Just so you know, I’m not a let’s-make-it-perfect kinda DIY gal. I’m more of a let’s-seize-the-moment-and-possibly-wing-it girl. So this week, when it came time to send a goodbye/I’ll miss you note to some dear, dear little friends of mine, it really could have gone any direction.
Want to see where it went?
So I started with some $1 chipboard books I grabbed at Michael’s on Saturday and some paint supplies I had on hand.
Honestly, when I bought those books, I had no idea what I’d do with them, or if they’d even work. All I knew was I wanted to tell these kids how special they are, and how special they have been to me.
Doing so was very therapeutic.
Here’s how it turned out.
And, in case you have some sweet, hard goodbyes to say – or some special words for anyone else -here are a few tips:
Step 1: Paint one side of the chipboard. (If you don’t have the color you want on hand, start mixing! I used red and white paint to make my pink.)
Step 2: While the paint dries, start dreaming up some words. If you want to do a poem, use RhymeZone to help find great rhyming words. The Limerick format is easy and fun. Get a little silly. (OK, so this part might take longer than the paint drying…)
Step 3: Paint the other side of the chipboard.
Step 4: Measure a simple square or rectangle size that will fit well on the chipboard. If your software allows, add an outline at that size so you can set up each page of type within the allotted space.
Step 5: Once your words are written, set them in a simple font. If you have a good font selection, choose a second font to highlight a single word in every line. Here are some suggestions for setting the type:
– Use 13 pt. size, or so.
– Leave plenty of space between each line.
– Align right. It’s different.
– Break each line at the same point in the rhythm.
Step 6: Create a cover page. I used a single name in the lower right corner – at about 1/2″ high.
Step 7: If you want to add an illustration (and you’re illustratively challenged like me), there are some free sources online. For these cute kid photos, I used istockphoto.com (they were about $7 each).
Step 8: Print your words, cover and/or illustrations onto a cover-weight paper and cut out each page. (This is where it’s helpful if you had printed outlines to follow.)
Step 9: Use a glue stick to adhere the paper to the chipboard. (I use a “wrinkle-free” stick.) Oh, and one tip – if you’re using the back side of each piece of chipboard, you may want to paste those sides upside down because of how the pages flip.
Step 10: Use the provided fastener to connect the book. Add a bit of ribbon so the whole book could be hung on the wall or a doorknob.
Ok, so I think that’s it. Too complicated? Too simple? Let me know.
And here’s to sweet Jane and Quinn. I will think of them often and miss them much. They are the best.
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