Some folks have mentioned to me that they’re worried that they won’t be able to put together the Tiny Art Journals, despite my assertations that if you can tie your shoes and feed yourself, you’re already far too dextrous to be worried about something as easy as this. They’re profoundly easy to put together. If you can operate complex machinery like scissors and a stapler, you’re way ahead of the game.
But like most things, sometimes it’s easier to SHOW than TELL. Ever try to write out how to tie your shoes? Takes a NOVEL to write something that takes two seconds. Same concept — this whole process, start to finish, INCLUDING printing, will take you maybe fifteen minutes, and that’s if the dogs/kids/husband tries to distract you with leftover lasagna or drool.
So let’s get started:
First: Download the Tiny Art Journal (TAJ) kit that you want. At the time of this writing, there are two: monsters and a nondenominational one (so to speak) with an undeclared major. There may be more by the time you read this. Pick one (or a few) and download them to your hard drive.
Then: Unzip the file, and you should find three JPG files, a TOU statement (which I thank you to read), and text instructions with more information/some cute ideas for what to put in your journal when it’s done. Print EACH of the JPG files — the cover on cardstock of any kind, the pages on regular text-weight paper. For this TAJ, I printed the pages on kraft paper, because it was within arm’s reach and I’m lazy. You’ll end up with this –
Now, cut out all the pieces along the faint grey lines, and cut out the extended monster “arm”, if you’re doing the monster TAJ. You’ll end up with this collection of a cover and six “pages” –
Take the rectangle pages, and stack them up in any order, as shown. One will be face down, the next face up, the next face down, the next face up, and so forth. This means you’ll have a two-page spread that’s printed, and when you turn the page, there will be two blank pages together, when it’s done. That way, you can stick stuff in, or draw, or use it to press any fairies you find…whatever.
Set your page stack aside for now, and we’ll start in on the cover. Using an X-acto or other sharp craft knife, cut two slits in the cover where indicated by light blue-grey lines. This is where your arm will go through (well, not YOUR arm, your monster arm.) and secure the book closed when not in use. Like so –
Grab a DPN, bone folder (if you know what that is, BONUS POINTS FOR YOU), or the non-business end of a butterknife. Basically, you want something a little sharp, but not sharp enough to cut, just to make a crisp mark. Hold a straightedge to the light grey lines (see below for where they are, in case you can’t see them well on your printout), and run the DPN/edge along the line. You’ll want to press hard enough to leave an indentation. (Paper Nerd Moment: This is called “scoring”, and while you might think it’s unnecessary, it makes folding things look so much better, not to mention EASIER, and we like us some easy. Do not skip this step or the TAJ police will come to your door and take away your glu-sticks.*)
Fold along the score lines. See how much easier folding is when you’ve scored it first? WOULD I LIE TO YOU?
Test the width of your slits by sticking the monster “arm” down into the first slit, then back out the second. If you didn’t make it big enough, don’t fret — just make them a little bigger to accomodate the monster arm. Like so:
Now, grab your stack of pages, and fold them in half. The edgebits won’t line up perfectly, especially if your paper is a pretty heavy weight. It’s okay. The pages are designed just slightly smaller than the covers so that they’ll still fit comfortably, even when there’s poof from the folding.
Grab a couple paper clips. Strategically position the paper clips around the edge of the covers, once you lay the unfolded page-block where it needs to be on the inside of the front cover. As one would assume, this clips the pages in place so you don’t feel like you’re juggling cats when you go to attach the pages to the cover.
Using a regular stapler, put a staple right smack in the middle to hold your pages to the cover. You can also sew the pages to the cover, and I give those instructions in the text file that accompanies your download, if you are so inclined. Both of mine have been stapled, because, as we’ve established earlier, I’m lazy. (That, and I can’t find my heavy-duty thread. Though now that I’m thinking about it, some kind of novelty yarn that looks like monsterfur might be fun to bind this together, too.)
You are done.
Did I not TELL you that this is the EASIEST PROCESS in the whole WORLD?
This is what you’ll see when you open up your TAJ:
At least, it’s what you’ll see until you fill it with your brilliant words, drawings, collageybits, and profound thoughts on the monster under your bed. Then it’ll be all yours.
I’m still planning on adding one of these every week, so keep checking back for new ones. You can TOTALLY fill this up in a week, by the way. It’s just the right size for talking about a few things, or having a few adventures, or playing with a new pen….whatever you want. (And if you fill it up early, you can have a second one even faster than it took to make this one, because now you know what you’re doing and you’re an old pro at it, which means five minutes, tops, right?)
Let your creativity shine.
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