Cookbook Scrapbook

When working full time, I needed to make folders for presentation purposes, to show clients what I could do for them.

One day the thought came to me that I could easily use the same concept for a recipe binder.
I have many recipes, some typed, some recipes hand written on index cards or scraps of paper and even recipes torn out of magazines. Retyping all of them as word documents on 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper and putting them in a binder will make it much easier to read and find!


The concept is quite basic, easy and fun to do.

What you'll need:

• A three ring binder
• Clear sheet protectors
• Clear sheet protectors with tabs
• Scrapbooking paper, magazine pages or color paper
• Scissors and a glue stick
• Recipes

Clear Sheet Protectors, these from Staples

First decide how you wish to divide the recipes, into what categories.

Here are the categories I use, but you can make whichever ones work best for you.

 

• Breakfast
• Breads
• Cookies
• Desserts
• Appetizers
• Soups and Stews
• Side Dishes
• Main Course
• Canning – Crafts
• Misc (drinks, charts, measurements, etc.)

Headings or Categories

I use a clear protector sheet with tabs for each category, and I make a cover sheet for each category.

I have many recipes stored in my computer, in word document form.
The 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper fits perfectly into the clear sheet protectors.

Creating the book cover page

You can just print your recipe on white or color paper and insert into the sheet protectors. You can then use images cut from magazines or printed from the web to decorate.

Creating the book cover page

To mount the recipe on scrapbooking paper: 

First, type the recipe into a word doc, condense the recipe, highlight it, click format, add a box around the recipe, and then print. 

Cookbook cover page

Once printed, cut the recipe out along the edges of the printed box outline.

Next use a glue stick and secure the recipe to scrapbooking paper. 


Old magazines pages work great too! Just rip out pages you wish to use as a background, trim any rough edges, then glue the recipe to it. 

Recipe mounted on magazine page



Beautiful pages from magazines for mounting recipes

What's great about the page protectors?  I can remove the recipe from the book, use it while cooking and all the while it's protected from spills and dirty hands.  I can also pull the recipe out and make corrections to suit our tastes.

Great gift idea
I have copied my entire recipe book and given out as gifts to my daughters and niece.  It also makes a wonderful Christmas or wedding gift when filled with old treasured recipes from family and loved ones.
Just know in advance, depending on how big the cookbook becomes, it can get expensive to copy all the pages in color!!

My category cover sheets all have chefs as the theme.
For my daughter living in Texas, who misses her home state, I used Ohio as the theme for the cover sheets on each category.
For another daughter's book, I used butterflies and an oriental theme.

Party idea:  This could be a fun project to do at a scrapbooking party, with everyone sharing recipes, or a craft at a family reunion.

I've seen family members now using the concept in their own business, to organize contracts, clients and other necessary information in a binder. 

Just the other day my son Daniel asked, if in my Will, he and his future wife could have not a copy, but the original cookbook scrapbook, with all the corrections and ingredient additions hand written on the recipes. Warms my heart.

Elizabeth


Other Posts:

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Hand Crafted Easter Cards

What is Scrapbooking

Create a Word Doc