Tutorial: Cereal Box Notebooks

When I was moving and reorganizing my studio a couple months ago, I ran across my binding machine. I don't use this tool often and it's not the most glamorous or popular tool in my collection, but it has definitely got plenty of use over the years making cookbooks and calendars that were given as Christmas gifts.

Finding my binder got me thinking about other projects that it could be used for. Since I always carry a pad of paper with me to jot down ideas when I am on the go, I decided to make a quirky, upcycled notebook to stash in my purse.

These would also make inexpensive teacher or parent appreciation gifts.

Materials

• empty cereal box
• GBC(R) CombBind C50 Binding System
• 1/2 Inch-Diameter Plastic Binding Combs
• Fiskars Paper Trimmer
• scissors
• printer paper (8 1/2 x 11 inches)

Directions

	Empty a cereal box. If your house is anything like mine, it shouldn't be hard to find one.
	Open up the box so it can be flattened.
	Make the notebook covers by using a paper trimmer to cut two 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch rectangles.
	Use the binding machine to punch holes along one of the long edges of both the front and back covers.
	Now that the covers are ready, you'll need some pages. I used about 15 piece of paper for my notebook.
	Fold each piece of paper in half lengthwise.
	Then cut it in half.
	Slide the folded edge of the paper into the binding machine to punch the holes.
	Repeat with the other pages.
	Use scissors to cut your binding comb in half. You can use your cover as a guide.
	Place the comb into the binder and open up the teeth.
	Place the back cover, face down into the comb.
	Add your pages.
	Place the top cover, face up. Close the comb and remove the notebook.

Of course you can adjust the size of your pages, covers and even the diameter of your binding combs to make your notebook bigger, smaller, thicker or thinner. You may even want to raid the pantry for other types of boxes. When I found a Zante Currant box, I couldn't resist recycling it into a notebook.