Who knew retro recipe books could be so cheeky, fun, and bold?

Hi, it’s Betsy Skagen here with you today.
I had lots of fun creating a cheeky recipe book for all those Millennials known to eat out every night. Filled with retro graphics, the cookbook offers tongue-in-cheek advice to a generation known for subsisting on restaurant and take-out food.

Betsy shared with us how you can make a similar book for the Millennials in your life.

Tutorial to make a retro recipe book for the Millennial generation

To make this book, you will need the Eileen Hull Journal Die by Sizzix or a similar die. Begin by die cutting the front and back cover from 6″ x 13″ light mat board.

Repeat by cutting the same pieces from Canvas Corp Green & Ivory Lattice Paper and Canvas Corp Grunge Check Ivory & Green Paper. Set aside these papers.

Apply strong score tape to the center spine of one of the covers. Overlap the two covers at the center spine, lining up the punched holes, and adhere them together.

Apply strong adhesive to the front of your book and add one of the Green & Ivory Lattice paper cover sheets.

When you reach the spine, bend your book into the closed position, add adhesive to the spine and adhere the remainder of the sheet. Apply more adhesive to the back cover and adhere the second exterior Green & Ivory Lattice paper cover sheet while the book is still closed.

Open your book and adhere the Grunge Check Ivory & Green papers that you earlier cut to the interior cover.

Cut a rectangle from the Grunge Check Ivory & Green paper and adhere to the bottom of the front cover. Next fussy cut the woman from Paper Calliope Printable Retro Kitchen #2 and adhere to the front cover above the rectangle.

Print and cut out your title pieces. Ink the edges with color coordinating inks and adhere to the cover.

String elastic lace through the holes following the diagram that accompanies the Journal Die. Finish by threading both strings out through the center middle hole and tie them around the book to create a closure.

Now you are ready to make the inside pages. Cut two 8″ x 8 1/4″ sheets of heavy white paper. Score each in in half so when folded they will make two sets of four pages, with each page being 4″ x 4 1/8″.

Canvas Corp offers so many patterns in bright colors that are perfect for this book.
Here are a few that I absolutely had to order.

I am especially fond of all the pink papers that Canvas Corp offers.

To make each of your pages, cut eight 4″ x 8 1/4″ pieces from the Canvas Corp papers listed below.

Unfold one of the 8″ x 8 1/4″ sheets of white paper. Adhere the patterned paper to one half of the white sheet. Repeat with a different color and pattern of Canvas Corp paper and adhere to the other half of white paper.

Flip the paper over and add two more colorful 4″ x 8 1/4″ pieces of patterned cardstock.

If you wish, you may add decorative tape to some of the edges.

Next, fussy cut additional images from Retro Kitchen #1 and Retro Kitchen #2 printable sheets and adhere to your pages. Add decorative tape to the center seam to strengthen your pages and prevent tearing.

Add recipes and some snarky comments and advice.

Slide your pages into the elastic binding and your book is complete. All that is left to do is to give it to your favorite Millennial before they spend all their money at restaurants and have to move back home.

Great Stuff

Canvas Corp Orange & Ivory Tile Reverse Paper
Canvas Corp Orange & White Diamond Paper
Canvas Corp Orange & White Ribbon Stripe Paper
Canvas Corp Yellow & White Mini Dot Reverse Paper
Canvas Corp Yellow & Ivory Ribbon Stripe Paper
Canvas Corp Green & Ivory French Linen Stripe Paper
Canvas Corp Green & Ivory Lattice Paper
Canvas Corp Grunge Check Ivory & Green Paper
Canvas Corp Blue & Ivory Dot Reverse Paper
Canvas Corp Pink & Ivory Dot Reverse Paper
Paper Calliope Retro Kitchen #1 8×11
Paper Calliope Retro Kitchen #2 8×11
Sizzix Scoreboards Journal Die
6″ x 13″ mat board
White elastic string
Ink pads in assorted colors
Decorative tape