Making a Notepad From Leftover Paper

This is my first Instructable. Quarantine gave me the motivation to participate in the paper contest, so let’s see how it goes!

I learned how to bind about ten years ago, but I’ve never been constant on it or any other craft I know how to do as I would wanted to. Being that said, I am sure this notepad will come out great.

I have a lot of scrap paper from a friend’s printing shop, as well as some leftovers from my own paper that I used to make using some other paper making techniques (fiber).

Let's make a very simple Japanese binding, so It can be made with whatever material you have at home. Enjoy working on it.

Tools and supplies

1. Plain paper, I had 8.5 x 4.25 in leftover
2. Natural fiber paper, you can change it for fabric or other kind of paper
3. Waxed cotton cord
4. Cardboard, you can use the one from cereal box
5. Colored paper to use as guards for covers
6. Painter tape just to hold the paper in place
7. White glue and brush
8. Scissors
9. Knife
10. Needle awl
11. Needle
12. Ruler
13. Cutting mat
14. Couple of clamps

Cut the plain paper on half to get a pocket size notepad. This will yield 100 4x4 .5 paper sheets. Then take one page to make a punch pattern, leaving 3/8 in margin from the top, bottom and left side to draw 5 dots distributed equally. Using the same measurements, cut the covers and punch out all of them together. Then fold the covers leaving 3/4 in for margin.

Take a piece of decorative paper or fabric, (in my case, I used the natural fiber paper in two tones and for the inside part a color scrapbooking paper, plus a couple of dry leaves.)

Cut 60 inches of thread and stitch the notepad in a simple Japanese long stitch. Start in the second hole from one of the ends from the back. When the thread is out from the other side pull the rest leaving about 12 in free. Take the needle to the back of the pad, pass the thread under the left 12 inches and put a clamp so it won’t move as you stitch it. Repeat this step until you finish, when you come at the last stitch come back and restitch but take the needle out at some where of the middle of the pad and make a simple knot. Go back to the first side of the thread and repeat this last stitch.

You can put your new notepad between heavy books so it flattens. Just make sure the glue has already dried before doing it.

Enjoy your notepad!