One of my goals for 2010 is to be more organized. One thing I do to help me stay organized is write lists. I love to write To Do lists, but sometimes they get lost or I forget about them. So I decided to make some little notebooks where I can write my To Do lists and keep them all in one place. That way I’ll remember them, keep track of them all, and actually get them accomplished…hopefully.

Supplies needed:

Studio Calico Homefront journaling cards (or any 2.5×4 inch cards)
Studio Calico Homefront coordinating patterned paper cut into 2.5×4 inch blocks (1 block for each notebook)
Empty cereal box cut into 2.5×4 inch blocks (2 blocks for each notebook)
1 package of loose leaf lined paper
Zutter Bind-it-all machine*
½ inch Zutter Bind-it-all wires cut to 2.5 inches (or 5 prongs)
Studio Calico Homefront FabRips (or any other trimming)
Vintage buttons

*Alternative binding options: hole punch and binder rings, or binding clips

 

Instructions:

1. To make the front cover of the notebook, adhere the journaling card to the colored side of a block of cereal box cardboard (leaving the blank side showing). Do the same with the block of patterned paper for the back cover of the notebook.

 

2. To punch the binder holes, slide the covers into the bind-it-all machine (one at a time) with the top side down. Since this size notebook only fits 5 binder holes, rather than centering the cover on the arrow, center it between only five of the six binder holes shown on the machine.

 

3. Trim several sheets of loose leaf lined paper into 2.5×4 inch strips. (I discarded the strips with the 3 holes.) Gather a stack of the strips a little less than ¼ inch thick for each notebook.

4. Arrange your notebook in the following order: back cover on top (with patterned paper facing down), front cover in the middle (with journaling card facing up), and lined paper on the bottom. Insert the binding wire into the holes with the prongs going from the back to the front. Place in bind-it-all and squeeze the wire shut.

5. Embellish with half a length of a FapRip (scrunched or flat) and a vintage button.

Keep one in your purse, on your desk, in your pocket, at work, or wherever you might be when you have time to write. Hopefully these will help with staying organized. Good luck with your New Year’s goals!

Article by: Aly Dosdall