A Dash of Southern: binder covers

It's the ~~anticipated~~ dreaded time when us Rowan County kids head back to school! To me, if you have to go to school, you might as well make it as colorful as possible. Which is the whole point of this little tutorial.

Mine! the monogrammed one will be used for my Spanish 1/ Visual Arts binder!

Personalized/ monogrammed items are all of Pinterest now-a-days. So I decided I was going to make personalized/monogrammed binder covers, to go into the front pocket. I used Lilly Pulitzer backgrounds for mine, but you can certainly use whatever print you like. I like Lilly prints because they are preppy and girly! Vera Bradley patterns are also fun ones to create these with! A little less preppy than Lilly, but you'll still have a great pattern!

You'll need a photo bucket account before you begin this tutorial- they take only a minute or two to make. You also need a blank white photo saved into your computer. For mine, I opened up the "Paint" programmed on my computer. Then when the default white "canvas" popped up, I just saved it as "white" to my documents and bam, done.

I took the photos for this tutorial using my phone so they are a semi-awkward quality. But the captions underneath will fully summarize what the picture is showing.

Let's Begin!:

Step One...

Go to google and search "Lilly Pulitzer wallpaper" or "Lilly Pulitzer backgrounds"

Step Two...

click on the print you wish to use, right click, and save the image to your photos.

Step Three...

Open up photo bucket and upload the print you saved (wish to use)

Step Four...

once uploaded, open up the photo, and select the "Edit" option.

Step Five...

Under the adjustment tab, select rotate & rotate the photo so it is vertical, like the one pictured above!

Step Six...

Also under the adjustment tab, select the option "Add Image." Then click "Browse" and select the white image you created before we started.

Step Seven:

Now put the white image over the print where you want the label to be... top, bottom, center, etc.

Step Eight:

Now go to the "Text" tab. You can select whichever category of fonts you like. I either use Handwritten or Retro. The others are "Plain Jane." For this one you see, I used 'Jenna Sue' under Handwritten. I wanted to do a monogram style so I did a B first, the biggest (my last name), then did separate R & separate E to go on the sides (my first and last name). Color matching isn't an issue. When you accept your first letter, and go back to do the next, if you'll click on the white block saying "color," the little circle will be at the same place you left it!

Step Nine:

When all your edits are complete, select either the Save & Replace, or Save as copy. Save and Place will replace the original file you uploaded with the one you just created. Save as a copy will keep the original and also save the new creation! Save as copy is the safest route, just incase you want to change the tab later, it saves you from having to repeat the whole process.

Step Ten:

After you have saved your new creation...download it to your computer.

Step Eleven:

Now, navigate to your "Downloads" and open up your creation. Hit the print button. Make sure you are printing this image "Full Page-letter style.."

This is what you've just learned to make!!! Since I am so nice, below you will find the "binder cover" without any text... you are free to save it to your computer and add your own words. I do ask that you link back to my blog, if you use it for any "showing off" in the cyberspace world!