journals

thoughts that count

Customizing a store bought item is the best way to create something that’s truly one-of-a-kind without the hours and hours of creating something from scratch.

These customized journals are the perfect topper to a present or a great item for a gift bag. Create a handful at one time and have a sweet and sentimental present for all your loved ones and special occasions throughout Spring and Summer. Here’s how we took these simple journals and turned them into a memorable and heartfelt gift items.

IMG_5381

the fleet

the loot

the loot

Supplies:

1. Colored Moleskin Journal – (get these pretty little booklets shipped straight to your door HERE)

2. Colored Thread

3. Needle

4. Stamp

5. Ink pad

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setting up

Step 1 – Take your pick! Pick your color combination for the journal and thread, pick your stamp, and pick the word/pattern location.

pick your place

pick your place

H for Ms. Hollis

H for Ms. Hollis

Step 2 – Lightly stamp your pattern.

Our trick for making the embroidered pattern look nice and clean is by using a stamp as the pattern template. You can definitely hand draw or stitch the pattern freehand, but we found this trick to make the final product look a lot more professional. Keep in mind that you want an ink color that’ll either blend in with your colors or wipe away (ours wiped away pretty easily).

to begin

to begin

Step 3 – Poke holes along the pattern/letter where the thread will weave in and out. I found that making the holes prior makes the process quicker, more accurate and easier.

weave it

weave it

stitched

stitched

Step 4 – Start weaving the thread in and out of the holes following the line of the pattern. For the parts of the pattern that are a bit thicker, create 2 or 3 rows of stitching. and vuala!

"H"

“H”

feather

feather

"thanks"

“thanks”

"A"

“A”

all done!

all done!

Happy Crafting!!