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I am obsessed with stationary. I have more pens, markers, notebooks, and notepads than any one person could use in their lifetime. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need more. Right? Right.
If you’re like me, and you’re always on the hunt for the perfect notepad, you don’t want to skip out on this fun project. Notepads are quick and easy projects that make great gifts. Because they’re customizable, you can make notepads tailored to your needs or the needs of your gift recipient. (Don’t have the best track record at giving handmade gifts that people love? Check out this blog post I wrote about choosing the perfect handmade gift!)
I’ve made a few and this is the technique that I use. Give it a try and see what you think!
To make your own custom notepad you’ll need:
- Paper/Notepad Design: Get creative – this is a custom notepad, after all, and it can look however you want! As you’ll see below, I’m making a “daily distractions” notepad where I can jot down ideas/questions/random thoughts throughout the day. You can also use scrap paper, lined paper, colored paper, or make your own design(s) with a word processor or programs like Canva or Adobe Illustrator. Do you also want to make a distraction pad like the one I made in the tutorial? You can grab the free PDF file I made by clicking here! I printed my pages at home, but you can also print them at a local print shop like Staples.
- Chipboard or Cardboard: You’ll need something to back your custom notepad or it’ll be too flimsy. Cardstock isn’t thick enough; you’ll need to use cardboard. You can use the cardboard from a cereal box, or you can order chipboard like this product on Amazon. Just want to make one or two notepads? Pick up some notepads from the dollar store and remove the paper! I’ve done this–in fact, that’s what I used for this tutorial!–and it works well.
- Glue: PVA glue (like this!) or Mod Podge is ideal for this project. You could also use school glue.
- Scissors or a Paper Cutter: I love my guillotine cutter. You can check it out here.
- Other optional items: Binder clips, scrap paper, and/or pieces of craft wood. (Read through to see what I used this for!)
Directions
Step 1
First, you’ll need to decide what size you want your notepad to be, and what it should look like. What is its purpose? Is it just a cute place to jot ideas? A daily to-do list? A place to write cute affirmations and then pin them onto a bulletin board? The sky is the limit. Google notepads for inspiration or make the same notepad I’m making. You can get the PDF (US letter-sized) for free. Click here to get it!
Next, create your design. As you’ll see, my finished notepad is going to be 4″ x 5″. I designed the file on Canva. Because of the size, I was able to fit four notepad sheets on one piece of US Letter paper. Because I want my notepad to have 50 pages (you can have as many, or as few pages as you want!) I printed 13 of these sheets.
Step 2
Now cut/trim your paper so that you have your notepad sheets. Make sure that they’re all the same size. I like using my guillotine cutter for this. (Don’t have a guillotine cutter? Check this one out on Amazon! They’re also available in lots of different stores, like Walmart, Staples, Michaels, etc.)
Cute your chipboard down to the size you want your notepad to be. Now you should have a piece of chipboard and a stack of notepad paper.
Step 3
Assemble your notepad! The chipboard goes on the bottom (of course) and the stack of paper goes on the top. It’s crucial that everything lines up at the top; you’ll want a flat surface for gluing. Grab the stack and tap it down on your table/counter/workspace to get the top edges all lined up neatly.
Step 4 (Option 1)
Now it’s time to prep your custom notepad for gluing! To help secure everything together while the glue dries, I wrapped a piece of cardstock around the stack of paper & the chipboard as tightly as I could, then further secured it with the binder clips.
Once it’s secure, you’ll apply a thin layer of glue to the top of your notepad. (In this picture, it’s that exposed part at the top.) When it’s dry, repeat. I typically do 5 thin layers of glue, letting it dry fully between each layer.
Step 4 (Option 2)
Instead of using cardstock and clips, you could opt to create a book block/use craft wood to keep it flat. Here I used two pieces of craft wood. (This is the exact product that I used from Dollar Tree.) On this second notepad, I used a few clamps to keep it together, applied my glue, and then added a bunch more clamps. (The clamps are also from Dollar Tree.) When the layer dried, I removed a few clamps, applied another layer, and then put them back on. I did this until I had five layers of glue.
This was a great way to keep everything flat as it dried. I think it’s more effective than just using cardstock (like in the step above), but it requires some extra things that you might not necessarily have lying around the house.
Step 6
Once all your glue is dry, you can remove the card stock, binder clips, craft wood, etc. Now you have your own custom notepad! It’s really that simple!
It’s time to get creative!
The possibilities are endless once you realize how simple it is to make custom notepads. Make daily planners, distraction pads, tear-off game pads to keep the kids entertained in the car, etc. You can make them for yourself, or give them as gifts. You can even make them to sell!
Are you going to make yourself some custom notepads? Let me know in the comments what yours will be for! And show them off on Instagram. Don’t forget to use the hashtags #theserialcreative and #customnotepad
And for more fun DIY gifts, check out this post: 6 Simple DIY Gifts That You Can Make on a Budget.
Thinking about starting a crafty handmade business but you don’t know where to start? Check out this blog post!
