I Love You MiniBook

Valentineproject

This weekend I'm bringing you a little valentine book, complete with a how to & downloadable interior pages (includes handwritten "i love you" and lines for journaling). Here's to working ahead a bit rather than scrambling the night before! This is a book focused mainly on words but could be easily adapted to include photos as well. Make one for a spouse, partner, child, parent, friend - anyone you love.

Right now I am really into my sewing machine + I have had this big piece of felt just sitting here waiting to be used for something (purchased it with good intentions for something else over the holiday). I've been inspired by a lot of things Emily Falconbridge has been creating with fabric and stitching and such - she is so great at putting all kinds of different elements together. She, along with Rebecca Sower, continue to teach me that my sewing machine and paper and fabric can be very good friends.

So here's to a creative weekend + making simple handmade things for the people we love most.

Let's start with the end in mind with a look at the completed project:

V_1

V_2

V_3

V4

V_6

V_lastpage

Supplies:

• 2 pieces of red felt (9.25 x 5 was my end result - I started with a bit bigger pieces and then stitched and trimmed to the final size)
• 5 pieces of cream 8.5x11 cardstock
• chipboard heart accents (K&Company Smitten Chipboard Box Glitter Icons)
• 1 sheet of red patterned paper (Anna Griffin)
• red felt flowers (Making Memories Noteworthy Embellishment Jar)
• adhesive (Therm O Web Super Tape - love this stuff + have been using it a lot lately)
• sewing machine or needle + thread

How To:

This book can be made without felt if you are just not into the whole fabric + paper thing. Simply download the PDF cover and interior pages and adhere them all together (see tips below):

DOWNLOAD COVER | AEvalentines2008_cover

DOWNLOAD INTERIOR PAGES | AEvalentines2008

If you want to play around and create the felt cover you will need two pieces of felt. My finished felt size is 9.25 inches x 5 inches. Cut your pieces a bit larger than that to begin with and then trim down after you have stitched (I found that a bit of shifting happened while I was stitching so I was glad to have the excess I could trim off). Using a sewing machine (or by hand) stitch the two pieces of felt together.

Valentineflatcover

Lay a felt flower and a button on the cover (I used Making Memories Noteworthy Embellishment Jar for the felt flowers). Hand stitch button and felt flower (or use adhesive) directly onto/through the felt.  For right now ignore the stitching down the middle.

Next I printed out the interior cover (AEvalentines2008_cover.pdf) and the interior pages (AEvalentines2008.pdf). Each one includes trim marks so you can see where to cut the pages to size (8.5 inches x 4.25 inches before folding). I printed one interior cover and four interior pages (you could definitely do more if you wanted).

Work with the interior cover first. After printing and trimming, fold in half. I used a bone folder to get a nice even fold.

Valentine2

Turn the interior cover over and lay in the middle of the felt cover. Using your sewing machine or hand stitching, sew the interior cover right onto the felt cover.

Valentinesewingmachine

This is what it should look like when you are done:

Valentineinsidecover

Next fold all the interior pages in half with the printed portion on the inside.

Valentineinteriorpage

Valentinefoldedpages

You will now be adhering these pages all together back to back to create the inside contents for the book. For my adhesive on this project I used Therm O Web's Super Tape.

Valentineadherepages

Valentineadhesive

Valentineremovetape

This is what you are going for as you are adhering:

Valentineadherepgvisual

Valentinebooklet

After adhering those pages together you will create an initial cover using patterned paper. This part came about because when I went to add the pages into the cover they stuck out due to not coming to a point when they were adhered together (they did not fit into the stitched seam). To get around this I cut two pieces of patterned paper (9 inches x 4.25 inches) and glued them back to back (so that you see pattern on both sides).

Fold the patterned paper in half and adhere the booklet into the patterned paper. I left a bit of room near the fold of the patterned paper. This whole part took a bit of messing around and trimming edges, etc. Just go with it.

Valentineadheringtopp

This is what it looked like when I was done:

Valentinelookingdowninterior

Now you are ready to adhere the booklet into the cover page. Lay the booklet in, match up the seams, and adhere.

Valentineppintocover

There should be a bit of patterned paper sticking out of the edge of the cover page. Add a felt flower inside the cover to hide the stitching from the front.

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Add chipboard hearts (or photos or anything you have on hand) and journaling and you are good to go.

V_2_2

Enjoy!

I also wanted to let you know that I did set up a Flickr group for sharing photos and creations that come about through these weekend prompts. You can access the weekend creative Flickr group here.

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169 thoughts

  1. brooke says…
    01/27/2008

    this is lovely!
    simple and sweet.
    thank you for sharing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. tara Whitney says…
    01/27/2008

    ali
    you are so freaking rad
    im so glad i know you.

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Sue says…
    01/27/2008

    I love this idea and have been looking for the perfect idea for my husband. Thank you. For those of you who do not have sewing machines, you can use fabric glue to hold it together. Just make sure you let it dry completely.
    Sue

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Erika Kubida says…
    01/27/2008

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful project. My guy is deployed in Qatar until May and this is the perfect thing to send him for Valentine's day. I finished mine today and just love the end result!! Thanks so much!!
    Erika
    Summerville, SC

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. paolo says…
    01/27/2008

    super cool simplicity. nice going dude! and you know I am cheering you on with that sewing machine!

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. mj says…
    01/28/2008

    *THANKS* ... this is fab.

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. RhondaLH says…
    01/28/2008

    Stitch-Challenged seeks tips and tricks:
    Ali,
    I have been wanting to add that homey touch to my artwork through machine stitching but just don't know how to start. I even bought a new $50 (major markdown after-Christmas blitz item) brother machine a year ago and it is still in the box.Any tips on stitch length, stitch types, tension setting, paper thickness thread type, etc...???
    Anything will help.
    mom2h

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Angela says…
    01/28/2008

    This is a fantiastic idea - I love it and will have to have a go. I need something I can give my hubby to activly show my appreciation of him

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Tonia Borrosch says…
    01/28/2008

    Ali...this is WONDERFUL! And you are so kind to share the downloads and directions!! This is something I definitely want to do! LOVE it! Thank you!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. deB says…
    01/28/2008

    Thanks for the inspiration...what a fun project and looks pretty easy to make.
    and while I'm on the subject of inspiration...guess what my teenage daughter gave me for my birthday today?...your latest book! I have your other two...and this is my new favorite. Can't wait to sit down with my coffee and take a peek. ;-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Heather says…
    01/28/2008

    What a terrifc idea...thanks fro all teh great detailed instrucitons and pictures. Definetly adding it to me to-do list...

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. tiffany k. smoot says…
    01/28/2008

    omg! i LOOOOOVE IT! i couldn't do it as a weekend project [ummm just got to my computer. one of THOOOOOOOSE weekends!] but i am totally doing this SOON!
    i am so excited that i just can't stop myself from using CAPITAL letters!

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. denali says…
    01/28/2008

    I absolutely LOVE this beautiful little book, and I very much appreciate your thorough directions & helpful photos. You are just plain brilliant.
    If I but had a sweetheart or a child I'd be all over making one of these! :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Giorgina Neilson says…
    01/28/2008

    Hi Ali, Love that new font you are using, could you please tell me what it is? I am also having trouble downloading the PDF's for the little red felt book, could you help please? Thank you.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. lao-ocean-girl says…
    01/29/2008

    Thank you so much for this Ali! It's so inspiring, yet so simple to do. I'm making mine tomorrow. You're the greatest!

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. alyssa says…
    01/29/2008

    Perfect in its simplicity, and so heartfelt. I *love* red and can’t wait to make this! Thanks, Ali. :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Amy says…
    01/29/2008

    Thank you! You've inspired me to make this for my hubby!

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Michelle Gautreaux says…
    01/29/2008

    So cute! Might have to scrapjack this idea for a class. Thanks!

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Claire Nimmo says…
    01/31/2008

    Thx Ali, this has been great fun to make - great to get the sewing machine out again!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. MistyC says…
    02/01/2008

    You're such a sweet person, Ali! I really appreciate it ... Thank you very very much for sharing this project with us! This is awesome!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. lori p says…
    02/01/2008

    thanks ali!! this is just beautiful!thanks for sharing such a wonderful valentine's gift with us!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Kim H. says…
    02/02/2008

    I'm always inspired by you Ali.
    Thanks for so generously sharing your creativity. I tweaked it a bit and it's up on my blog if you would like to see.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Cel says…
    02/02/2008

    this is a really nice idea! i am so gonna make one for my dear boyfriend. i hope i make it by valentines!

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Arwen says…
    02/04/2008

    I have been trying to figure out what to give my husband for Valentines this year. This will be perfect. I think he will love it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. shaunda says…
    02/05/2008

    GREAT blog!!!!

    Reply 0 Replies

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