notebook . . . easy to make . . . easy to use
September 8, 2008
Here is a project I thoroughly enjoyed. With a combination of several different items that are easy to come by, you can come up with a wonderfully attractive little notebook to flip through.
Supplies:
• Tabbed Index Cards – used ten 4″x6″ sized cards
• Scrapbook Paper – for extra beauty
• Two Metal Rings – to bind notebook together
• Tape – double-stick tape or adhesive squares
• Pen – for writing section name on tabs
• Memo Book - one of the dirt cheap ones (same size as index cards – 4″x6″)
• Brads (optional) – for tacking down small frame
• Metal Frame (optional) – found in scrapbooking department, preferably a small size
Directions:
1. Cut out scrapbook paper to fit the front of index card. Take cut-out (to fit metal frame, if desired) printed notebook label and stick to the front with adhesive.
2. Press to make sure it stays.
3. Place metal frame on top of label, and poke holes with a needle or other sharp object (please be very careful).
4. Stick brads through holes to secure frame.
5. Fold back the ends of the brads to make sure they stay put.
6. I added three extra brads to the bottom of the cover of my notebook.
7. For each divider index card, you can leave some blank without any decoration,
8. or you can go ahead and stick scrapbook paper down on each one, and even front and back if you wish.
9. Each of the pages and index cards will need to have holes punched in them so that they can be bound with metal rings. Since all three of us ladies (Mom, Bre and I) were making one, it made it easier to make a template and use it on each of the pages that needed punched. The template was a piece of card stock paper cut out the size of the index cards. Then holes were punched 1.5″ from the edge on both top and bottom (making two holes). In this way, all we had to do was lay the template on the paper, and with a pen or pencil draw a dot in the center of the hole that had been punched out of the template.
10. Take paper with mark from template, and center the dot in the hole punch. Punch hole.
11. Continue to do this with each page, and when you are finished they should all line up just right, with the holes in the exact same place on each page.
12. Unhook metal rings and poke through holes.
13. Label each section on the tab that sticks out from cards.
14. Rip the paper out of the memo book, and cut of the ripply, bumpy edge. Use the hole punch template to punch holes through lined paper in the right spots.
15. Unhook the metal ring and add the lined paper. This will give thickness and room to write in the notebook.
This is of the back and front covers of my little notebook. The tab on the back cover says, The End.
On the covers, I scrapbooked on both the front and the back side of the index card. In each section there are seven sheets of memo paper.
Momma’s is farthest away – Robin’s Egg Blue. Breezy’s is titled – My Book. And as you’ve probably noticed, mine is – simply vintagegirl.
Both Momma’s and Breezy’s tabs are alphabetically labeled, as in A, B, C, D, etc.
The tabs of my notebook are entitled: Notes, Inspirations, Cards, Contacts, Codes, Colours, Blogs, Photographs, Passwords, and The End. I am planning on adding a few more before “The End”, which will say: Scripture, Quotes, Recipes, Important Dates, and Post Ideas.
Hope you enjoy making your own little notebook!
While living the life my Lord has blessed me with, I am at home with my family enjoying being a daughter, homemaker and artist. My highest goal is to give glory to God and enjoy Him forever. It is He that has saved me with His amazing grace and is continually molding me; to Him I owe everything. Read more . . .
Beautiful notebook creation! Totally going to have to give it a whirl myself. :) Thanks for posting the link to Ali’s blog.
I love your new site Emily! It is so nice and cheerful! I commented to let you know, that
a) I absolutley love this project; it is so cool – I am an organizing geek and a notebook freak and make lists of lists of lists, so this is perfect for me! Not to mention I hadn’t made anything paper-y lately.
b) I posted about it on my other organizing blog. Just click ‘my name’
I used Creative Memories paper; they have paper that is just the perfect size for it! I had to make my own tabs because Mum couldn’t find any in town that were blank. It was so much fun!
Never alone.
Love Jess
Wonderful tiny notebook! I have been trying in vain to figure out a way to have a nice small notebook for various things such as my household planner and you have saved the day! Thank you so much I will be back to read more of your lovely blog.
Curvy.
Amazing! I love this and will have to make one. I have really been blessed reading your blog.
hello emily,
found you at small notebook.
what a wonderful project!! I will be making one of these! thanks for the detailed instructions.
I love this notebook. It is really beautiful and doesn’t look too trick to make. Thanks a lot for the how-to!
I absolutely love this notebook! It’s so creative. I’ve already made four, one for me and three for my friends for Christmas. My sister ordered one too. I made them at a scrapbooking event and a lot of people complemented me on them. Did you make it up or, if you didn’t, where did you get the idea?
Kate.
WOW!!! I love this! Great job.
i love this!! what a fantastic idea! i can think of so many wonderful uses for a little notebook like this – keeping track of prayer requests/answers, scripture memorization, birthdays, gift ideas, project ideas and planning, blog ideas…totally going to whip up some of these!! thanks for sharing!! :)
I am so glad I found your blog!!! My husband is a teacher and brought home 10 packs of those index cards. I have been wanting to make something out of them but didn’t have a clue what well now I know!!! thanks for the tutorial :)
Wow, this is a great notebook. I am going to have to make one.
Love it! Thanks for the inspiration.
I love love love it! I am getting the supplies today(:
hahah.
Thanks A lot!
-Angieee<33
Hi. I sew your site because of TipNut. Thanks for posting this as it reminded me to post the long overdue notebook post of mine (which I did now). It’s entitled Make Your Own Refillable Notebook Like Cattleya. It was made spontaneously with focus on function rather than design so it’s not as cute as your notebook. :)
LOL, I laughed reading my own comment. I meant “I saw your site” :D Been away from sewing for sometime so probably I have to get back to it real soon!
Loved this idea. I have a small plastic notebook that holds 3×5 cards in my purse. I keep gift lists, grocery lists for special meals, and measurements for the house (so I won’t forget what size my a/c filters are when I’m in the middle of the store), and sizes for family members. This is so much prettier! I’m going to purchase some larger index cards and recreate my little notebook using this idea. I’m hoping that the heavier stock of paper will help the notebook being sloshed around in my purse. I think the notebook paper would just rip up (yea, my purse is one of those bottomless pits).
This is fantastic, and so much easier than it looks. I’m glad I found this in time to do some for relatives, friends (and myself!!) before Christmas!
These are so cute. It’s a great idea for Christmas presents.
This is a great idea. I want to make my family eco-friendly christmas presents and a homemade notebook was first on my list. I have been making my own notebooks from old schoolwork that was printed only on one side for the past year or two, but those were not really on the gift level. I like this because it is simple but classy. I am going to make my own paper to use inside of it, I found directions for that at: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/makingpaper.html
Thanks for the tips!
that is so cool!
i did one of those for a prayer journal at my old VBS when i was six, and i still have it.
but it wasnt as cool as that!
ill have to try it sometime!
I am a complete beginner in making things and I am glad to find this very detailed and helpful but where and what is the hole puncher you used on Step 10?
Thanks for posting this craft idea, Emily Rose! Looks very practical and fun to make!
ELizabeth
What a neat idea. I picked up the supplies tonight. I had forgotten where I found this until I remembered the name on the front of your notebook, and googling this how-to after that was a snap! Great site!
I was hoping to make this really cute notebook and have gone to several stores, Target, Walmart, and several office supply stores and can’t find the blank tabbed index cards. Where did you find them? Thanks so much for your help.
Kathy
Please send your reply to my gmail address. Thanks.
This is so cute! Thanks for sharing and inspiring others =) Charl
I am definetely making one especially for my sermon notes from church, and important scriptures.
thank you for the idea
I just blogged and twittered about your notebook idea. Hope you don’t mind!
By the way… Singlemothers.blog.com and Ilovetobemom@twitter.com and Ilovetobemom@twittermom.com
This is awesome! I plan to make one for myself and can totally see adapting it to be a mini album for another Christmas gift idea. Love it, love it, love it!