4-Step Book DIY

Spring 2012 is the last semester that I'll ever be an undergrad for! Tonight is a sad night for me since the semester and countdown to entering the real world all starts tomorrow. I have a lot of mixed feelings: sadness for leaving school, happiness for getting to move out of this tiny little apartment and to a cooler area, but also anxiousness about finding a job and taking the next step in life.

Most importantly though, this is the last time in my life that I'll ever need lots of cute and adorable notebooks! Generally each semester, I make a few notebooks, reuse a couple of other ones and buy some new and especially adorable ones. In the picture above, I made the small black book and suede folder, am reusing the large black and gray notebooks and bought the pink and brown Moleskin ones. A cute assortment, in my opinion.

Today I wanted to share with you a quick and easy four-step DIY for making your own notebook, similar to my little black one. You can make your notebooks in any size or with whatever kind of paper you want - I just wanted to go simple for this notebook.

Materials: paper for the cover, filler paper, scissors, pin, needle, thread, elastic, brass paper fasteners

How To:
Step 1: Find and cut your paper to size
Step 2: Measure even holes in the middle fold of the paper and poke them with the pin
Step 3: Sew a running stitch down one end of the notebook - at the end, turn back around and come down the other direction. This way you'll reinforce the paper.
Step 4: Using an exacto knife, poke slits into the back cover of the book and elastic. Insert the brass fasteners to bind the elastic to the book.

Voila! An infinite amount of notebooks for your own personal use. This is something that I really love to make - it's easy, simple and incredibly useful. I love having books for every use possible and after using them for so long, I know what I like (and it's easier and more fun to make)!

So I bestow this knowledge onto you, crafties. I know you need books for jotters and keeping all your ideas straight, just as much as I do. Let me know if you have any questions + good luck! - Amina