Pocket Logbooks

Since I have not talked about logbooks yet, I thought it was about time to touch on this interesting aspect of our hobby. Logbooks, sometimes called journals, can be as simple as a 99-cent spiral bound notebook to something fancy like a spendy Moleskine (my preference for my personal traditional 'boxing logbook). We need logbooks for all types of letterboxes and it is fun to create your own. One of my traditions is to make a logbook for each event I attend, incorporating the theme into the logbook - it's a fun way to keep the event stamps, exchanges and any traditionals found all together like a scrapbook.

In the next few posts, I will attempt to do a little show-and-tell of some of the logbooks I've done. Maybe I can inspire you to create some fun logbooks, as well.

Ribbon & Bows comb-bound logbook

This comb-bound logbook is what I would call a pocket logbook. Each page is created to be a pocket, similar to what you would find in a school-type notebook. For the pages, I simply folded the cardstock to form the pocket, cutting out the front on a diagonal and then gluing the bottom closed. These pockets then accommodate the bookmark-type cards that would slide inside - that's where 'boxers could 'stamp-in'. For this one, I used that great cardstock with different colors on each side that I found at Costco so long ago. On the stamp-in cards I attached colorful ribbons to add more to the theme of the 'box.


I invested in a comb-binder several years ago to put together my own annual personalized calendar for family holiday gifts. That binder comes in very handy for making quick logbooks. I am interested in a Bind-It-All binder, but it's a little out of my price range at the moment...definitely a wish-list item.

The next pocket-style logbook is inspired by a sales brochure. It is a tri-fold design featuring pockets on the inside flaps (the edges are glued down to create the pocket). That leaves the middle for information about the theme of the box. This particular logbook was all about Seattle's historic Paramount Theater, one of the great old-time theaters scattered across the country.

The front of the logbook was rather plain,
so I just photographed the top half.

Again, there are cards for finders to stamp-in, with plenty of room for comments and sig-stamps. One of the things I regularly do is carve a bonus stamp to decorate logbook pages and this 'box was no exception. I was going for an old-fashioned movie ticket feel, stamping the name of the theater on each card in subtle watermark ink.

click on the pic to see more detail

On the pockets, I added an old and modern pic of the theater, just for fun. You can also see the information added to the middle section.

lots of information packed into this logbook

I think the pocket-style logbook is one of my favorite types. It's practical, too; if you use this style in a traditional 'box, when the pages are full you can remove the full pages and add new without re-making the whole book.