Back to School: Recycled Notebook Tutorial

Making a notebook is an easy and rewarding way to turn scrap paper into something useful. Once the paper is cut to size, putting it all together is a snap.



Materials:

A variety of scrap paper, preferably blank on one side. Used printer paper, wrapping paper, old calendars, paper bags, scrapbook paper, graph paper, and old notebooks are all great sources of paper.

Two pieces of corrugated cardboard or paper board, for the front and back cover. Try shirt cardboard, calendar inserts, shoe box lids, or cereal boxes for this.

Paper cutter (not necessary, but highly recommended).

Hole punch. If you have a three-hole punch, that's even better.

Book rings. These are available at most office supply stores. They come in different sizes, so choose one appropriate for the thickness of the notebook you'd like to make.



Cut your paper and cardboard to size, using your paper cutter. I made my covers a little bit bigger than my pages, so there would be a little overlap. My covers ended up 10 1/4 x 8 1/4, and my pages 10 x 8".













Hole punch all your pages and covers, making sure the holes line up. You can get creative and punch your holes in a pattern, or just stick to a standard three-ring format like I did.















Arrange your pages and covers in the order you want. Thread the book rings through the holes and clamp them shut. Now you've got a functional, attractive book made from recycled paper.

This versatile technique also works well for making journals, scrapbooks, or planners. Make little books for jotting down notes or to-do lists. Make big books for photos or portfolios. Even make a set of all three for a friend's birthday present, using matching paper for the covers.