Decorate Your School Binder

Sick of your ugly, old, ordinary school binder? Can't afford that amazing rainbow binder you have had your eyes on? Don't worry — with a little creativity, you can turn a perfectly plain binder into something that's cooler than anything you can buy in the store. Plus, this new binder will truly be "you!"

Steps

Giving Your Binder a Cover

1. Choose your wrapping material. There are a wide variety of things you can make your cover out of, but perhaps the easiest and most versatile choice is paper. Paper covers are easy to work with, and easy to switch out if your mood and interests change, or if you want a new cover for a new season or holiday. Consider any of the following:
   • Paper grocery bag: This old standby is quick, easy, and usually free. Plus, it's fairly durable. The plainer your bag is, the more you'll be able to add later in terms of drawings and decorations.
   • Wrapping Paper: A little less durable and a little more expensive than thick paper bags, but the patterns and designs can make your binder look quite stylish! Save the remnants after you wrap gifts, and scope out sales on wrapping paper after holidays have passed to snag awesome patterns and designs.
   • Printable cover: Try using a search engine to look for "free printable book/binder covers." You should be able to find a good selection of free templates you can print off at home — be sure to pick a design that's the right size for your binder!
2. Iron the paper or fabric if necessary. While you certainly don't have to, you may like the look of neatly ironed paper or fabric. If you are ironing fabric, simply choose the correct heat setting as indicated on your iron. If you're ironing paper, you'll need to take a couple of extra steps:
   • Begin by lightly misting the wrinkled paper with water from a spray bottle. Place a hand towel on your ironing board, place the paper on top, and then place another hand towel over the dampened paper.
   • On a low-heat setting, iron the paper through the towel, checking every so often to see if the wrinkles are being worked out.
3. Cut the wrapping to the right size. Your wrapping material should extend past the edges of your binder when you open it and lay it down. Aim for at least ½ to 1-inch of overhang. If your material doesn't reach past the edges of your binder, it won't be able to cover it completely.
   • If using a paper grocery bag, cut lengthwise down one of the sides. Cut the bottom off and spread the paper flat. This will give you a single flat sheet of paper to use.
   • If using wrapping paper or fabric, simply roll out a length of paper (or lay out the fabric), set your binder on it cover-side down, then cut when you have enough material.
4. Cut a center strip if needed. Depending upon where the rings are positioned in your binder, one side of the binder may be wider when it's open and flat (usually the left side). If you want a clean, finished look when you open your binder, you may want the center strip to be covered with paper or fabric, too.
   • Measure the length and width of this center strip, and then cut a piece of your wrapping material to fit. This piece should fit exactly, with no overhang.
5. Apply the center strip. If you have cut a center strip of paper or fabric, apply it to the inside of your binder, with either tape or glue.
   • If you're using fabric, consider spraying the back of the fabric strip with spray adhesive, and then firmly press the fabric in place.
6. Fold the long edges of the wrapping. Next, place your open binder, outside facing down, on the paper with the longer sides pointing to the left and right. If you are using wrapping paper or something with a design on it, make sure that the “front” of the paper is down facing the table.
   • Fold the top and bottom edges of the paper over the binder and lightly crease to mark to the fold. Remove the binder and crease the folds firmly in place.
   • Note that you won't necessarily be able to get a crease in non-paper materials like fabric. You can feel free to skip the creasing step with fabric if you like.
7. Fold the short edges of the wrapping paper. Place your binder back on the paper, lining it up with the creases you just made. Now, fold the paper over the short edges of the binder and make creases just like before.
   • You may need to deal with the front and back creases of your binder one-at-a-time here — it can be tricky to keep both folded at the same time.
8. Place the cover on the binder. Now, simply fold the long edges of the paper around your binder, followed by the short edges. Your binder should now have a cover that fits it snugly but not so tightly that it can't open and close easily. All you need to do is secure your cover in place so that it doesn't fall off.
   • If using paper, tape usually works perfectly well. When removing tape, be careful not to tear the material of your binder.
9. Spray fabric covers with adhesive and fold onto your binder. If you're using a fabric cover and weren't able to get a tight crease, no need to worry! Simply spray the backside of the fabric with adhesive, and place the open binder on it.
   • Begin by folding the top and bottom edges over, and then fold in the side edges. It usually works best to begin at the center of the binder near the rings and work your way out.
   • Apply more adhesive as necessary.
10. Finish the insides of your binder. Cut two pieces of cardstock for the inside covers of the binder. Spray with adhesive (or line the edges with glue), and firmly place over the edges that you've wrapped around from the front.
    • This will create a nice clean look when you open your binder.
11. Decide if you want to add more decorations to your wrapping. Congratulations — you've just covered your binder. However, you don't necessarily have to stop here — you've now got a blank canvas to work with! See the suggestions below for decoration ideas.

Creating Binder Art

1. Draw doodles on your wrapped binder. Binders offer great opportunities to express yourself artistically, especially if you've covered your binder in paper or fabric that's easy to draw on. Consider simply using your binder as a doodling surface — whenever you get bored, simply add a new sketch or design to it. This way, your binder will gradually get more detailed and unique over time.
   • Sharpie markers will draw on nearly any surface (even the slick plastic of a binder) and come in a variety of colors.
   • If drawing on paper, nearly any pen or marker will work.
   • If you covered your binder in fabric, try fabric pens or markers.
2. Draw sketches on your binder cover. If you're not content with the simple, messy look of a doodled binder cover, spend a little more time making a deliberate, detailed drawing or sketch. This will take a little more skill and effort, but the results can be quite impressive. You can pick anything for your drawing, from a simple still-life scene (like a single object) to a detailed landscape — it just depends how much time you'd like to spend on your project!
   • If you choose a neutral colored paper in a mid-range grey or brown, you may be able to create more nuanced shading and shadow-effects. Use graphite and/or charcoal pencils for mid to dark lines, and you can use a white colored pencil for highlights.
   • Once you're done with your sketch, you may want to protect it by carefully covering it with see-through tape. You can also use a protective spray (which are usually available at art supply stores and sold as "workable matte" or "workable fixatif").
3. Paint your binder cover. Painting takes a little more deliberate effort than drawing or doodling, but the colorful results can be amazing (especially if you're willing to take your time.) However, if you want to avoid the paint leaking through your cover to your binder, strongly consider taking the cover off first and painting it over a protective surface, like newspaper.
   • Most basic acrylic and watercolor paints should work well on paper covers.
   • Fabric, on the other hand, may require special fabric paints or even puff paints. Check your paint's label before using it to make sure it's suitable for use on fabric.
   • For best results, your fabric should be a tight weave, so that the paint doesn't bleed through. Cotton is an excellent choice, though you can experiment with other tight-weave fabrics like rayon or silk.
4. Use stencils to create awesome designs. Don't have the time to make your own drawing or painting freehand? Just use a stencil! Stencils make it easy to add good-looking designs to your binder cover in just a few seconds. You can trace the outlines of stencils or fill them in — it's up to you.
   • If you're using paint, tape your stencil down so that it's tight against your binder cover before you start. Apply your paint sparingly. If your stencil isn't tight or you use too much paint, paint can leak under the edges and leave you with a messy design.
   • You can Make a Stencil, too — just print pictures and carefully cut around the edges with a pair of scissors or craft knife.
5. Create artistic labels for your binders. Are you using your binder for school or work? If so, you may want to label it so that you remember what's supposed to go in it, but you of course want the label to look awesome.
   • For example, draw “Chemistry” in bold, fun lettering across the front of your binder cover, but consider adding a beaker with colorful chemicals in it as well. Be as creative as you wish here — as long as you can keep your binders straight, there's no such thing as a "wrong" label!

Making a Collage

1. Choose your collage images. Making a collage is easy and fun! To start, gather a big collection of pictures to use. Exactly which pictures you use is up to you, but here are a few ideas to get you thinking:
   • You could use pictures of your friends, family or pets. Make sure you have permission before cutting up old family photos.
   • You could cut images from your favorite magazines, such as pictures of celebrities, athletes, or fun fashions.
   • You could use newspaper headlines.
   • You could use old comic or "funny page" clippings.
   • You could use interesting postcards or stamps from places you've visited or would like to visit.
   • You could use individual letters to spell words and phrases ("ransom note" style).
2. Crop the images. Cut each picture you're using into a size and shape that will allow everything to fit together more or less like a jigsaw. Your pictures can overlap somewhat — this is perfectly fine (and if you don't want any of the surface underneath to show through, it's something you should shoot for.)
   • Set your pictures down where you want them to go, but don't stick them down yet. Feel free to try different layouts and designs. Once you start securing your pictures, it will be trickier to make any adjustments.
3. Secure the images. Once you know where you want everything placed, begin to stick each piece down. A small dab of school glue or a rub from a glue stick usually works well.
   • You can glue the images to your paper-covered binder or, if you don't mind ruining your binder, directly to the binder itself. Test the first couple of pieces to make sure the glue you are using holds firm.
   • On the other hand, if your binder has clear plastic sleeves on the outside, you can just glue your collage to a piece of paper and slide it into the sleeve.
4. Cover or seal the collage. Collages can look great, but since they're made of so many tiny pieces, they're vulnerable to having pieces tear and fall off. Luckily, there are a few ways to protect collages:
   • You can seal your collage with it with a paint-on fixative (Mod podge is a popular product that dries clearly).
   • You can also find spray-on fixatives and sealants (Krylon Crystal Clear is a product to try).
   • If you don't have these products, you can try carefully covering the entire collage with clear packing tape, pressing each piece smooth to avoid wrinkles.

Getting Creative

1. Use negative space designs. So you're not content with the basic ideas above? In this section, we'll discuss some more "out-there" ideas for covering your binder. For example, if your binder and the cover are different colors, consider using a negative space design for a striking effect.
   • Negative space is the area that surrounds an object. Playing with both negative and positive space in your picture will help bring balance and interest to your design.
   • To create a negative space design, take a blank cover and cut shapes, letters, pictures, and so on into it — the binder underneath will show through and appear to give these shapes their own color.
   • If you're worried about the holes in your cover allowing your binder to wear, cover them with clear packing tape. You'll still get the negative space effect, but your binder will be well-protected.
2. Make a metallic gum wrapper cover. Ever notice how chewing gum usually comes in a shiny foil wrapper? If you have a lot of these wrappers lying around, you can use them to give your binder a cool metallic sheen. Gently flatten the gum wrappers and stick them to your binder cover (or the binder itself) with a small amount of glue. Repeat until the whole surface is covered. Voila—a metallic binder.
   • If you're having a hard time getting the wrappers perfectly smooth, try rubbing them with a coin or the front of your fingernail to smooth them out.
   • You can also use clear packing tape here as well to put a clear protective layer over your wrappers.
3. Use old calendar photos for big, gorgeous images. Don't throw away your calendars after the year is over — instead, use the photos or artwork inside as a cover.
   • Simply cut the picture out, lay it on your binder, trim the edges to fit if necessary, and cover it with clear packing tape to secure it.
4. Make duct tape patterns. This thick, durable tape is great for protecting your binder and can give it a semi-metallic sheen. You can also find a wide array of color selections. If you don't want to stick the tape directly to your binder, try making a "sheet" of tape by sticking two layers of tape so that their sticky sides face each other.
   • Making basic designs like checkerboards and stripes is fairly simple and will definitely liven up your binder.
   • On the other hand, you can also make more complex designs with the "negative space" approach. Cover your binder with one color, then lay a second (different-colored) layer on top of this. Carefully cut shapes from the top layer with a craft knife and peel them off to make a negative space design.
5. Add your favorite quotes. Give your binder a dash of humor or inspiration by recreating your favorite quotes on the cover. For instance, try typing your favorite speech excerpts, song lyrics, or poems on the computer.
   • Be sure to pick an attractive font, print out the quote, and then affix it to your binder with clear packing tape.
   • You can also try your hand at calligraphy.
6. Give your binder an aged look. For something a little out-of-the-box, you can try “aging” a paper cover by soaking it in tea. This can make it look like your binder is an old-fashioned book or tome!
   • See our wikiHow on how to age paper using tea for detailed instructions.
7. Bedazzle your binder. Even if your binder contains boring history or math homework, it doesn't mean that the outside of it can't be fun and fabulous.
   • Glue on rhinestones or sequins for a binder that sparkles.
8. Make a collaborative cover with your friends. You don't necessarily have to make your binder cover all by yourself. One fun idea is to give your binder a plain white cover and have each of your friends add something different to it (like a doodle, sticker, funny saying, etc.)
   • This way, when you get your binder back, you'll have something amusing on it to remind you of each friend! Plus, your binder cover will become a cherished keepsake that you'll enjoy looking at years down the road.

Warnings

• If you're thinking of adding something "edgy" to your binder cover, check the rules at your school or workplace first. Don't put anything on your cover that isn't considered appropriate; you may get in trouble for it.
• Be careful when using Sharpies or other permanent markers. If you're not careful, they can stain your clothing or work surface. Nail polish remover can often help remove permanent marker stains (especially on smooth surfaces.)

Related Articles

• Organize Your Notebook
• Personalize Your Locker
• Wrap a Locker
• Decorate Your School Locker on a Budget
• Decorate a Schoolbag
• Make an Inspirational Collage
• Decorate a Blank Wristband
• Make Your Binder Girly
• Duct Tape Your Binder
• Make an Instant Pocket Notebook
• Make a Notebook Cover Using Your Computer

Sources and Citations

See also

• Organize Your Binder for School
• Keep Your Binder Clean and Organized
• Create a Paper Bag Book Cover
• Make a Cover Page for a Notebook
• Organize Your Middle School Binder
• Make a Duct Tape Book Cover
• Decorate Your Notebook
• Cover a Textbook

What links here

• Customize a Teen Backpack
• Decorate a Classroom
• Decorate a Girl's Diary or Notebook
• Insert a Label Into a Binder Spine
• Keep a Dream Journal
• Organize Your School Supplies
• Personalize Your Locker