One Page Book with Pockets with Kirsten Varga

Hello! Kirsten here back with another bookmaking adventure! This month I am making a cute little book with pockets from one piece of paper and no sewing! Follow along with my step by step photo tutorial!

My one piece of paper is a sheet of lightweight mixed media paper that is 12"x18". I used my favorite brayer to apply black paint to one side and a blend of pink and purple to the other.

I chose the StencilGirl® Wildflowers Botanical Mask (L910) stencil and paints 

in shades of red and iridescent white to layer onto the black side of the paper.

I am very happy with the texture and depth of color that was achieved! 

Make sure the paint has dried completely before you move on to the next step.

Fold the paper in half along the long edge with the pattern on the outside.

Rotate the paper so the fold is at the top and then fold up the bottom edge to form the "pocket".

Flip over and repeat. You now have a "pocket" on the front and back.

Unfold the paper (not the pockets) and place it pattern side down. Fold a short side over about 3/4".

With that little edge still folded over fold the entire sheet in half 

with the pattern and pockets on the outside.

Our goal is to accordion fold the paper so the next step is to fold the top layer down to the bottom fold.

Then flip it over and fold the top (with that little folded edge) down to the bottom.

Below is what the result should be. An accordion folded paper with a little folded edge on the right.

Carefully flatten the paper patterned side up (with the pockets still folded). Make one cut along 

the middle fold from the top perpendicular fold to the last perpendicular fold.

The result is shown below. 

To form the book, first fold it in half pattern side out and then push in to form a "+" shape.

Flatten it and then glue the little folded edges together.

I also added a small line of glue to the other open flap.

Close the book and see which side works for your cover.

Try different configurations until you find one that works for you!

Now your book is ready to be decorated!

I chose to fill the pockets with handwritten love declarations from books

written by Jane Austen paired with some found photos of couples. To make these I used 

some Kraft cardstock and glitter paint pens along with some classic photo corners.

Happy Creating!

STENCIL USED: 

Wildflowers Botanical Mask - L910

SUPPLIES:

Lightweight Mixed Media Paper 12"x18"

Acrylic paint in black, reds, purples, iridescent white

Brayer

Paintbrush

Bone Folder

Ruler/Craft Knife

Glue

Kraft Cardstock

Glitter paint pens

Find me on Instagram: @kirstenvarga

Make a Fabric Covered Journal Using Stencils

Hello! My name is Martha and I am a mixed media artist obsessed with making journals. So, of course, I decided my first project for the StencilGirl blog would be a journal. I also became quite enchanted with Sarah Gardner's moth parts stencil when I first saw it. I knew I wanted to create a beautiful, colorful moth as the focal image on a journal cover.

For this project, I decided to make a fabric cover. I have some canvas fabric that I tore to the size I wanted. I also cut a piece from a file folder that I will attach to make the cover a little bit sturdier. I planned to paint on the canvas fabric, but before I did that I wanted to make my moth. That will guide my choice of paint colors for the background of the cover.

Instead of painting the moth parts I decided to use colorful papers to try something different. (You could also use fabric for this step.) So I pulled out some colorful papers that I thought might work well together. I used them to trace and cut out the moth parts. After cutting them out, I arranged them the way I wanted, then glued them together.

I changed my selection of papers slightly for the moth wings to come up with a combination I was happy with.

Now that my moth was ready, I picked out some coordinating paint colors to use on the canvas fabric. I use acrylic paint on fabric and it works fine for my purposes. I used a couple more of Sarah's stencils on the background.

 

I also pulled out a couple more stencils in order to vary the shapes and make a colorful background. The stencils I used are listed below.

Happy with my background, it was time to finish assembling my moth and the front cover. I cut a small circle for the head of the moth and found some fabric to which I attached the moth with glue. I also attached a strip of that contrasting fabric to the back of the cover because I thought it tied the whole cover together nicely. After glueing all of these pieces down I did some wonky machine stitching around some of the moth wings, the moth background patch and the strip of fabric on the back cover. It's very colorful and I love it!

Time to finish up the cover. I glued the canvas fabric to the file folder using a strong glue. I planned to do more sewing around the entire cover so the glue is not the only thing holding it together. Not only does the file folder piece provide more stability to the cover, it also hides the stitching on the backside of the fabric if you don't want that to show. I used that same contrasting fabric for the inside of the cover gluing it on with a glue stick since it's a very thin fabric. I then stitched all around the outside of the cover.

NOTE: It's best to wait until your glue is dry before doing any machine stitching to avoid gumming up your sewing machine.

Finally, I sewed in some tea dyed printer paper using a three hole pamphlet stitch and my journal was finished!

I hope you enjoyed this project. I recorded my process if you'd like to watch the video:

Supplies Used:

Moth Parts https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-Moth-Parts-Sarah-Gardner-p/ll1047.htm

Squiggle Doodle https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-Squiggle-Doodle-Sarah-Gardner-p/l969.htm

Doodle Vocab https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-Doodle-Vocab-Sarah-Gardner-p/l970.htm

ATC Mixup Apter https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-ATC-Mixup-Apter-Seth-Apter-p/l664.htm

Intense Half Rings https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-Intense-Half-Rings-Andrew-Borloz-p/s534.htm

Fabric

File folder

Scissors

Glue

Colorful papers

Paint

Sewing machine 

Tea dyed paper

Waxed thread

Book binding needle

Follow me at:

https://www.youtube.com/@madebymartha

https://www.instagram.com/mymixedmediafun/

A Valentine’s Day Box (and a Little Bingo Nostalgia)

💗Hi, I’m Kim Hamburg—a mixed media collage artist who uses stencils constantly in my work and who truly, deeply loves the color pink.

 💗 The February 2026 Three-Corner Bingo stencils immediately pulled me in, not just because of the subject, but because of how abstract and playful they are. The set includes a bingo card, dauber blobs, wooden buttons with Bingo numbers, and other mark-making elements that feel more like texture than illustration—and I love that.

They also took me straight back to my senior year of high school, when I played Bingo nearly every weekend at the Bandwagon Bingo Hall. I’d show up with my daubers and a ten-dollar bill, usually with my sister or a friend, ready for a fun night out. I never won a big prize, but I did win $25 now and then—and once, memorably, a fondue pot. It was simple and joyful, and it turned out to be a pretty great way to get through my senior year.

. 

I decided to make a Valentine's Day Box.  I kept the color palette small: pink, white, black, and red. Limiting my colors helps everything feel more intentional, and it lets the shapes and layers do the work. Pink leads the way here, with black adding contrast and helping the stencil marks really stand out.

Supplies:

February 2026 StencilClub, Three-Corner Bingo by Kristin Peterson

repurposed household box like a shoe box, or cereal box

Acrylic Paint

Paintbrush or spatula

Paper, book pages, scraps of painted paper, collage fodder

adhesive (glue stick, mod podge, PVA glue)

Optional:

Posca markers

Acrylic markers

Black Fine line marker

other ephemera

Start by finding a box around your house and removing any paper or labels so you’re working with a clean surface. This doesn’t need to be precious—just ready for layers.

Next, gather collage fodder that already feels Valentine-appropriate: scraps, bits of text, painted papers, and anything else that catches your eye. I also painted vintage book pages in my chosen colors. Once those dried, they became perfect surfaces for stenciling.

After the painted pages were fully dry, I stenciled over them using black paint. The Bingo designs really shine here—the dauber blobs, numbers, and grid shapes read as marks first and imagery second, which makes them incredibly versatile.

I didn’t aim for perfection. Some prints are bold, others are faint or slightly off, and that variation adds energy. I’m especially drawn to the circles, which repeat beautifully and create movement without feeling literal.

These pages aren’t meant to stay whole—they’re meant to be cut, layered, and partially hidden.

Collaging the Box

Once I had a stack of painted and stenciled papers, I began collaging directly onto the box. You can use almost any adhesive—glue sticks, spray adhesive, or Mod Podge all work well.

I used a diluted PVA glue mixed with a little gloss medium, which gives me time to move things around and dries with a soft sheen. I worked in layers, letting each one dry before adding more papers and stencil elements. That pause between layers helps everything feel intentional instead of rushed.

I kept adding shapes—especially circles—as the box evolved, letting repetition tie everything together.

I used a Posca Pen for adding details. I love adding dots!

Make It Yours

Valentine’s Day boxes are a tradition many of us remember from childhood—made to hold classroom valentines, notes, and small treats exchanged at school. They’re usually created from repurposed household items like shoeboxes or cereal boxes, decorated with whatever supplies are on hand, and meant to be playful rather than perfect. 

This project borrows that familiar idea and gives it a mixed-media, stencil-loving twist.In the end, this Valentine’s Day box can be anything you want it to be. A gift, a keepsake, or a place to hold notes or art supplies. You can add words, marks, or extra layers—or stop when it feels finished to you.

Three-Corner Bingo is only available to StencilClub Members who join by February 15th and will ship on that day.  You get lots of great benefits as a club member, including a coupon for 25% off all regular collection stencils, a project and pdf from the artist and an additional project by me that is for members only.  So don't delay!  

Get more information about StencilClub here! 

I would love to see your work.  Please tag me on Instagram Check out my IG

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