DIY / How-to Guides and Resources

[Phthalo]

Here you will find a great list of useful, clever and cost-effective Paper and Pen Paraphernalia DIY topics, kindly contributed by fellow members of the FPN Community!

 

http://www.ciar-roisin.net/images/PPP-DIYLogo.gif DIY / How-to Guides and Resources

 

» Leather Slip-In Two Pen Pouch http://www.ciar-roisin.net/images/ei/new.gif

Contributed By: bphollin

» Cigar Box Pen Storage Case

Contributed By: bobioden

» Cloth 3-Pen Wrap

Contributed By: jlh8114

» DIY Slotter Trays (for Cigar Boxes)

Contributed By: Fox in the Stars

» Homemade Journal (Hand-Stitched, A6-size, Leather)

Contributed By: TMLee

» Homemade Notebook (Hand-Stitched, A5-size)

Part 1

- Introduction and Materials

Part 2 - The Bookblock

Part 3 - The Cover

Part 4 - Final Assembly

Contributed By: robeck

» How to Make Your Own Legal Pad

Contributed By: nimrod

(Please PM the forum Moderators with your suggestions for this topic list!)

Edited March 29, 2009 by Phthalo

[TMLee]

Gee whiz ...

I am honoured that my thread has been accorded "reference" status...

I feel good ...

Thanks.

 

 

 

[nimrod]

Yay! Thanks! Maybe this will help encourage the creation of additional guides by various people.

[Italicist]

Many thanks for pinning these, Phthalo, and thanks to the contributors for taking the time to teach the rest of us how to make these useful and beautiful objects.

[nuntym]

Pretty Good on Paper

How to make index card wallets and other kinds of useful stuff out of sturdy paper

Edited July 31, 2010 by nuntym

[opitzs]

Could you edit the faq to say that the thread "DIY Slotter Trays" is by now pictureless and then delete my post?

 

Thank you

Sven

[fsnow55]

I came up with a way to make my own n-number of pages notepad very quickly (less than 1 minute).

The idea to make accordion folds notepads are not new, but I found that the number of pages

are limited. Here's my mod to make 11 pages (from a 17x11 inch paper):

flickr

 

The flickr ordering is a little messed up; just follow by the number of the file (but it's really simple).

 

 

LMK what you think, thanks.

[nicnilla]

Thank you for sharing. I was searching for a way to make a pen pouch. I will definitely try this!

[mnkygrl7]

Hope this is the appropriate place to post; this is not a resource from a member of the FP Network, but seems to be a good guide to DIY Bookbinding.

 

http://makeprojects.com/Project/Olde-School+Bookbinding/1038/1#.UQYEyOjECMA

[huhjunn]

Awesome post thanks!

[fuschiahedgehog]

I love notebooks but hate the cheap paper found in most of them, so I make my own. I have a Levenger Circa punch (same system as Staples Arc and Rollabind) and lots of Circa and Rollabind discs. I also have a 2-wire binding machine (it punches and binds), as well as a few boxes of different sized 2-wire spines. My fave size in both types is 1" thick. I use poly report covers (available at any office supply store in the binding section) or I reuse the covers from an older notebook if I don't intend to save it. If I want folder pockets or dividers I can punch those as well, with either system. Much cheaper than the Levenger circa pre-punched stuff.

 

For writing notebooks, I print my own lined layout on heavy laser paper (love the 32-lb HP when I can find it!). Same thing for my calendar/planner. I've also taken pre-printed planner calendars and re-punched them for the Circa or 2-wire, which works very well too. For sketch/art notebooks I use various drawing or watercolor paper, depending on what medium I intend to use. I often buy 90lb or 140lb hot press watercolor paper in the large 22x30 sheets and cut it down to the desired size (using an exacto knife/straightedge first, then a guillotine paper cutter once it's cut to manageable chunks). Sure, the finished edges aren't as neat as a store-bought notebook, but that adds to the charm. That's what I tell myself, anyway! Also, as a lefty, I can put the spine up on top instead of the left side.

[inkstainedruth]

What a great thread! Thanks to everyone for posting.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Plume145]

Is it okay to post your own tutorial in here? Or well, the one I have in mind is more of a hack than a tutorial, but still. So? Is it?

[PDXJill]

Does anyone know where Midori gets the tin fasteners for their Travelers notebooks? Alternatively, any ideas for a crimp that would help secure the elastic cord?

 

Thanks!

[fireant]

Does anyone know where Midori gets the tin fasteners for their Travelers notebooks? Alternatively, any ideas for a crimp that would help secure the elastic cord?

 

Thanks!

 

 

This Etsy shop sells something similar in various amounts.

 

If you are in Portland OR and want to split an order for them let me know-I've made one fauxdori and will probably make a couple more for moleskine size books I plan on making.

 

If you have the leather, its fairly easy to make this-I made it for my boy friend as a valentines gift-I wanted him to be able to keep field notes or the smaller moleskine cahiers in it.

 

eta -I put pics in and then deleted them

Edited February 25, 2015 by fireant

[laurenm]

Thank you for posting this! Off to check the links out now

[micalela1]

Great thread. I also use the Levenger Circa, Staples Arc, Office Max Tul items. I print my own planner pages off of files i've purcahsed from Ebay. I use an HP 29# paper most of the time as it works great with my FPs. But I also love the Clairfountain paper. I've boufht the paper and hole punched them and put them in my discbound notebooks. This thread makes me want to loom at other bookbindings I can make for myself. Lots of great information here!

[Gnome DePloom]

I don't know if this is the place to post this or not. I'll take a chance, anyway.

 

I have been playing around with making my own little pocket notebooks. Think "Field Notes" size, and you'll get the picture. I generally prefer a light blue or light green paper when I am writing, so have been doing that. I've been fairly please with the results.

 

So far, I have been using:

 

Plain ol' colored paper, purchased at Staples or Office Depot.

Recycled cereal boxes for the covers.

Dental floss.

 

*****

 

OK. They are not the **best** notebooks for FP use, but they are serving me fairly well. But now that I have some experience, I'm ready to make some nicer ones, as gifts. I have gotten my nephew interested innFP's, and would like to give him a few custom journals for Christmas.

 

So.

 

I'm already planning on 32 lb. HP laser paper for some of them. This is easy. Wasteful, but easy. And I will probably give a new home to a packet of Stuart Hall linen paper that I found in Goodwill, as well as some kind of Mead "Old World" paper . . . same deal. I may try some "cotton" papers as well.

 

The problem:

 

I really like the look of the Kraft cereal boxes I have been using. I would rather they were blank on both sides, though, and I have no idea where to get this.

 

Does anyone know what "cereal box" material *is*, exactly. I know there are various companies, so it will vary a little bit, but really . . . just a general idea of what that Raisin Bran or Cap'n Crunch box is would get me in the right direction.

 

I'm *thinking* that it might be "20pt chipboard," but what with 65 lb paper, and card stock, and cover, and chipboard, and on, and on, and on, I'm a bit confused.

 

Can anyone help me with some information?

[Matthew Lee 1959]

I don't know why it is so hard to find a simple template to make my own college ruled lined notebook paper, so I made my own.  This is a pdf file of the template I created in Illustrator and I use it to turn whatever bulk paper I choose into lined writing paper.  The spacing is 9/32 and I hope you find this useful.  This is for standard 8.5 x 11 paper

Lined writing paper.pdf

[LizEF]

On 10/30/2017 at 10:32 PM, Gnome DePloom said:

Does anyone know what "cereal box" material *is*, exactly.

Perhaps contact: https://globalcustompackaging.com/products/cereal-boxes-kraft.html

 

Or any of the other printing companies, found in a google search, that sell custom cereal boxes?  Not necessarily to have them make you cereal boxes (though you never know, one of them might have reasonable prices and you could have fun with it), but to find out what to call, and possibly where to source the material.