How to Make a Notebook
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/xhow-to-make-a-notebook-800x181.jpg.pagespeed.ic.Gs0-j0l_Lj.jpg)
Learn how to make a notebook out of a blank notecard or recycled cardboard that you'll have lying around your house. This project is so quick to assemble and a great last minute homemade gift idea!
I *love* these little notebooks! They are so quick, easy and cheap to assemble, and a great way to use up pretty scraps of paper in your craft stash!
They're also incredibly useful to have in your handbag, diaper bag, car etc - you never know when you need a piece of paper to jot down ideas. Hope you fun making them!
How to Make a Notebook: Materials
For this project you will need:
- blank notecard (or recycle cardboard from your kitchen - think cereal box etc!)
- blank or lined paper for notecard pages (I'm using cheap printer paper that we found wasn't very good quality for printing)
- Needle and embroidery floss/thick cotton thread
- Awl/Paper piercing tool (or hammer/heavy object and needle)
- Cutting board, ruler and knife or guillotine
- scrap paper for binding
- Glue stick
- ink and stamps, or other embellishments (optional)
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-materials-500x291px.jpg)
How to Make a Notebook: Assembly
It's up to you what size you want to make your mini notebooks, they really are flexible!
I bought these blank cards on sale and then got them home and realized they weren't actually a very attractive brown and I probably would never use them (oops! I am quite terrible when it comes to discounted stock!). Then I came across the idea for mini notebooks and realized it was the perfect way to use them up!
My blank notecards were 8 x 6 inches (approximately 21 x 15 cm), and the computer paper double the size.
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-halving-paper-500x254px.jpg)
Trim down your note paper so it is the same size as your notecard/recycled card-stock cover. I've used 10 sheets of paper in my notebooks as I wanted quite a slim notebook for my handbag.
Fold the note paper in half, and then using a ruler and knife just trim down the outer edge so that you get a crisp edge to your notepaper.
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-trimming-paper-500x175px.jpg)
Put your notepaper inside your notecard cover. Now measure out where you'd like your binding holes to be. I just wanted to do a really simple binding with only two holes, and measured them out one inch above and below the center-point.
If you want, go wild with holes and do a more elaborate binding. There are no rules!
To pierce the paper you don't need fancy book-binding or scrapbooking tools (but do go ahead and use them if you have them!). Anyone can pierce paper with a sharp needle and a heavy object/small hammer. Just make sure you do it on a protected surface so you don't end up with holes in your worktop!
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-hammering-holes-500x273px.jpg)
Once you've made the initial piercings, push your needle through the hole and wiggle it around a little bit to widen the holes.
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/xhow-to-make-a-notebook-widening-holes-500x144px.jpg.pagespeed.ic.cmDWGXy77k.jpg)
To bind your notebook, thread some embroidery floss or thick cotton thread onto a needle. Working from the outside-in, thread your floss through one hole and back out the other, and secure the ends together at the spine with a double knot. Trim down the ends.
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-binding-500x293px.jpg)
Cut a piece of scrap paper to measure the same height as your cover and a couple of inches wide (up to you depending upon how wide you'd like your spine cover to be).
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-scrap-paper-for-spine-500x326px.jpg)
Use paper glue to cover the back of your decorative paper with glue.
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/xhow-to-make-a-notebook-gluing-scrap-spine-500x246px.jpg.pagespeed.ic.T5JAq9XrYZ.jpg)
Secure it in place to cover the spine and binding.
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/xhow-to-make-a-notebook-glued-spine-500x334px.jpg.pagespeed.ic.5Yn99gn57t.jpg)
While the glue is still wet, make sure you fold your notecard in half and allow it to dry in this folded position.
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-finished-500x353px.jpg)
You could leave your notecard at this stage, or have fun embellishing it anyway you like. Here I've stamped "notes" in black ink. (And yes, the "s" is upside-down - oops!).
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-stamping-500x316px.jpg)
![how to make a notebook](https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/image-files/how-to-make-a-notebook-finished-stamped-500x229px.jpg)
And here are some finished notebooks. They are so quick to make and look so sweet. And finally I've used up those brown cards!
Other tutorials you might like...
I hope you enjoyed learning how to make a notebook. Here are some other homemade gift ideas you might enjoy: