Turn an old notebook into a charming diary

When I decided to start a blog, the first thing I realized was that I need some sort of a diary to write down my ideas and information that will help me in making my own blog.

I searched through my stuff and I found this old diary.  And, when I say old, I mean really old. It dates from 1982, which means it's actually older than me. It belonged to my grandpa, but it was barely used...so it was perfect for this project.

If you have an old diary or notebook lying around your house and you would like to give it a new life, here is how.

You'll need:

•          An old notebook (obviously)
•          Mod Podge (or Art Potch, or something similar)
•          Decorative rice paper (you can also use decoupage paper or napkins)
•          Brush(es) and scissors
•          Bucket with water and a towel
•          And maybe some color (depending on the color of your notebook's cover)

Step 1: If your notebook has a dark cover like mine, paint the cover with some light acrylic paint. I used white. Do the same if the notebook cover is colorful or has some design on it, you don't want it to show underneath your new motifs.

(side note: I applied only one layer of the paint using a sponge so my brush moves are showing underneath the paper, but I was going for this slightly 'distressed' look. If you want to avoid this, just apply several layers of paint.)

Step 2: While the paint dries, prepare your rice paper. Cover your notebook with the paper and measure how much of the paper you need. Leave some extra paper on the sides to glue it on the inner side of the cover and cut it. If you are using paper/napkins with smaller motifs you can just cut out the individual motifs.

Step 3: Soak the paper in water for a minute, and lay down on the towel to get rid of the extra water. (Don't do this with napkins!)

Step 4: Cover the front cover with Mod Podge and adhere your paper to the cover. Allow it to dry completely. Repeat with the spine and back cover. (Or just glue on the motifs in the desired order.)

Step 5: Seal with another layer of Mod Podge on the top. Trim any excess of paper...and voila! You have a brand new notebook :)