Make a Travel Booklet for your Earrings

It is difficult enough to keep your jewelry organized and handy at home. The task becomes ever so much more intricate when traveling. On my last birthday I received a couple of sets of earrings neatly presented in a booklet folder. I immediately saw the potential of this for traveling. Simply add your favorite earrings and pop it in your vanity. No more scratching to find the other half of the pair. Tidy, compact, easy to make and, to top it all, CHEAP, this project offers a solution to many a traveller's problems. All I did was to make it slightly larger to accommodate my more bulky earrings and to add a second ribbon to secure it better for those pesky long earrings that always seem to want to slide out.

Because I want this booklet to be very sturdy and strong in order to protect the earrings, instead of simply organizing them, I use a cardboard box from my grocery cupboard to sandwich between the pretty ones that will be added for decorative purposes.  Unfold the cardboard box neatly on its sides. I will use the two large panels from the box in the photo.

I cut out one side panel from the box to measure 15,5 cm x 10,5 cm. A metal ruler and craft knife on a cutting mat aids accurate cutting brilliantly.

The covers of the booklet will measure 7 cm each and the spine 1,5 cm. I have written this on the cardboard to make it easier to understand. I prefer pictures over words when it comes to these type of explanations and thought you might as well.

I will cover my booklet in a patterned cardboard which I cut about 2,5 cm larger than the booklet on all four sides.

I secure the patterned cardboard to the booklet with double-sided tape.

I put double-sided tape in each corner and fold it in as shown.

I then put double-sided tape on the sides and fold those in as well.

This is what the outside of the booklet looks like at this stage.

I use a bone folder to make an indent on the cardboard which will make it easier for me to fold it neatly.

The booklet is starting to take shape.

I cut the inside cover for the booklet ever so much smaller than the actual booklet itself to measure 15 cm x 10 cm.

I secure the inside to the booklet with double-sided tape again.

By now I have a very sturdy and strong booklet made of three layers of cardboard.

With the outside done, I turn to the inside of the booklet. I cut the remaining large panel from the box to measure 15 cm x 10 cm. This makes it 0,5 cm smaller than the actual booklet.

The pages of the booklet will measure 7 cm each and 1 cm in the spine.

I cut 2 pieces of plain cardboard to the exact size as the cardboard for the page.

The two pieces are once again joined with double-sided tape.

I score the fold lines.

The second piece of cut cardboard is stuck to the back of the 'page'.

This is what your 'pages' should look like now.

I want the inside to be plain since it will be a better background for my earrings, but find that it is too plain for my liking. A simple golden border can do no harm! I use a metallic marker for this.

I now need to mark the spaces for the earrings. They are grouped in twos.

I use a hammer to drive an awl through the thick cardboard where I have marked the holes for the earrings.

The sleeve for the booklet is now ready to go into the cover.

Since paper/cardboard is made from wood-pulp, this glue is brilliant for projects like these where I am not afraid of warping and buckling. Simply press the spine of the page into the spine of the book and allow to dry.

Measure two lengths of ribbon to fit over the width of the booklet with enough length left to tie into a ribbon. Each of mine are 44 cm long.

Simply touch the ends of the ribbon to a flame. The very flammable ribbon will melt and this will keep it from fraying. Be extra careful here. This takes less than a second to do. I did all four ribbon ends with one match and had time enough left to take a photo. Be very quick!

Tombow glue is great for attaching ribbon since it will dry unnoticeable.

I used a ruler to space where the glue should go. I measured 3 cm from top and bottom, moved the ruler slightly up and ran the glue along the ruler, but not quite touching it. This way I get 2 very neat straight lines of glue.

Lay the ribbons in place and allow them to dry.

This is what the booklet looks like when I put my earrings inside.

See how neatly they are organized at the back as well?

A very secure package that keeps your earrings safe.

Remember to post photos of your own projects as well. Happy crafting!

For more crafty ideas and great products, visit APrettyTalent.com.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
You can subscribe to this blog and receive regular updates by email by simply registering your email address at the top of the current blog.