In these times when computers run the show it's sometimes nice to come back to good old notebooks. Only these are not given. Here's how to make one yourself, without breaking the bank.
By writing down everything that comes to mind and scribbling excessively, my little Moleskine notebooks fill up very quickly. My mother-in-law who is a sewing enthusiast (you will understand) offered to help me make my own notebooks , customizable at will, from what I could find at home . I'll explain.
To make my notebook we needed:
- 1 box of cereal.
- Classic paper (printer), or writing paper. About ten sheets for a 20-page notebook.
- Wire.
- 1 paper cutter.
- 1 corner punch - Rounded corners (€5.90 online), the latter is optional but it was the only purchase to be made, the rendering is better and the angles are more difficult to damage.
- 1 sewing machine.
- Painter's tape, or any tape that will not damage the paper when you stick it on and then peel it off.
1 :Cut out the cardboard of the cereal box to the desired measurements. I chose 25cm/18cm for a 12.5cm/18cm notebook when folded. This will be our cover.
2 :Cut in turn the sheets of paper, about 2 or 3 mm shorter in length, that is 24.7 cm / 18 cm, so that they fold easily without protruding from the cover.
3 (optional):Using the corner punch, round off all the corners. Those of your sheets of paper like those of the cover.
4 :Fold and unfold the future cardboard cover until it bends easily.
5 :Place the sheet of cardboard (cardboard side up), on the sheets of paper and glue them tightly with tape.
6 :This is where my mother-in-law came in, using the sewing machine, setting the tension to low , she said gently long stitches along the fold line you created in step 4. If necessary, soften it a little more using a serrated knife and a ruler.
(Warning: This is the trickiest step and we left a needle there, so be careful with spare needles.)
7 :Remove the tape, fold the notebook and place it flat under a heavy book for a while.
At this stage, you will have anotebook all the more classic . But many modifications, practical or aesthetic (eg decopatch 0.99 € on Amazon), can be made during the realization, let your imagination run free!
To make a notebook with more pages , allow a real slice of about 1 cm when you cut the cardboard. As a result, you will sew several packs of 20 sheets side by side along this slice.
If you like the idea, if you have additional ideas to customize our homemade notebook or if you are an expert in scrapbooking, tell me in a comment.
The only investment for this achievement is the hole punch at €5.90. A moleskin notebook in pocket format (9X14 cm) costing €13, based on a consumption of 5 notebooks per year (my personal consumption) or €65, I save with this trick €59.10 !
