completely up to you!

Be creative! Choose complementary or contrasting paper. Try covering the front in one pattern and the back in another. Whimsy Press paper works great for a project like this because it’s double-sided and has 2 complementary patterns for the price of one!

Tools needed:

–scissors

–ruler

–PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue, Mod Podge, YES paste, or similar glue

–paste brush or paint brush

–bone folder (if you don’t have one, don’t worry! A plastic ruler would be fine; fingers work great too)

–paper; you will need a minimum of 2 sheets, approximately 1” larger than your cover on all 3 sides, and about 1/8” extra to overlap the spine material. If you choose to cover the inside covers as well, you will need 2 sheets approximately ¼” smaller than your cover on all sides.

1. Cover your workspace!

2. Prep your binder by removing all metal corners.

3. Measure and cut your paper (see above for dimensions).

4. On the outside binder cover, mark a guide for the paper and measure out 1/8” onto the spine material. Lightly mark with pencil near the top and bottom.

5. Apply glue to sheet of paper. Start in the center of the sheet and use a fanning motion. Paper may curl, but this is okay. You must work rather quickly to ensure the glue doesn’t dry before you attempt to adhere it. Make sure to apply glue to all edges.

6. Place glued paper along your pencil guide marks, making sure all overlapping sides are about equal. Use your bone folder or plastic ruler to run along the entire cover to get rid of any air bubbles and to ensure a smooth and strong hold.

exterior cover overlap

7. Open the binder and cut the 2 corners at a 45 degree angle. Leave at least 3/16” of paper from the tip of the boards for the cut. Repeat for the opposite corner.

corner detail

8. You may have to re-glue the flaps if the glue has dried. Glue the top and bottom flaps down to the inside of the cover, making sure to pull them tight and smooth them out.

9. This next step might be a little confusing. Turn in the corner by pinching the paper in. Find the corner of the board and simply turn the corner with the point. This will create almost an “L” shape crease—smooth out the base of the “L” and then fold over the slight dog-ear at the top of the “L.” Repeat on the other corner. Because the corners on the Russell+Hazel binder are rounded, do your best to fold them in accordingly. Bonus: when you are finished, you can reattach the metal corners for durability.

glued flaps

10. Repeat for back cover.

finished binder

You are finished! If you wish to apply paper to the inside cover, keep reading—you are almost finished! This step isn’t necessary but makes your binder look more polished on the inside.

Want to add a fun embellishment? Add ribbon to the cover line where the paper meets the spine vinyl/bookcloth. If you choose this option, it would be a good idea to add inside covers to prevent the ribbon from falling off.

11. If you want to add a ribbon, do so now. You want to make sure the length of the ribbon wraps around the cover to the back and overlaps each edge about 1”. Apply glue to entire piece of ribbon, and center on the cover line where the paper meets the spine vinyl/bookcloth.

ribbon detail

12. Follow the steps above to apply the inside covers. Simply apply glue to the entire sheet and center on the board. Be sure to smooth out any air bubbles.

inside cover

You now have a new, sturdy, and very fashionable binder! Be sure to show off your project to friends and family—they will be surprised to know you did it yourself!