Notebook Cover Decoration

Sometimes a simple notebook just needs a little personality. I wanted to add elegance, texture, and a handcrafted feel to one of my notebooks, turning an everyday object into something special and unique. Using very simple materials and layered textures, this project transforms a plain cover into a decorative, sculptural surface with depth and character. It’s a relaxing process, easy to customize, and perfect for experimenting with textures and finishes.

1. Notebook with a rigid cover
2. Plastic wrap or plastic sheet (to protect the pages)
3. Masking tape
4. White glue
5. Water
6. Toilet paper
7. Cold porcelain / air-dry porcelain clay (porcelanicron)
8. Wooden stick or toothpicks
9. Black acrylic paint
10. Gold acrylic paint
11. Paintbrushes
12. Clear varnish or lacquer

The first thing I did was lift the notebook cover and place plastic wrap underneath, covering the pages and the back of the notebook. This protects the pages while working on and painting the cover. I also added masking tape along the spine to protect it from glue and paint.

I mixed white glue with water in approximately equal amounts. I applied a first layer of this mixture onto the notebook cover and immediately started placing pieces of toilet paper on top. Along the edges, I let the paper extend slightly (about 2–3 mm) so I could later fold it inward, ensuring the edges were also fully covered.

I added smaller pieces of toilet paper with irregular edges to make the surface more uneven. This helps create a more organic and textured base layer.

Using longer strips of toilet paper, I began making small rolls. These were shaped while the paper was dry, and once I liked the form, I applied the glue-and-water mixture to them and positioned them on the cover, shaping them directly on the surface.

I repeated this same process with several rolls to create multiple spiral shapes across the notebook cover.

Next, I used cold porcelain to create flowers. First, I formed a teardrop shape with a small amount of material and flattened it slightly. I then joined five of these pieces together to form the petals of a flower. I applied some of the glue-and-water mixture to the area where the flower would go and placed it on the cover.

Using a wooden stick, I added texture lines to the petals. Then, with a small amount of porcelain, I made a tiny ball, pressed it into the center of the flower, and used a toothpick to add many small dots for texture in the center.

Following the same process, I created two more flowers. After that, I made many small balls of cold porcelain and distributed them across different areas of the cover for added detail.

I let everything dry completely. In my case, this took about two days.

Once everything was dry, I opened the cover again and applied masking tape along the inner edges. Since the next step is painting, this helps prevent paint from staining the inside of the notebook.

I painted the entire cover with black acrylic paint, being especially careful around the edges—both the edges of the cover and the raised relief elements we created.

With a nearly dry brush, I painted over the surface using gold acrylic paint. This dry-brushing technique enhances the texture, creating depth and an aged, elegant effect.

I let it dry completely and then applied a clear varnish to protect the finish.

For the back, I repeated the first steps of this instructable, this time without creating raised figures.

And when painting with black and gold, I also included the spine.

I hope you enjoyed this project and that it inspires you to create your own personalized notebook covers.

Happy making!