matchbook notebooks

These make great party favors, stocking stuffers, little things to tuck in with a birthday card, whatever.  Make them bigger and you can use them as journals.



Gather your supplies:

2" x 5" cardstock (dark red)
2" x 5" decorative paper (this is optional, I used a pink swirl)
several sheets of 2" x   1 ¾" paper for the inside pages of your book (my stapler could handle about 15)
ruler
scoring tool (I used a steel crochet hook because it was handy)
glue stick
stapler



From one end, score your cardstock at ½".  From the other end, score at 2" and 2 ¼". Fold up at the ½" mark, nestle your inside pages there, and staple.

Yeah, I gotta get a new stapler.  The stapler is the easiest, fastest way I can think of (if you have a stapler that works, that is), but there are many alternatives.  You could do two eyelets with a ribbon, you could do a Japanese bookbinding technique, whatever will hold all those pages in.  Just depends how fancy you want to get, and how much time you want to take.

Apply glue along the flap with the staple, then stick on your decorative paper.  You can skip this step if you don't mind the staple showing, I just felt compulsive that day, and the kiddies were glueing and sticking right beside me, so I didn't feel rushed.

Turn the whole thing over, apply glue all along the back, and finish making it look pretty. 

Don't really know if I'm explaining this well in words, it's not at all complicated, just look at the pictures and hopefully it makes sense.

Flip it back over, fold on the remaining two lines, and ta-dah, you're done.

Well, wait, not yet.  You've got to embellish!

They're really fun to make, what are you going to put on the front of yours?

Comments

[Michelle]

Super cute. I like the idea of a tutorial as a blog entry. I'd sure like to learn how to eat--i mean, make--those decorative oreo cookies!

[Amy :)]

SO cute, and so easy! With projects like these I always get hung up in starting them, thinking they're going to take all day. Thanks for your tutorial!

[Karen]

What a wonderful idea!!! I love it - how did you ever come up with that. I think I may try to make one today. :)

[laeroport]

Wow! Those are great! I'm totally stealing that!

[Laurie]

Aren't these great?! I usually stick a couple in with each package I send out. Great tutorial!

[Regina]

excellent tutorial!

[Stacy]

Hey those are awesome! I am too gonna try it. Great tutorial.

[mary jane]

These are great! Thanks! I'm putting an olive on mine.

[vicki]

what an adorable notepad! great tutorial.

[Lucy]

Holy Cow! I have to try that. I love notebooks for everything and these are so much cooler than any I've seen for a while. I will have to do this with my kids!! Thanks for sharing this tutorial!

[Lucy]

Ok I made some and these are so fun. I am cutting a bunch out for my kids to do tomorrow. It is so simple. I can see them passing these in school instead of notes. Hee Hee.

[Kansas A]

Those are the cutest! Great tutorial!

[Sairey Gamp]

These are so cute I immediately had to make some myself.

http://flickr.com/photos/10601633@N02/sets/72157603070727227/

I had the card and the origami paper laying around. I used out-of-date letterhead from work for the pages -- gorgeous heavy rag paper. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Tina]

I can't wait to try this out.

[Brittany]

Thanks for the tutorial! I'd never made these before, but they're totally fun!

[Rebecca]

getting started tomorrow! thanks so much!

[casey]

these are sooo fun to make! for a more recycled look, i have been cutting the cardboard from food packages that would normally get thrown away and using that instead. (ex, pop tart boxes, crackers, etc.) my son loves them and i may just have to make 24 or so for his last day of school. thanks for such a great tutorial. by the way, a crochet hook is the way to go for scoring the covers, that's all that i had handy too. heehee