Make a Mini Notebook

I just made a batch of mini notebooks for party favors - it's really easy and they can be used as sketch books, journals, to-do lists, sticker books for kids, etc. Sorry the photos are so dark, will have to check my camera settings.

To avoid having to cut out my own blank sheets, I used a notepad we already had. I simply took out 5 sheets and folded each one in half. Use a bone folder if you have one, I just grabbed a tiny butter spreader.

Next, stack the folded pages, open them up and put in two staples directly on the fold line. Refold the stack and recrease the folded edge to keep it nice and sharp.
To make the cover, use the notepad you took the papers from as a template. Trace around it onto the back of a sheet of decorative paper, adding a quarter inch to the length so that when you fold it over the blank sheets, the cover will extend just slightly over the pages. Your cover can be made out of a variety of materials. You could use old magazine pages, make holiday theme notebooks by using old holiday cards, unused wallpaper, old gift bags, anything made of paper that can be glued.

Using the notepad again, cut another piece of paper the width of the notebook but only about 1.5 - 2.0" long. This piece will cover the "spine" of your notebook like the binding on a book. The larger your notebook, the wider you will want this to be.

Fold the binding piece in half lengthwise, brush on a thin layer of glue and apply it to the spine of the cover. Next, open the cover and brush a stripe of glue in right along the fold. Place the blank pages inside and press. I put mine under a heavy book for a while as the glue dried.


That's all there is to it. I found my quilter's ruler to be helpful in lining up the pieces to make sure all my lines and cuts would be straight. I would rather have used a paper cutter or rotary cutter but I don't have either yet!
I'd love to take the time to make some embellished a bit more - perhaps with stamps, fabric, ribbon, etc.


This post is linked up at Blue Cricket Design's Show & Tell Wednesday Linking Party!!

This project is also shared at Skip To My Lou's Made By You Monday.