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Building a Butterfly Book….One Oops at a Time

Video creating a fun layered butterfly book for journaling from a stencilEver since I saw Maria McGuire’s Butterfly and Butterfly Duo stencils I wanted to make a book out of them.  Well, I finally did it!  And along the way…made a few Oopsies but one totally pushed me to use a tool in my studio that I try to avoid at all costs!  You can see in the video what happened and how wonderful an Oops can be!

Watch Building a Butterfly Book on YouTube.

Video creating a fun layered butterfly book for journaling from a stencil

To create the covers for each section of the book, stencil the butterflies on any colorful paper you have. Next, cut them out.  I didn’t cut them very carefully and I certainly wasn’t going to cut out the antennae…hope the butterflies forgive me.

Video creating a fun layered butterfly book for journaling from a stencil

I created the inside pages out of a fun pad of paper from the office supply store.  Any paper will work to do this so use whatever you have around from notebook paper to plain paper or patterned paper!

Video creating a fun layered butterfly book for journaling from a stencil

I pulled out the sewing machine to attach the butterflies together.  I’m not a knowledgable seamstress in any way but I can do a quick line of stitches.  You can tell in the video that I am not one with my sewing machine because it took me a moment to find the reverse button.  The good thing is for this, I don’t have to be a master of it…I just needed a straight line.  Actually, the straight line didn’t even need to be straight!

Video creating a fun layered butterfly book for journaling from a stencil

The finished book, which thanks to the Oopsies  led to the bonus pop of color inside.  I love that the wings and papers pop up adding a fluttering feeling to it all!

Video creating a fun layered butterfly book for journaling from a stencil

Here are the supplies I used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you are helping me keep this blog and my videos ad free! Thank you- I don’t like ads any more than you do!


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  • Consie @ Atop Serenity Hill December 4, 2015, 7:51 am

    This is so freaking adorable! I have to look at my stencils to see what I have that can create a similar book. Just love it!

  • Corrine December 4, 2015, 10:36 am

    Love it. Can so tell Maria’s work right away, so different from your stencils, which I also love. Great project. xox

  • HelenRae Tarantino December 4, 2015, 11:43 am

    I may just have to do this! I have that stencil and I love butterflies! Beautiful!

  • Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith December 4, 2015, 5:45 pm

    I kinda figured that the dreaded tool was going to be the ruler, LOL! Those are beautiful stencilled butterflies and you made a gorgeous book with them!

  • Denise spillane December 4, 2015, 11:34 pm

    Loved this.

  • Kristen Ursin-Smith December 5, 2015, 5:54 pm

    What a great project and one I’d like to make for my girlfriends 6 year old daughter for Christmas!! She loves butterflies 🙂
    I don’t have a sewing machine so is there another way you can suggest I can stitch all the butterflies together? Maybe punch holes and hand stitch them?

    Thank you for this awesome project and I can’t wait to get started!
    Kristen

    • Carolyn Dube December 5, 2015, 7:37 pm

      She’d love a journal like this Kristen! I say hand stitch away..and you can add a little glue between the butterfly covers for extra stability.

  • Mary Beth Shaw December 7, 2015, 9:31 am

    This is so inventive, Carolyn! Just adorable. I could even imagine you making two and somehow affixing them back to back – could be an ornament? Or am I going too far……LOL…….

  • Maria McGuire December 12, 2015, 1:23 am

    Saw it when you were making it and loved it then….now to see it in this video and photos…let’s just say I’m smiling 🙂 🙂

  • Beth Figiel December 15, 2015, 7:16 am

    This is so cool! Thinking of all the different ways to use this butterfly. Decorate a present or use as a springtime ornament, oooohhh make into wearable art. Be the present. L?VE THIS!