Make it Monday // DIY Mini Travelers Notebook

A few weeks ago I posted a really affordable planner DIY.  I mean nearly everything was from the Dollar Tree!! Today I'm back again with a little how-to on making a mini traveler's notebook.  If you're not the tiny planner type, this can be easily translated into bigger moleskine style inserts - I just found these little lined notebooks at the Dollar Tree and knew I could do an amazing DIY with them

Supplies : polyfolders, mini notebooks, elastic, paper cutter, ruler, scissors, pencil, craft knife, Crop-a-dile Big Bite (or an awl or something pokey), measuring tape

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First off, nearly all of this can be found at the Dollar Tree - I found the folders & the notebooks in the office section, I found some elastic back in their little craft section, and if you don't have a Crop-a-dile (which you totally need to get if you read this post) you can totally just find something pokey to use to make you're holes.  If you don't have a paper trimmer a ruler and scissors or a craft knife to trim.

Start by cutting the poly folder in half and then carefully slicing away the inside pocket.  I place the knife on the inside of the fold and gently pull up slicing along the fold.  Be careful but ensure that you are slicing as straight as possible.

To measure your width it is easiest to do with a fabric measuring tape.   Wrap the measuring tape around the stack of notebooks you'll be using to measure the width of your cover.  The height of the cover should be just slightly bigger than the measured height.  It is always good to assume you need to go larger so that you can trim excess later.  Mine ended up being about 8.75 inches wide by 6 inches tall

Once the cover is trimmed, gently fold it in half and mark the half way point.  You don't want to create a permanent crease so just gently fold and run the pencil along the valley you've created to mark the middle point.  

Begin to measure out where the holes for the elastic by measuring halfway down the line to mark the mid point (this will be for the strap that holds your notebook together) then make a mark up 1/2 inch and then up one inche from either end.  Once you're done measuring, you should end up with 5 dots.

Using your pointy object or the Crop-a-dile, punch each of the 5 holes.  Create the loop to hold the notebook together by wrapping a piece of the elastic tightly around the stack of books plus the cover.  Trim the elastic, slip it through the middle hole and tie a knot on the inside of the cover. 

To thread the rest of the holes, follow the images below:

starting from the second hole from the right, thread the elastic from the inside of the cover to the outside

Next, thread the end of the elastic that is now on the outside of the cover back through the right most hole.  The end of the elastic should now be on the inside of the cover.

Thread the end of the elastic through the left most hole from the inside of the cover.

Finally thread the end of the elastic back through from the outside of the cover into the inside of the cover through the second hole from the left.

Once the elastic is threaded through the holes. Slip a small notebook (the one that will be the middle of your traveler's notebook) through the longest of the elastic loops on the inside of the cover.  Tie a knot tightly and securely to hold the book in place with tension.  Trim the elastic.

Using the leftover elastic, create a second loop that will hold your other two books.

Slip the elastic around the middle of each book so that the two books are joined like the image below.

Next, slip the set of joined books under the middle book so that there is a book on either side.  You now have your own traveler's notebook style journal or planner!!

the completed journal should hold the three notebooks perfectly!

I decided to show you how to use this little notebook as a planner by dividing the pages with washi tape, using return address labels for the dates, and other assorted stickers to decorate.  I even used some printables from my shop and some other stickers designed to fit the Erin Condren planner.  You don't have to have a name brand planner to have a fun planner!!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Remember, this notebook can be made in any size - so if you've found some other notebooks you're keene on, making a cover for them is super simple!

If you'd like to know how to add charms to your Midori or Fauxdori, watch this video on my channel.  You can also see a Fauxdori set up video here.  Or learn to bind your own notebooks for Fauxdori here.

xoxo, Moe

Make it Monday // Sew a Small Notebook

Remember this post on 3 ways to make lined pages for your Filofax or ring bound planner?  Remember how I said I had something else up my sleeve regarding that DIY?  Well here it is!  How to sew a small notebook!  Ever since I decided that I'd start of 2015 in a Fauxdori style planner (video walk through to be up soon!) I knew I'd need to make my own little notebook inserts.  However, this little DIY is perfect to create any little notebooks to supplement your current planner set up or just to carry around with you.  You don't have to be a planner addict to appreciate this DIY.  I am including a free, blank month on two page insert in case you do want to make your own little calendar.

My first introduction to making a book was in college.  I took a book binding class and really did not care for it.  It takes a lot of time and planning and neatness to make a hardback, hand bound notebook.  I made about three in my life time because they were so annoying!  I'm a more of a big picture person and less of a detailed person if you know what I mean.  But I did really like making simple, saddle stitched pamphlet style books.  They are simple and still look really nice.  Here's how to make one:

Supplies :: printed pages or blank pages to bind (I used a standard 8.5x11" printer page), scrapbook paper, scissors, paper trimmer or ruler and blade, scrap printer paper, awl or something equally pointy (I used a pottery tool), thread (cotton crochet thread, embroidery floss, etc), needle.

First, print your pages back to front.  I find that about 10-12 pages make a good book that's not too thick and is easy to bind.  You can used lined pages from this tutorial, plain white printer pages, colorful printer pages, this free calendar printable, or any pages you'd like to bind together.  This would be fun to use up some scrap patterned paper to make a smashbook style notebook.

Next, trim down your scrapbook paper for the cover.  Use a paper cutter or scissors to trim down your covers to fit your page sizes.  I found some 8.5x11" scrapbook pages from Michael's a while ago so I didn't need to trim mine down.

Gather your pages together and fold the stack in half making sure the printed pages are sandwiched between the cover pages.  You should end up with a small booklet measuring 8.5 x 5.5".

Now we need to make the guide to punch the holes.  I always take a spare piece of the printer paper and cut off about a 3" strip.  Fold this strip in half to make a thin 1.5" strip.  Unfold the strip.  Fold the strip in half so you have a smaller 3" strip.  Then fold that strip into thirds.  Where the folds cross will be where we punch the holes to bind the book.  I always decide that one end of my guide will be the top so I tear a little slit in it so I don't get confused.

Next, place the guide in the center of the pages + covers you wish to bind making sure the slit you've torn in the guide is at the top of the book.  Using your awl, gently punch through the guide and all pages in your booklet.  Be careful here, that shit is sharp!  Move your finger out of the way!  I start at the middle then work my way to one side and then the other.  Repeat on all booklets.  Remove the guide before you begin to sew in the next step below.

Now for the sewing.  Using your thread we are going to saddle stitch the pages together.  Starting on the inside of your booklet insert the needle in to hole 1 (as noted in the photo where you punched the holes into the signature) leaving a small tail on the inside of the booklet,  moving to the left insert the needle down into hole 2.  From the inside of the booklet insert the needle into hole 3 and then moving to the right, insert the needle back into hole 2.  From the inside of the booklet insert the needle into hole 4 and then moving to the right insert the needle into hole 5.  From the inside of the booklet insert the needle back into hole 4.  Finally insert the needle, from the outside of the booklet, back into hole one.  Using the two tails, tie a knot around the long string between hole 2 and hole 4.  Take your time and I'm sure you'll be able to complete this step.  You're done!

You can use a ruler and blade to trim down your booklet to have straight edges but the raw edges don't really bother me.  I used mine in my Fauxdori planner system for 2015:

Hope you have fun making a zillion little notebooks for all your little needs.  Keep a look out for my Fauxdori walk through on the YouTube channel soon.

xoxo, Moe