Thrifty Thursday - DIY Personalized Notebook

The other day I made these with my kids.  They loved it, because they are personalized! They couldn't wait to get writing in them.

So, I basically made these for free!  All you need is:

- An empty cereal box

- Scrapbook paper

- Glue & paint brush

- Paper for the inside (I used printer paper)

-String and a needle

- A small 1/4 of an inch hole punch

- Anything you'd like to embellish it with (stickers, cutouts, sandpaper and ink to antique, etc.)

- Paper cutter and scissors

Step 1

Cut cereal box.  I cut my cover 4.5 inches X 9 inches.

Step 2

 Fold the cereal box cut out in half, smoothing crease with a bone folder or finger.

Step 3

Cut out the papers for the inside.  Make them about 1/4 of an inch smaller than your cereal box.  So, for mine I cut them 4.25 inches X 8.50.  I used three 8.50 X 11 pieces of paper, cutting them twice so each book would have 12 pieces of paper when folded in half. 

Step 4

After folding the inside pages in half, take a hole punch and punch two holes along the crease about 1 inch apart.  I just eyeballed it to make sure they were the same distance from each side.  Next place the inside pages on top of the cover. Through the holes mark where they need to be punched.  Fold the cover and punch with a hole punch.

Step 5

Put the cereal box cut out cover on top of the scrapbook paper and mark the size. Then cut it out to the same size.

Step 6

Open back up and apply glue to the side with writing.  You could use white glue with a paint brush, or a glue stick, or mod podge.  Smooth the scrapbook paper on to the glue covered cereal box. make sure you get all bubbles out.  Fold back in half and allow to dry.

Step 7

When it has dried you can cut or file off any over hang from the scrapbook paper. Also, now would be the time to embellish.  For this one, I sanded all of the sides.  Make sure when doing this you sand outwards.  After sanding I applied some ink with a beauty sponge. Then since my scrapbook paper was double sided I cut out a square and turned it over for the checkerboard patterned paper.  Then I cut a flower out of that same paper. I used the extra white paper and cut out a flower with it and distressed it with some ink.  Then I layered them all onto the cover.

Step 8:

Putting it all together.  I used some sting that I bought at the dollar store.  You could really use anything you have (Bakers twine, ribbon, yarn, etc.) I have a needle with a big eye that I was able to string it through.  Put your inside paper inside of the cover. Then poke and string it through all of the holes.  I started on the outside and strung it inside then strung it back out through the other hole.  I then tied it in a double knot and on some I did a double bow.

These are my kids creations.

I originally was going to have them use them outside and do a little activity with them.  Like leaf tracing. But my oldest was way to excited and gave his a title and started writing in it, before I could say otherwise.  That's okay, we can make more and do something like that another day.