DIY Wedding

Make a Family Cookbook for Mother's Day or a Wedding Shower!

Susan Beal, contributor

18 users recommend

I turned this blank journal made from a repurposed vintage cookbook into our very own family cookbook for Mother's Day!

Susan Beal

Of course I had to include my favorite recipes for button cupcakes and lavender shortbread cookies!

Susan Beal

My birthday cupcake and button shortbread recipe pages have all my notes on when we celebrated and what little changes I made to each recipe!

Susan Beal

I turned this blank journal made from a repurposed vintage cookbook into our very own family cookbook for Mother's Day!

Photo: Susan Beal

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For my first Mother's Day last year, I had a five-day-old baby girl to cuddle and a delicious homemade breakfast plate of French toast to enjoy-the perfect low-key morning for a new family just home from the hospital. This year, I thought I'd make a gift for all three of us: a family cookbook of our favorite recipes, from birthday and button-party cupcakes to the artisan bread I've been making every week. You can make your own super-personalized family cookbook for a mother, a special bride and groom, or anyone who would treasure the collection of heirloom recipes to try. Leaving space for the gift recipient to add his or her own favorites is a nice touch, too!

Note: For a more professional look, you can also create your book using a design or illustration program and print the pages to be bound by hand or at a copy shop. Scan old recipe cards or include family photographs or original drawings if you like, too.

What you'll need:

• A blank book
• Pen
• Copies of favorite recipes
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Glue stick

1. Find a blank book to use for your cookbook. I used a journal from Ex Libris Anonymous, which I found at one of my favorite Portland shops, Q is for Choir. The blank book I found was made with a vintage Betty Crocker Cooky Book...perfect for my theme of baking and desserts!

This vintage cooky book-turned-journal was perfect for my new collection of family recipes.

2. Create a table of contents section. I chose to handwrite mine, so I left the first four pages blank to add as I went.

I handwrote my table of contents as I went, including page numbers for each recipe.

3. Begin handwriting or pasting in your favorite recipes, adding each one to the table of contents list as you go with page numbers. For printed copies (like the Martha Stewart cupcake recipe I adore and my grandmother's recipes from an old family reunion cookbook), I trimmed the edges and then pasted them in with a glue stick.

I made copies of my grandmother's wonderful recipes from an old family reunion cookbook and pasted those right into my new book.

I also hand-copied many favorites, like the artisan bread I make and a scone recipe, and I credited each recipe's source.

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Comments (8)

mimabee writes: Love the idea. I thought it was funny to see the cookbook labeled "vintage". I received that very cookbook from one of my best friends my sophomore year in college! I still have it and use it!
Posted: 6:06 pm on May 3rd

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Posted: 7:11 am on August 20th

Mork_the_Dork writes: My moms birthday is coming up and I haven't thought of what I'm going to get her yet because she tends to be picky. I like this idea because my mom an me have an experimental meal of the week on Sundays. now whenever we make a meal together we can put it in the book almost like a food journal...thanks!
Posted: 8:52 pm on January 18th

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Posted: 4:04 am on May 4th

liudadovy writes: Here is what I love about this idea: handwritten recipes and notes on he edges.
I made a book like this for my sister,(years ago) and when she died I took it back- she had continued writing recipes in it, and adding some cut out ones from magazines.
It is her handwriting that jumps at me from the page, and ten years later I still feel her presence when I read the recipes written in her hand.
Posted: 8:05 pm on April 21st

KrissyKnox writes: What a fantastic idea! This is going to be my next gift I make! Thanks for the idea.
Posted: 1:10 pm on May 11th

JenniferStern writes: Susan, that's a great idea...I've been jotting notes in the margins of my favorite recipe books for years. They become like a journal, I record dates, time and reactions from family members + adjustments to make them better next time!
Posted: 7:41 pm on May 10th

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