Stationary Obsessions and a Notebook How-To

I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but I kind of use this blog like therapy. I talk about my childhood and crazy things that have gone in my life. I make confessions and talk about my weaknesses.

Well, this week is no different. I want to confess. I’m obsessed with office supplies. I love paper, pencils, pens, markers, glue, envelopes, paper clips, tape, notebooks, journals, cardstock, stencils, office supply organizers, etc. I’m especially a sucker for cute office supplies, office supplies on sale and the killer…cute office supplies on sale. I don’t even use them all. I think I will, but I just love having them. It’s a sickness really.

This week I was at Walmart and I found these composition notebooks for $0.25. I instantly wanted to buy the rest of their supply. But reason set in and I only bought 32 of them (in my defense 22 were for part of my daughter’s birthday party favors). So what do I do with extra composition notebooks. I make them pretty. And I can give them away when I visit my neighbors, or a little thank you gift, or I just keep them :)!

Here’s how you make them pretty. You will need:

A composition notebook

2 pieces of matching scrapbook paper

1 thin piece of contrasting scrapbook paper, vinyl, contact paper or in this example ribbon

Glue stick

Scissors

Pencil

Optional: piece of ribbon and maybe some beads

1. Open your notebook and trace the shape on the back of the scrapbook paper so that you have a piece of scrap book paper the exactly fits the one cover.

2. Cut it out and then glue to the cover with a glue stick (be generous with your glue stick)

3. Repeat that step for the other cover.

4. Cut a piece of ribbon about 6-8 inches longer than the height of our notebook.

5. Glue about 2 inches of the ribbon to the outside spine of the notebook.

6. Cut a piece of paper or vinyl or contact paper (4 inches wide is ideal) and glue/adhere it to the outside spine of the notebook. (I would have used wider ribbon. I like a broader edge...but this works, too!)

7. You’re done. To make sure your ribbon doesn’t fray, burn the edges like we did here. You can add beads to weigh the ribbon down.

8. You can add a name plate or use clear vinyl/contact paper to protect the cover.

P.S. This project did NOT help my office supply addiction! It just made me want to buy more while they are so cheap!