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Cost
$ $ $ $ $
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• • • • •
Time
1h30

Never buy a notepad again!
At Shelf Life Art & Supply Co., an art supply store in Greensboro, NC, USA, we go through lots of paper. All of our scrap paper gets saved in a box, and when it gets full, we make notepads from the recycled papers! It's simple, fun, and can make a great promotional item (only with paper sans personal/customer information, of course).

Posted by ShelfLifeArt from Greensboro, North Carolina, United States • Published
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  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 1
    Step 1

    Gather the materials you need. First, collect a lot of paper. We like to recycle scrap paper for this project, but new paper would work too.

    You can use an X-Acto knife and a ruler, or any paper cutter of your choosing, depending on what you have on hand.

    You will also need binder clips and glue.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 2
    Step 2

    We use the Lineco brand PH Neutral PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate) Glue that we stock at Shelf Life. Any brand will do, but it is important that PVA is used. It is strong and flexible!

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 3
    Step 3

    Start by cutting your paper into the size of your choosing. We like to use 3" (~7.6 cm) squares. You can use an X Acto knife and a ruler...

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 4
    Step 4

    ...or you can use a paper cutter, such as this one made for scrapbooking.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 5
    Step 5

    Cut a bunch! We generally make a stack around 1/2 inch (~1.25 cm) tall.

    Gather a decorative piece of paper for your cover, and a piece of chipboard for the backing. Our chipboard came from the back of a used up pad of paper.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 6
    Step 6

    Cut the cover and backing to the same size as your sheets, in our case, 3" (~7.6 cm) square.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 7
    Step 7

    Cut a 1/2 inch (~1.25 cm) sliver of chipboard to use as a "spatula" for the glue in Step 11.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 8
    Step 8

    It's time for the glue and binder clips!

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 9
    Step 9

    Make sure all your paper is facing the same direction (if the paper is printed on one side, the "clean" side should face front). Add the cover and backing to your stack.

    Tamp down the stack so that one end is very flat.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 10
    Step 10

    Carefully use binder clips to secure the stack near its very flat edge.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 11
    Step 11

    Place a dollop of PVA glue on one end of your chipboard "spatula."

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 12
    Step 12

    Spread a generous, but not runny, layer of glue on the very flat edge of your paper stack, making sure to cover the entire surface. It may be necessary to apply another dollop of glue, if the first is not enough.

    Smooth it out evenly with a few passes of the "spatula."

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 13
    Step 13

    Place a third binder clip on the bottom of the stack, so that the glue will dry face up, without running.

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 14
    Step 14

    Wait until the glue dries completely (a few hours, to be safe), and remove the binder clips. Decorate the cover as you wish...

  • How to make a notebook journal. How To Make A Recycled Paper Pad With Shelf Life Art & Supply Co.! - Step 15
    Step 15

    ...and enjoy your new recycled notepad!

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