Need suggestion s for a scrapbook cookbook
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17797)
United States
August 7, 2010 3:05pm CST
I am a veteran scrapbooker. However... here is my problem. I want to make a cook book of all my favorite and family recipes for my grand daughters. The cooking and family functions have all fizzled out over the years with the family dispursing so far, and we don't have them anymore, but the food is still fresh in my mind and I want to pass it on to them.
Dilema: I want to do about a 5x7-ish size with page protectors. I want the recipe on one page and the opposing page for comments or a picture. I want something different, unique and even "addable" so that they can add their own in future years.
To save my life, I can't come up with a thing! I have roamed the office supply stores and can't find page protectors for that size. I don't want to go with a "creative memories" style where there is only one place to buy the albums incase I want more or to add more...
Then I thought if I make "pockets" they can add things or I can add personal memories and make it a scrapbook/cookbook.
So, anyone have any suggestions, thoughts or ideas I can use? I have all the recipes and know I only have to do it once then just copy it 3 times and assemble, but I just come to a block when trying to come up with a good "album/book" assembly
Thanks for any thoughts, comments or suggestions. I know I am hard n myself and my own worst critic, but I have to do something to get this done!
6 responses
@buggles64 (2709)
• United States
17 Jan 11
Wow! This is a great idea!! I would just take pics of some of my favorite dishes that I have prepared, and then put them in a photo album, and then journal the recipe. So creative...thanks for the idea!!
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
17 Jan 11
I hope you are more sucessful at making it than I have been! I still haven't started mine! I finally found the perfect size notebook - 8x8, but lost ambition, then just recently got them out and was getting ready to get serious about it..only to find out...the page protectors were split, not a full page as I thought they were!
Then...it suddenly hit me...why am I stressing and demanding page protectors!?!?!? Good grief, all the books i have and some for 30 years or more (got some of my mom's) and NONE of them have page protectors in them. Then thinking of them in the stores...still NO page protectors!! What the heck am I demanding page protectors for if the famous authors aren't?!?!
So, now I go back to 8x8 or 8x10 and I think 8x8 for one recipe per page with a little journaling and just print them out on white (or a pastel) colored card stock and dress up with stickers and be done with it, before the girls (grand daughters) are married an have their own!!!
Keep me updated on your success!
@my52cents (569)
• United States
7 Aug 10
They're all 8 1/2 x 11, but have you looked at the customizable binders at zazzle.com? There are a ton of really good designs or you can design one yourself. Many are customizable so you could add the kids' names. At least it's easy to find page protectors in standard notebook paper size.
Hope the ones at Zazzle inspire you!
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
7 Aug 10
Thanks for that. I looked.. my problem is I am not an online shopper. I have to see what I am buying. I can't hardly tell what it looks like and then they don't show the pages and things like that. And I am terrible with measurements! But I guess if they are 8x11, I could find page protectors that same size in the office spply store...I'll keep zazzle in mind. The covers were really awesome.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
7 Aug 10
You know me...I tend to over analyze things until I don't even know what I want anymore and will end up just getting what I thought about in the first place!
@my52cents (569)
• United States
7 Aug 10
They come empty. You add the pages. I've bought several things from Zazzle and they do really nice work on quality products. And they have a guarantee. Keep them in mind. Hope you find something you really like, wherever!
@Trace86 (5030)
• United States
23 Oct 10
You could make the scrapbooks the size you wanted with all the decorations you want and then take it to a place like Kinko's for laminating and binding. That way, you can let your creative instincts free and let someone else worry about binding it! Maybe go to Kinko's first and get an idea of what they can do for your in regards to the pockets and making the pages waterproof and durable.
Where I work, we did a cookbook a few years ago and it came out nice. It had a few pockets for additional recipes. The pages were just real thick paper though. It cost too much to make them coated for all the copies we wanted to order.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
23 Oct 10
Thanks for the tips. I guess I just need to get the drive to get them started! I have terrible time getting crafts started these days. Kick me, will ya?
@cher913 (25781)
• Canada
15 Oct 10
first of all i have to say what a fab idea. i like the ideas of pockets too. it may sound funny but what about sheets for hockey cards or post cards? (plastic protectors) i hope you will post a pic when you are done. you have made me start to think about doing something like this for my own girls! (you could make it like a country church cookbook where they have not only good recipies for pictures, quotes, etc in them).
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
16 Oct 10
I found the notebooks I wanted...now just need to get the format and the time. I did jot footnotes on the bottom of each recipe page as to why this recipe was special adn that was really nice. And I used cards my kids and husband had given me and cut them to the size for the dividers and that is nice, but I just have to get the format. Making it sound like more than it is, I know, but life seems to be constantly getting in my way! I hope to be able to start it sooN!
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
7 Aug 10
I assume you have been to micheal's and Jo Ann's? I have never seen them around. Try oh my crafts on the web. I love your idea. There are so many times I wish that my mom had left some of her recipies! I did something like that for my daughter. I used a photo album that was 5 x 7.....it sat in a stand and flipped up.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
7 Aug 10
Yeah, I've looked there but found nothing that seemed what I wanted. I made one for my self years ago and just happened to have a 5x8 small 3 ring notebook and used different colors of paper for each "section". I did meats, sides, snacks, breads etc. I made one for my daughter and she still has hers too, but mine has been used so much it is falling apart. And I want to have the page protectors on the new ones so this doesn't happen and I want to be a little more structured about it.
I used cards that my family had given me for various reasons to make the dividers and that is really nice, but other than that, the cookbook looks patethic and is falling apart and not something I want to repeat! My other problem with this size is it is just barely enough space for a recipe on that size. However, I don't want to go 8x10.. to big. So I was hoping for 8x8 at the largest.
I have a picture on my wall that they used chip board and glued the recipe on the chip board and that is really nice, but I have so many recipes.. some from my mom and others from me and have even tossed in a few from my daughter...chip board is just to thick and bulky for what I want, but it sure is intersting the way they used it!
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
7 Aug 10
Hey, that sounds like SUCH a good idea. You can use some of your myLots earnings to buy supplies for this project. Well, coffee, you know me, I would just go with the flow and make the booklet 8 /12 x 11 and then there would be no problem and more room for people to add photos or comments. BUT 
I know how nice your own custom size would be, so good luck in finding a solution you like. For once, I am clueless.
I know how nice your own custom size would be, so good luck in finding a solution you like. For once, I am clueless.@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
10 Aug 10
I will prob have to go with 8x11. I wanted something smaller just for appearance sake and make is a little more unique and not have so much empty space on the pages, but I have a feeling, that is going to be what I am left with. I am going to hit a few office supply stores this week and the scrapbook isle at the craft store again and see.. Other problem is... for a little 5x7 is it $20! I need 3 and should probably do a 4th one as I have another little GD on the way. I've spent $100 and haven't even started yet!
