SIMPLE SOFTCOVER NOTEBOOK DIY.

I discovered this fantastic blog called Design & Form whilst trawling Pinterest on the weekend, sadly it isn't being updated any more but you can still pore through the archives and enjoy it's beautiful minimal aesthetic and clever diy's. I loved these diy felt slippers, braided trivet and origami paper lily but it was this diy for an xl notebook that really caught my eye. You know how much I love notebooks and you can never have too many, right?

To make my notebook I used some A4 printer paper that I already had lying around. For the cover I used a couple of pieces of  scrapbook paper from the Diy Shop range from Crate Paper. It's another one of those easily customisable projects that you know I love. The original diy used plain black paper for the cover but by choosing your favourite patterned or non-patterned paper or even making your own and adding some colourful ribbon or twine you can put your own unique spin on it.

Things you'll need to make your own Simple Diy Softcover Notebook: A4 paper, Scrapbook paper, A pencil, A ruler, Hole punch, Bakers twine, And some scissors.

1. To make sure all your holes are in the same place you'll need to make a guide. Mark on a piece of paper where you want the holes to be. I measured mine 1.5 inches and 2.5 inches from the top and the same on the bottom.

2. Line up the hole punch and punch out the holes. To make sure I only punched one hole at a time I used the end of my hole punch and then moved it in an inch. A single hole punch would work even better.

3. Take a stack of paper (10 sheets at a time worked best for me), use your guide piece of paper to mark the holes on the top piece and punch. If you're worried about your stack of paper moving around you can use a couple of binder clips to hold your paper in place. Keep going until you have a thick stack of paper.

4. Measure and cut out a couple of pieces or scrapbook paper for the cover. The piece I used is a calendar made up of rulers, I really like that you can use it to highlight and take note of certain dates. I wanted my book to be soft and flexible so I choose scrapbook paper for the cover but you could use a thin card if you wanted a more sturdy notebook. Just remember your hole punch needs to be able to punch through it.

5. Line up your stack of paper with the covers on both sides and thread some bakers twine through the holes. Tie in a tight knot on the back of your notebook to keep the front looking neat and tidy and you're all done.

Pretty easy, right? I love that it's nice and thick and the pages rip out easily as well. I think it would make a great sketchbook although I'd probably need a thicker cover if I was going to carry it around with me. For now this one is sitting on my desk so we'll see how it goes. If I end up liking it as much as I think I will I can always make another but this time with a stronger cover and maybe even some watercolour or sketchbook paper as the pages.