Whether you like to sketch, journal, write down your grocery list, or capture your dreams on paper, a blank notebook is a great item to have in your purse, on your nightstand, or at your desk. Today for our #31DaysofDIY project we are making adorable notebooks, and we’re including three printable covers with some fun Brit + Co patterns!
No idea what #31DaysofDIY is? It’s a brand new tradition here at Brit + Co that’s all about kicking off the new year right. We’ve challenged ourselves to make or learn something new every single day for the month of January, and we’re inviting all of you along for the ride. From DIY basics like Sewing 101 to learning to design and laser cut our own stencils, we hope this month of making inspires you to get creative all year long.
Materials:
– Brit + Co printable covers (download here)
– printer paper
– card stock
– embroidery floss
Tools:
– cutting mat
– box cutter
– embroidery needle
– awl
– straight edge
Instructions:
First prepare your paper. Take seven pieces of printer paper (or heavier paper if you want to write or draw in your notebook with markers) and fold them in half. With such a thick pile, you might need to fold them individually and then stack them, lining up the folds so that they’re spooning ;). Next, print your patterned Brit + Co printables and fold them in half. One is for the cover and the other can be a secret fun page inside.
- Count seven pieces of printer paper and fold them in half. You might need to fold them separately and then stack them together.
- Print your Brit + Co printable patterns and fold them in half. Insert one into the middle of your stack of white paper, and use the other one as the cover of your notebook.
- Poke five evenly spaced holes along the spine of your notebook.
- Thread your needle, tie a knot at the end, and then bring it through the first hole starting from the inside of the notebook.
- Bring the needle through the second hole and then out through the third.
- Poke the needle down through the second hole again and then bring it through the fourth. Repeat this stitch until you have the needle on the inside of the notebook (it will have just come through the fourth hole).
- Tie the end to the loose thread at the other end of your knot.
- Place your journal on your cutting mat, and then using your straight edge and box cutter, slice off the uneven edges of paper. Do this to the top, bottom and side of your notebook.
Now take your awl and poke five equidistant holes through your notebook. This will make stitching much easier.
Following the photos above, weave your embroidery floss through the holes.
When you get to the end, tie the end of your embroidery floss to the loose piece on the other end of your knot.
At this point you will notice that your edges are not lined up. Take your box cutter (or an X-acto knife) and straight edge, and cut through the notebook, creating an even edge. Do the top and bottom as well as the side. That’s it!
Time to get creative.
Or you can make a few more and give them to your friends.
Throw this cutie in your purse and take it to a coffee shop for a writing sesh.
How do you use notebooks? Share with us on Instagram.
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures