Stitched Recipe Binder

This craft really doesn’t have a specific set of directions, but I thought I would share what I came up with to solve an issue I was having. I’m sure many of you go online and print recipes or save many on Pinterest for later. Whenever I print them though, they always end up unorganized at the bottom of a drawer once I finish using them. If I find a recipe I really like, I want to be able to easily find it again. So I created a fun binder to help organize and solve this problem! The instructions are for the stitched binder, which I gave as a gift to my mom, but I also included photos of the binder I made for myself.

What You’ll Need:
• 1 sheet of felt
• Small amount of plain-colored fabric
• Embroidery floss (many colors)
• Embroidery hoop
• Needle
• Scissor
• Any additional accents (gems, buttons, etc.)
• Binder (with clear view pocket)
• Binder dividers
• (optional) Pinking shears

Directions:
1. First, you will need to choose a pattern or create a design to use for your embroidery. I used a pattern book I had, but it is easy to find an image or doodle one to fit what you like. You may also want to iron the fabric.

2. Take your fabric and cut it to the size you want. I used the sheet of felt to help determine how large I wanted the fabric. I made it about an inch shorter on each side than the felt.

3. Tape your design up on a bright window or light table and trace the pattern onto the fabric. Make sure to leave enough empty space along the edges.

4. Stitch the pattern using your desired embroidery thread colors. I used a back stitch for the entire design.

5. After completing your embroidery, add any accents you want to the fabric. I sewed on a few flowers. Additionally, I also used pinking shears around the edge of the fabric to prevent fraying.

6. Now, attach the fabric to the felt by stitching around the edge. I went about 1/2 inch in. I used a straight stitch.

7. Once the fabric is attached, place the entire piece into the front of the binder.

8. Finally, label the binder dividers how you want to organize (I used breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner, desserts, and appetizers/snacks/drinks), and then place them inside. Whenever you want to keep a recipe, simple hole punch it and put inside the binder!


Here are some photos of the final product: