DIY Wedding Guest Book

I bought a mini archival scrap book about 15cms square from the bargain bin at my local department store for $1.97. The book had plain card covers and loose cream pages inside held together with ugly black split rings. You could use a school exercise book or a plain (or just plain ugly) notebook with a heavy card cover. If you use a spiral bound book you need to carefully cut off the spiral with pliers (they can't be reused) and get it rebound at a copy centre when you're done. My local copy centre has wire spirals in several colours and sizes but it would pay to check their machine is the same as the one that did your notebook (if the holes don't line up you'll have dramas)

First I pulled the book apart and set the pages aside so they wouldn't get messy while I was sticking. For a book that's going to get a lot of use I'd suggest decoupaging the cover which means after you stick on your paper bits you paint over a layer of lacquer (sealer) to seal the pages rock solid. Because I'm using the book for one day and putting it away I went for a matte, unvarnished finish. The theme for my wedding is 'music' and the colours are black, white and red.

I took my plain covers like the one below (you can still do this with a book, just open each side out to trace around) and traced around the outside onto a piece of vintage sheet music. You could use wrapping paper, fabric, newspaper or even magazine pictures with your theme images on them. I measured 1 cm out from the outline and cut out the shape. Take a notch out of the corners to make it neater when you fold the paper around the cover. You can do a whole book in one piece or two pieces.

Use a multi purpose glue for sticking paper and fabric. If you're a bit unconfident try a repositionable glue which means if you stick your paper on upside down you can peel it off and try again!

Or you can use double-sided tape which is what I used in the picture here. Double-sided tape is good for fabrics which may stain if glue "bleeds" through but it's a sod to unpeel if you have to.

4. On the inside of the cover cut out a square of paper/fabric 3mm smaller than your cover and stick it over the overlap from the front cover. You can leave the join as is or cover it up with some trim. I used sequin trim which I had already and costs about 90 cents a metre. Ideally you want a flat trim on the inside of the cover or the book will stick up when you shut it.

5. On the cover of the guest book you can add whatever decorations you desire. I used little music note sequins and some gorgeous diamantes. For 3D stick-ons like jewels I reccommend a super glue. Put a tiny amount onto the jewel and leave it for 20 seconds then place onto the surface and hold down with a toothpick until it sets. Don't hold stuff down with your fingers! I was once making a wedding present for a friend and had to sit in the car with a bottle of nail polish remover detatching myself from the present on the way to the wedding!

You can add the date of the wedding and your names with letter stamps or stick on letter from a scrapbooking store. I've left a place on the cover to stamp the date on later. If you're using newspaper you could get a copy of the paper with your date (obviously not the year but the day and month) and collage that all over the cover.

6. Once you finished sticking, leave the covers to dry overnight. Try sitting them on greaseproof baking paper so you don't damage your desk and it peels off easily if it sticks to any remaining glue. If you're going to seal the covers do one side at a time leaving several hours (see the instructions on your sealer) for each side to dry then filp the cover on it's side (wedge it between a couple mugs) and paint the edges where the cover will wear the most.

7. I rewired my book together with some scraps of red craft wire I had lying around. I threaded the wire through the holes (I repunched them after covering the book), looped it round and threaded it through a second time and finished it off by twisting the ends round the wire. That's how it looks from the back where the joins are (it's easier to open if they're at the back). If you're time-poor you could just spray paint some silver split rings with your desired colour (leave them to dry open).

8. Because the book is going to get passed around at the wedding I made a pen holder for the front cover. I used a 5cm wide piece of lace twice the length of the book, folded it in half and sewed down the sides to make a pocket and used double-sided tape (glue and lace are a pain; don't try it!) to stick it to the inside cover. The pocket holds about four pens.

9. To close the book and make it look super fancy pants-y I stuck on a 20cm length of red satin ribbon in the middle of the front and the middle of the back of the open side of the covers (see picture). I covered where the ribbon was stuck on with a matching red satin rose. The roses at 10 cents each were cheaper than the ribbon to make them! In the centre of each rose I stuck a little diamante to make them extra special.The little dangly bit is just three beads threaded onto a double cotton thread and stitched to the back of the fabric rose bud - the glue holds my dodgy stitching in place.

10. Tie the guest book closure ribbon and "ta da!" it's all done!

Next I'm going to make some stickers on the computer with little prompts for guests to use for inspiration.
Here's some thoughts:

"How many kids are they going to have?"
"Where will they be living in 5 years? 10 years?"
"What is your favourite memory of the bride?"