![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKHftbVitIWC4GS_ON6vBCT-fHH40Db1sgOwyFdifKyvS3xg8esXVv97j5cFhED8wMDkvCtnV9ZFmM7dgezpQJGp8E-P7Q6Y__MO-i6vEQEXCB1SDmY3FN3jTxd7JW9QSKsHOm5U9aNzYYe7LkjnFNodQKUjaChrWgCHo_v_L465WAFTz-xLX0o37Sg/w400-h396/20220127.jpg)
I needed someplace to keep all my research papers, so I bought a huge binder.
Everything was perfect except for the cover, stark white.
Well, that just won't do!
I decided I wanted it to look like old vintage leather.
Grabbed some supplies and went to work.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgH5acGpayDZJg_RWp9Lf2LVWnszTIfNff9LdALvaHwhIbTI7nDNz6y87mVvdKNbGU86SW52sPp-9q0wHKGFx06UVXAiNizLAjmaKaMJr7Vx_auyDeHGZ8HdGlCErwHvulsxAe5VstAo417pqseSMhAgLduIasf30dIQK_kGyZt2upTXXztzKZfIUQqg/w400-h195/20220110_191638.jpg)
Here we go!
I started by striping the white tissue paper,
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnMQy4fD4m71eD-bVouEr1ZZHneLl4X5f07Fw4Jd4MsKSiosd1ppJ8tV5LFctxxQOT7Jz2wHLYkAbYCx__SaMmPOCNjDWYeM1pocdRJhxrrYgt6BoozHvmCNwdvvoP0RoHpLzkqSuVDnPYlluZQauHMpCsFrnpOzuN4SYDoRGeyCZ0aceCpUUocEmzw/w400-h195/20220104_191515.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9eftYxpk7jbnFMm7PusYisY4JtJ-zSysTZyTuaNiltYJiN6hish59bckronhWl3YL8I17YTVJ10qLBQtwhkVN83pm_pcGLD0WTpPvo5I3CJIwOCsbXm3m78y1ia4ifDCaoNmy5TwBUgdpkfDca_k7hXL8KEgQIr7a--9tnhNk7nEUD-z5LxAu17C4A/w400-h195/20220104_191457.jpg)
I tore the tissue paper into smaller pieces, which made then easier to adhere.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGoXkyidQ51nvsHxVraidcGwOXH47-RPkcw344akmTfJZdpoepZPzfz96tYG5wdwED2bb_Fydc8GRl8B2RSHV-uHcn89qtW8BSed65sFEPOvBz2IF_IvLU0-BEEpqm93qpoVvS9dghDPt4dhiDHM_fy3zqBJxzStqQtnN0tKucdYOalGZYcxLh5FKig/w400-h195/20220104_191358.jpg)
Working a section at a time, I covered the outside of the plastic covered binder
with a coat of Mod Podge and added pieces of the tissue paper. There's no right
or wrong way. You want it to look wrinkly so no worries about smoothing it out.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OUSNZ9jiwPiLMmALBi8yVIqPbmGhOF6Wn-Gv_hL2EGU9-vy8xdfL8-j19kYUrUfy040e9uysRm4ZCwUai22X1knom_4_udywO_FOvU1dvbCqMpb6aR48L8r1bQKtoi4w00yWePI8cHwRz7e2tglbkqLp30CrMryTElaD-TNSZmbQva8lMzCheSNyXA/w400-h195/20220104_191536.jpg)
I applied another coat of Mod Podge over the tissue paper.
Here's what the front looks like when done.
I repeated the same process to the sides and back of the binder
allowing for drying time in between coats.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirUBDgh7vQw95EgWxbrqFuLxNK-hjtCOet24MYOCISt8QBKoZn5JNVPdczPVxRTyIYCIA7AlWheuaGb5GHv2x5NgHJ7orM0dCd4W45lJiPHyFdQb_oLBcnA5scHlAJlVPM-olE9zvQj2VDt9PiBe8k7eKvJiCyWtAd1CLCtB9Fx-SMztqdrr0yHMGYQ/w400-h195/20220104_194632.jpg)
Once the entire outside was covered with tissue it was time to paint.
I gave it a coat of Burnt Umber craft paint because it's what I had on hand.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2VBSW2nmry9BcoOm76HRx8_sg9hwJ20psQb-euhLWzlbsRMXdyanOMeINnJJtuAvZBIsrxsFJPgBtyZ_dBWYW3ciWQ1lG3Hj-X-XI59QTRLZ_S9eSm2bZUbFBXgDa1h6dhQXwpdCbbd7l83eYAzDt15S04b7uWule-IMTWCkA0fJw7tIlwrQlnxxDQ/w400-h195/20220119_130115.jpg)
I wanted some dimension so I added a few drops of Black craft paint.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jB5zvap_3DfLaSPja07lDAxI51ppUkkSC3kT_CbheqaLMhUgm3rIP7by8XTZYg0ZTzstAqai6eXQjTDBr5h-ysq5VjCIFBuSZs5DZk-bp2K2WUiU86LgsRslKZCdL7V4ck8AMbstZwXDHI8gL-e4SCIhwvBOGf-_lj34D_6G8yS5qNGTsvf5HDPP_A/w400-h195/20220119_130216.jpg)
While the Burnt Umber was still wet I swirled in the black randomly
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WsnUzk3HXL8p61-mcIRYBm3wq6f6PiotlTmk4b6SPi7fFHB44CCglDe17uF3L8Cg6MAiJ-8XSwO_5l29_J4Cc0BJN-9UqvVGIdQNBLdt2oh0e5uD7yCGKX5JtBexT0G1QoEDQVtprmT0SoliYWolWSNjT6AaQdSKCi86vd4AjDv7pOwaGFhe7JGA9A/w400-h195/20220119_130249.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvL8N1LvMG_VGhrSF4uIH-hgrVVKyONmnb2fLyp22qVKM8Jf0xnyubaAkiMPcY_unx0w5-__9gJoQ0QDmg4ZRs8Mtxk1ckJugi12hMbaO-AdfsnJpKyXtoX-OK0CWdUqHeipy3rinL2CVIWKZVjuRRR_Z1n7JfX14PDdesE_1oEQbTAB0YTDy_RA4zQ/w400-h195/20220119_130309.jpg)
Here's what the front looks like when done with the painting.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp3SAS6OAgHAX7fpIcMCxM-fgxcFqvS_TleYO2GG25gglsrwwiCJ8ARDqKQ37bYUadBnTe74b9uVvFN9mMYtAnMQ_rg-rpv2p8vzzWuElC8YMPxk--nmCcKd_BWvlaNS54Ku6PjhPjAvxNm1tnyPtcZWy2Xfr-6WxgxmlAU-NMQGL6FE4vYxILfICrQ/w400-h195/20220119_130358.jpg)
I repeated the same treatment to each of the outside sections,
allowing each to dry properly before moving on to the next section.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKQxvwW06OVE7YaKEWAtZYxQ2KNeIm94gBQ_YUyjqDZDGAPKY0otLfPJ6oiQ5i_4iBue3wPvRlW-4b4D6foKBe-qvUqCcwvEx1arbufukTaSvyllcJNfY72pB7e85uWl3rqI-07OhT7N52B7DBvqAiQMZ0yZeycdGwnFstZK2aOVKgfYIZPCu5_b1nA/w400-h195/20220119_131206.jpg)
Once I was sure the outside was thoroughly dried, I started working on the inside.
I wanted the inside to look finished. It has 3 pockets on the inside front and back cover.
I didn't want to lose the ability of using those.
I brought the tissue paper and paint combo inside to frame the binders edges for a
framed look. Found an image I liked, printed it out and slid it into the top pocket.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAyZXt2liapuVX0-VF30CNqjMtYhEyURGFxl-pi8RERIOcRLSAXsaQMG8buNUucu3OQ1Q0CM6qX0AcLlZ4OHFpR9KZOo6hh7An7Dl8sajiC-QC2eKCRiVp8ed7ZIPyNhOofIqIiJBzzdGGQ-21fZZeCShqAdYRe-_7xWin0vvTr4_qGnV53ZIyloSqA/w400-h195/20220120_121338.jpg)
Being able to see through the pockets gave me the advantage of cutting the
image where I needed to so I could apply the correct size to cover the top of the pockets.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToKNuhNDsjshhx8qU89obphTpM_Kw_PmakhBKsJHvbp2unM7CspJO6lVhyEQPdHY0vtwVE3TP0D0LRqfIEFZPsK_3V1-WL48y9_fFQqeIeUOhPLOX7Uclm3n4TpiQZOKy-dhnKXBXLaiGQ0RPAR7_YX0lLWXD4X6_eOkKBciBj5RbCzPfOfTEaTRRPA/w400-h195/20220120_121802.jpg)
After cutting the image (I used my craft knife), I removed each piece.
I adhered each image to the top of their correct pocket, making the pockets still useable
with a finished look.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxO1iOzq14MVeA8f8VmeLuhK3uyyLWlTDYittJ1QmaYl7TJZQfpXXafM27j5nU8UqIh2n858IwKZR04q36bLEowkIUErYdNs6hpAHjoLk1FCrjLjVLD2I9VCA_a01kPIimVCCUb_pktTstTjHsG7vmOnr7LezGJtOYba_r3dpnwQbMT6s7GtAwlo4pg/w400-h195/20220120_123745.jpg)
After a thorough drying time I made sure the pockets worked as anticipated.
And they did.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7CprSuk-rC_CWEkaWULcaumY_6CwQwEkH8oh3TDsNUt0AHdr6sT_I5Huug0kXkW-h6rq6SmDilpPgWELngOchZ3oPrLXb9FsMbnxSE8nxNLw8k8bouEMbp4SVLjEFCHcdg60C4CRd45JghSSHKmhiaWclI54ECT54rzKxZWTEEVRiTx0MC5zVkEPSw/w400-h195/20220120_123759.jpg)
I repeated the same process to the other side,
continued the theme down the inside of the "binding"
and added some small images to the narrow part of the "binding".
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtZx15hRdl-5Dw9ovncaBfngM3s0VKTccmKQmf4QcVn0TBlpVq6pb2LOHwO4XLILK_Eec-WisoTUUgojzFkiEitO-SOzNkEYCyUlvmfGcwMJmsn2ep68dTrxdVmvxw8MFP49e8q1oXwyWUeNlocUA2Z_fd5aTDicDw6j8-ObWAdAUUkleB4i_K3KQ6g/w400-h195/20220120_135352.jpg)
I happened to find a small bit of black trim and
decided to add along the inside bottom.
Thought it looked cute and I used that small piece of trim
I had been hanging onto forever!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-E20WB-pf8LFg1kLeLtQFD11cfB6QlwiSm4Jh168BcCo0TeLQJOmHyNGcSF5mg13rPMrNr82a-ZmxbyT61zrSmBBTpCeb0eHczmWcGlNJ0yF4TH44GNnn_K-2hJVhQZf0sjf8lCjcnVLu5BSogO32mVI0Xy7iqtq0LGnKIUgmjOJSBM4NXo3iAwbWQ/w400-h195/20220127_132156.jpg)
Once the inside was completely dry I moved on to embellish the cover.
The fun begins!
I mixed some Mod Podge with a little bit of brown craft paint.
I used this tinted Mod Podge to adhere cheesecloth to the outside cover.
I stretched the cheesecloth until it kind of looked like netting.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIbWh01vCk-WYkGgIIX8U5X8MKJHpXJm2Y8zTcMhnAqOU5CARnvWT-j7y7IAuFgUqb075ndOSvAEo0E0BTMEQ2vv5qto6sUMXQUaEAROfIYoMt2ji4NbEmCpRZwp_K5gzz5dPywzP7vK4VH1lyLmFyAuRFD_Gr3xKAVzWO9Jmi2zGhSgXrMbAzu3WpQ/w400-h195/20220123_154313.jpg)
I let it reach beyond the edge of the binder and once it was dry,
I just trimmed it to fit with scissors.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ4PU2PgzL32Hcy4rGgxzhmqQP-XtTYvGsmqKjP6mZ-sORAbqOPaInZFKThl25Ua9Kpc-_nnvKB-EekXbCjt0HxF1eCb3rUCSEubdNo63LqIVFPXyQzUKXiGNid0V5GVe_Xvv9GSyYKIcWMs9UZ9ykA-FkUv63OfqOi0QvCOEDtFm2Quzgcg4kYjQog/w400-h195/20220123_154332.jpg)
I found a piece of black ribbon with gold stars and added it to the "binding".
A perfect fit, yay another remnant gone!
I took brads I found and cut off the prongs.
I adhered the tops along the ribbon to make them resemble
rivets or something to that effect.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNJOTKaCZxt7Ys73sJzImFqwAJWKohaqsaChSLGOneL2_SeoqVPLcMtCJeSnCdo_26JCRoe_su5cemxeNdGd5fvNSLJ5qaNJUciYq9QbMgb-AL4m_pAmxU8oEpxbvrYxyP3x6F7GUl3sJGgIT1WjjMnP0-7FExQ28o7mEkgDYw_t6kDZt2gu88O_BDA/w400-h195/20220126_142237.jpg)
I added some swirly die cuts to look like "hinges"
and a few images that I had to the front.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GXfvB6ywxVopMCVLUbQs8pKdo9qlu32VKnF1gWybAB9vJ0tUFb9888NWC9dV1btfpGfR6swpbMpdjaHa6VMPvp9bVyu-jnXd-EzLG0cL3gPKfGo_OLHee6JQ_BPfTg9wdsQBcXy4a6MWQtzQBlYXytP3W-0EIJGxeB_31p8Y5cBsubSb4OrXlU8nzQ/w400-h195/20220126_142259.jpg)
I added clay trim, that I painted black, and a piece of burlap
at the bottom, then topped with old keys.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Jfl4Yh_Pie9TpbeVya73hKzeu_sp2hORCjN2dnrS_WbT_PUHA3X3AuRCm7R1173EY2n_8LqOQcRn2nGhrIrk8fDxZwZXGCM2Z6a2YBY7xr2dcPvo0XO9RcDEWSGuYPfLrM7m_J7t5Cjxme6kYnY7LONI8_PeGhBSVj84bqSIxfYF6QDSBZbvusuT0g/w400-h195/20220127_131742.jpg)
It took me about a month to finish this -
a lot of the time was in the drying, and I only was able to
work on it when I had the time. Which was few and far between.
I'm sure it would go faster when a person had ample time to
work on it regularly.
Here is the finished product along with another I made.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnsVr-uSAXp1O3kwWYDD6tad60wtZi7fKEQ_fAPnQk_t1Amk0ceIgpV-oZplfXr9ZPKCTct44DQ5R-Yix3Je4_VsZhsOowa2gD20PHEZHBYsWSF5C8c8OhkBZknC6bGNdd_mdq4iizmmu7jKBj--qe4mvmon6W0hMdIamMvQh1LXmnDu9WtIjAQMawg/w400-h195/20220127_131934.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKHftbVitIWC4GS_ON6vBCT-fHH40Db1sgOwyFdifKyvS3xg8esXVv97j5cFhED8wMDkvCtnV9ZFmM7dgezpQJGp8E-P7Q6Y__MO-i6vEQEXCB1SDmY3FN3jTxd7JW9QSKsHOm5U9aNzYYe7LkjnFNodQKUjaChrWgCHo_v_L465WAFTz-xLX0o37Sg/w400-h396/20220127.jpg)
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