Monday, September 15, 2008

Recipe Tag Books: A Tutorial!

One of my favorite things to make for gifts is a recipe tag book.

You can include family recipes in categories or in a single category (like desserts). Or, you can use the same idea to make a booklet with household hints, drinks, family memories, favorite quotes, baby tips, or other good wishes.

I am lucky to have a good group of friends who gathers together for dinner periodically. For this week's gathering I said I'd bring the party favors!


Everyone was asked to submit a recipe and then I put together little booklets.

Here's how:

Supplies: largest-sized shipping tags (office supply)
papers
inks
glue stick
Golden regular gel (or strong glue)
ephemera (try images from The Vintage Workshop! They're great!)
embellishments
binder rings
ribbon or yarn
beads (optional)
Optional: Cuttlebug desktop embosser

Working with the Recipes

1. Collect recipes (shorter recipes work best).
2. Type recipes in 3-column, 8 pt. (you may need to modify, based on font; 8 pt. works for arial)
3. Print copies.
4. Separate recipes (I often tear, but doing this decided I like deckle-edge scissors just as well)


Prep tags (one tag per recipe, plus cover and dividers, if needed)

1. (Optional step) -- Use Cuttlebug to emboss (for a great post by Beth L. on this, click here.)
2. Color tag -- in this example, I brushed a pad across the embossing.
For the covers, I did ink-to-paper technique.

Glue and Creativity Time!

1. Attach recipes to all cards with glue stick.


2. Decorate divider tags and color using ephemera, papers, stickers, embellishments. For heavier pieces, use Golden gel or a stronger glue.


This is my master book, which has about 36 recipes.

In these examples, from my master book, I used a combination of techniques -- here's the cover, with ephemera and papers and a few stickers.
Here are a couple of the dividers.

For the party books, I wanted them to look similar but not identical.

I tied together the look with kitchen images from The Vintage Workshop (I love these folks!) and a kitchen-like scrapbook paper. For these, I did covers only.

Attach with binder rings and add ribbons or yarn.

These make great party favors for lots of occasions. They are time consuming, even if you get on the assembly line. Producing eight six-page (plus cover) booklets took about four hours, and that was using the Cuttlebug which was quicker than ink-to-paper for that many tags. My master book has 38 recipes, cover, and dividers for "dedication" page, dinner, salads, parties, and desserts.

23 comments:

anno said...

These are enchanting -- what a great idea! I've never heard of a project that uses ephemera before (had to look it up!). And now that I know about a Cuttlebug, I suspect I'll be looking for any chance I might have to say its name -- great word. Thanks for posting these pictures!

Annie Jeffries said...

What an excellent idea. I have lots of my departed mom's recipes and with some modification of your tutorial, could make a book for my brother and sister who would really appreciate having them. Thanks so much for the tutorial.

Beth said...

Ok,,I Love the recipe tag books,,so cute. But when did you post this? I checked your blog yesterday and today and it had fridays post on it, now today there is a Monday post. I am wondering if my blog is acting up. I e-mailed you today cause I was worried about you. Hope all is well.
xoxooxoxoxoxo

Judy Winter said...

And I was lucky enough to be the recipient of one of these lovely creations, one part of a great evening celebrating cool woman and enduring friendship! Thanks, JC! Your creative talents are endless.

xo
Judy

BONNIE K said...

This is the first comment I've made as a "blogger" - see, I'm very, very gradually getting the hang of this. These are very cute. I think you should retire and become the next Martha Stewart of the world.

Beth Leintz said...

What a cute idea- a personal gift that's pretty easy to make. Don't you just love the Cuttlebug?

I thought I recognized the Vintage Workshop images- I'm headed over there on Fri to check out some new kitchen and sewing images.

JessInFocus said...

Oh Jeanie! I love it! I have been racking my brain for an inexpensive gift from some friends. This would be perfect.

JessInFocus said...

I'm sure he knows it. At one point he worked at Tree Tops (golf course) in Gaylord.

Now I have "It's a small world" running through my head. :)

Laura said...

oh wow!!!! Those tags are simply gorgeous!!! and that image of the lady in the kitchen on the bottomost picture??? I have the cookbook that the image is on the cover on. Well, I did have it until my Mom stole it from me!!!

Also, you are making me want a cuttlebug now!! The embossing on those tags is delish!!!

Great idea, recipe tag books!!! I love tags of any kind!!!!

Thanks for stopping by; I am so glad you liked Friday Night Knitting! I highly recommend The View from Mount Joy which is in the same vein. And especially one of my all-time favorites by that author, Lorna Landvik, Patty Jane's House of Curl!!!!!!

The cats are really doing well throughout the remodel. We have them in our bedroom with food and litter box during the day and they seem completely well-adjusted when I get home. Can't wait until this is all done though. Of course, they uncovered some more costly problems!!! If it isn't one thing it is another!!!

Have a great night!

Mary Bee said...

Hi Jeanie: What a great way to treat recipies. I spent a long tim scrolling down &catching up.

Yes, I'm having so much fun with my "Do You Remember" blog. When I closed down my old blog I forgot to grab everyones links first & so lost touch with many. But I am slowly running across old friends, one by one.

jet1960 said...

Thanks for sharing the tutorial for these. Yours are very pretty. What a great idea!

Anonymous said...

Jeanie, you have to do a book. Of creating your art. I love this entry. These are wonderful.

Better yet, just come over for dinner. We'll prepare a grand meal ... and you can bring the favors!!!

(what is it with Fall that some of us got so busy and are longing to do some art crafts ... this Saturday, I'm working on my stationery project. And that's that.)

KRCampbellArt said...

What a great idea! And yours are beautiful. I'm going to try one.
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

oh great tutorial jeannie!! i don't have a cuttle bug but i do have the cricket which does similar things. so.... this makes for a great gift doesn't it?
hmm...holidays...presents....craft room clean-up.
my room is a mess! i better go back to an older 'tutorial' you gave on organizing :)
XOX

Susie Q said...

These are so pretty! You have so much talent for this!
Love,
Sue

Joanne Huffman said...

What a great idea for gifts!

Joanne

paris parfait said...

What a great idea! These are adorable! xo

Rosa said...

This is the best idea ever! EVER!! What a wonderful way to mix art with practicality. Geesh, I wish we were next door neighbors!!!

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