How to Make a Notebook from Scrap Papers

Loose papers and scrap papers are pretty much common in every household, so I was thinking about how to make a notebook from them. You don’t need a pile of papers, just a few sheets of loose paper will do. I try my best to reuse and recycle as much as I can; we all should try our best to leave fewer carbon footprints on planet earth, the more we can reuse the materials from our surroundings, the better.

DIY Notebook

The idea of a DIY notebook came to mind when I saw my scrap paper box is filled. I have a tendency of working better when writing things down on paper and since I work with papercrafts a lot I always have loose papers laying around. Reusing these random loose papers and sheets to craft a homemade notebook sounded great and I can reuse the notebook sheets later to craft recycled papers! For this tutorial, I am using some sheets of loose paper that I have but you can use any kind of paper you want as long as they can be used for writing or sketching. I tried to keep the notebooks small in size so that they can be carried in a pocket or purse easily. You can use them to write down your daily tasks, to-do lists, or simply use them to doodle. Let’s head over to the tutorial and find out how to make a notebook from scrape papers.

How to Make a Notebook

Things you will need

Materials

• Scrap papers or loose paper
• Or, you can use new papers
• Cardstock paper

Tools and Supplies

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Tapestry needle
• Binding thread
• Scissors
• White adhesive glue
• Paintbrush
• Cutting mat
• X-acto knife

Instructions

Step 1: Preparing the Pages

Determine the size (width and length) of the notebook. For each sheet, you will need to Cut out a piece of paper of the required length and 2 times the width of the notebook. Prepare as many sheets as you’ll need to make the pocket notebook.

Step 2: Preparing the Signatures

I am going to group 4 sheets together and fold them into half (widthwise), this is called the signature of the notebook. I am using 4 signatures for this notebook, each signature having 4 sheets of paper folded in half.  

Step 3: Marking the Stitching Points

Hold all the signatures together with their closed ends aligned nicely. Use a ruler and a pencil to mark the stitching points along the closed ends of the signatures. I marked 3 stitching points in the middle keeping a 1-inch gap between them.

Step 4: Stitching the 1st Signature

Prepare a long piece of thread with a large needle and tie a knot at the open end of the thread. Take the first group of papers (signature) and draw the needle through a marked point, from the outside. Do a running stitch and then draw the needle back to the outside from the next hole of the current position of the needle.

Step 5: Stitching the 2nd Signature

Place another signature together with the stitched one. Draw the needle through the aligned marked point of the 2nd signature. Do a running stitch and draw the needle out. Draw the needle through the previous stitches to tighten the binding.

Step 6: Stitching all Signatures

One by one, place each signature and stitch them together nicely. Once you are done stitching, you can draw the needle through the outside stitches and tie a knot at the end of the stitch. Cut off the extra thread when done.

Step 7: Secure the Text Block

Cut out a small piece of paper and apply glue all over it on one side. Carefully wrap the text blocks (stitched signatures) with the glued paper from the closed end.

Step 8: Preparing the Cover

Simply measure and cut out the cover from cardstock paper. Measure and mark the notebook length and keep 0.5 cm extra for the cover length. For the width, add 1 cm extra along with double the width of the notebook plus the measurement of the text block (which shouldn’t be more than a cm as we are crafting a pocket notebook). Use an X-acto knife to make half cuts along the 2 middle lines kept for the text block, which is called the back strap of a book.

Step 9: Attaching the Cover

Apply glue along the 2 middle lines (backstrap area). Use a brush to apply the glue nicely along the backstrap area. Place the closed side of the text block on the glued area. Close the cover and press the spine of the notebook to make that the text block is attached to the back strap of the cover nicely.

Step 10: Attaching End Page with Cover

Grab the 1st page of the notebook and apply glue all over it (on the front side). Attach the glued side of the page with the notebook cover (from the inside). Similarly, attach the last page of the notebook with the cover.

Video Tutorial on How to Make a Notebook

We also have a video tutorial on how to make a notebook, you can check it out in case you have difficulty understanding any step.

And done!

You can use different colored and patterned cardstock papers for the notebook cover for variation in design.

Tips for Beginners

If you’re a beginner in bookmaking, here are some tips to follow before you get started.

• make sure to measure and cut all the sheets into the same size.
• Use a cutting mat and x-acto knife to cut the sheets neatly.
• Stitching the signatures may seem tricky, simply go for running stitch.
• While cutting the cover make sure to keep it slightly bigger than the text block.
• Use the backside of the x-acto to make half cuts along the spine of the cover to make a neat fold.

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This DIY notebook might be the perfect recycling project for you. It’s a chance to utilize the loose papers you have and turn them into a beautiful thing. And if you like this, you may also like our other paper recycling projects.

• How to Make Recycled Paper
• Recycled Paper Basket Weaving
• DIY Recycled Pumpkin Box

We really enjoyed crafting these pocket notebooks and we hope you have fun learning how to make a notebook with the help of our tutorial. Don’t forget to share your feedback in the comments below. Share pictures of your version of the craft with us if you do give them a try. You can share your picture with hashtag #craftaholicwitch on Instagram or Facebook or just DM your picture to us on Instagram or Facebook page. Happy Crafting! Thank you!