No Glue DIY Notebook

Even though so many things are going digital and paperless, there is still something so good about making a written list or being able to quickly jot down some notes. Whether you’re busy planning how to meet your goals for the new year, your family’s meal plan or just needing to write things down before they get lost in the blur of everything you need to do, we’ve got the easiest little DIY notebook for you. This is also a great way to bring a little of the pretty trends predicted 2017 into your every day, such as greenery.

You don’t need any fancy punches, book binding glue or nifty gadgets, so here goes.

What you need:

• Pretty printed card stock for your DIY notebook cover, a printed image or recycled cards or boxes. Scrapbooking paper works well!
• Blank or lined pages for inside, I used 10 A4 pages per book
• Thin twine or thick cotton
• Large needle
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Bulldog clips or paperclips
• Swivel knife, craft knife or pointed scissors. If you don’t have these, you can just use your needle.

What to do:

Start by folding just one piece of paper in half. This fold will act as a guide for your final fold and will become your inner most page. I found it easier to leave the cover and the rest of the inside pages unfolded until the end. It can be tricky to match up the folds perfectly in a stack of folded paper, so this makes it easier.

Stack all your pages together, with the cover at the bottom of the pile, facing out. Secure with clips. Along the fold of the inner page, mark out 5 holes. The two edge wholes should be away from the edge of the paper. For the 21cm fold of an A4 page, I placed my holes at 2.5, 6.5, 10.5, 14.5 and 18.5cm.

Use a swivel knife, the end of your sharp pointed scissors or your needle to make the holes where you’ve marked them. They only need to be big enough for the needle and thin twine to fit through.

Start at the top of the book and thread the twine down through the first hole. Leave enough twine hanging out the top end for it to fold back through the notebook and act like a bookmark. Next, thread up through the second hole, down through the third etc until you reach the bottom hole. Turn around and thread the opposite way through each hole.

Once you reach the starting end again, cut the twine long enough to match the original extra bookmark piece. Next, tie a knot as close to the notebook as possible.

All that’s left to do, is fold the inside pages and cover. You may find it easier to first fold the cover outwards, as this makes a nice neat fold, before folding it back over the rest of the pages.

Add any decorations that you’d like to your DIY notebook and get going with your lists, doodles and memories.

What do you most like to use a notebook for?

Happy Creating!

For more creative inspiration, follow my Instagram at @Puresweetjoy or visit me at Pure Sweet Joy.