The utterly wonderful Ann, a DIY Bride, has graciously shared her lovely DIY guest book project with us. Originally inspired by a Martha project, Ann has developed a simplified version that costs about $8.00 to make.

Directions after the jump.

1. Take a blank sketch book, hard-bound. Make sure you “crack the spine” of the book by opening it all the way and bending the spine back a little so it will sit open nicely on a guest book table.
2. I glued a place-marker ribbon onto the spine that can be moved throughout the sketchbook.
3. Glue on thin felt batting. When you glue, cut out rectangles in the middle that will sit where the spine is. Be strategic with the glue only adding a line to the spine, then the inside covers, stretching the material. This will insure the book can open unrestricted.
4. When gluing the inside covers, pull the long end first so it is taught and can close. Then I mitered the fabric corners to keep from too much fabric building up which would restrict the closing of the book.
5. I used the same process to glue down the seersucker on top of the batting
6. I glued the wider ribbon to tie the book shut.
7. Using scrapbook craft paper or wrapping paper, I cut rectangles to hide the glued fabric on the inside cover. I just glued that into place and the total project took me about 25 minutes!