How To Make A Recycled Bound Notebook With Attached Pencil

Winter is eventually coming and I need car notepads that use pencils since ink freezes. Something in my car snacks on pencils since they disappear without a trace.

I've been saving box cardboard for another project but I had several pieces that were on the small side.

The box cardboard I used for these books includes a Twinkie box (we watched Zombieland and Twinkies were needed), Trader Joe's Maple cookies, yellow cake mix and a Kleenex box.

I was inspired for the basic idea by a post on the SC Johnson web site. I cut the cardboard 3.75" x 5.5" and used a bone folder to make a score mark for the spine fold. You don't need a bone folder but it's a handy tool. When creased the cardboard cover measures 3.75" x 2.75".

I cut 2 sheets of paper into 3.5" high strips, you will have 6 strips of paper when done. Fold the all the strips in half to make a nested booklet and give that fold a sharp crease. Measure 2.5" from the fold and cut all the pieces so that you have a folded booklet that measures 2.5" x 3.5". Cut these pieces together or you will have an uneven edge, a paper cutter works very well.

Lay the open pages inside the book cover, you'll notice the cover is slightly larger than the pages since I think that looks better than having the cover flush with the inside paper. Line up the fold lines for the cover and paper pages and carefully turn over the booklet. Put 2 staples on the fold line about a half inch from each end. The staples will crimp inside your book on the center page. Sharpen the crease again with a bone folder or the handle of a scissor.

I went to the Dollar Store and bought a multicolored pack of 100 hair binders. I have a surplus of short, colored pencils; they look pretty but any smaller pencil will do. I made a self tightening loop with the elastic band and looped it over the pencil, the large remaining loop goes around the outside of the book.