How to Make a Simple Kids Journal Using Masking Tape & Glue
- 1). Lay the card stock flat on a piece of freezer paper or a self-healing cutting mat. This will keep the tape from adhering to your table.
- 2). Punch holes in two sheets of card stock with a hole punch to match standard notebook filler paper.
- 3). Stick small pieces of masking tape to each piece of card stock. Place the tape pieces horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Overlap the pieces. For another creative look, older kids can weave a pattern with the pieces of colored masking tape.
- 4). Completely cover both pieces of card stock on both sides. Wrinkles and imperfections in the tape add more character to the journal cover. Try to keep the holes that you punched in the card stock partially open when covering the side with tape.
- 5). Place one piece of card stock on the work surface with the hole placement on the left hand side. Set a stack of 20 to 30 pieces of plain or lined notebook paper on top of the card stock. The sheets of paper should all have holes punched in them. Top the stack with the second piece of card stock.
- 6). Cut a 40-inch piece of twine or yarn. Cut two 1-inch pieces of masking tape. Wrap a small piece of tape around each end of the yarn to create ends similar to shoelace tips.
- 7). Thread one tape-covered end of the yarn through the back of the bottom hole in the stack of card stock covers and paper. Thread the second tape-covered end of the yarn through the back of the top hole in the stack. Bring the two ends up over the middle hole, ensuring that they are the same length when they meet.
- 8). Cross the ends of the fiber over one another as if you are starting to tie a shoelace. Clip a clothespin over the middle hole and the crossed fibers to hold them snugly in place. Insert one taped end of the fiber back down through the top hole in the top journal cover, and thread the second end down through the bottom hole.
- 9). Remove the clothespin from the center of the journal. Insert both taped ends of the twine or yarn through the back of the middle hole and up through the stack. Bring one end up on one side of the crossed yarn and the other end up on the other side.
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Tie a secure knot around the crossed fibers on top of the center hole, then finish the look by tying a bow over the knot. Cut the taped ends from the fiber binding. The twine or yarn fiber will secure the journal pages and covers together. - 11
Encourage the children to personalize their journals and begin recording their experiences and thoughts.