In which post Julie uses scissors and tape...

Those of you who know me know that I am a digi girl through and through.  I've made no secret that I scrap digitally because I have no talent for the real tangible scissors and paste sort.  So knowing that about me, you can understand how shocked I am that this planner preoccupation of mine (notice how I didn't use the word obsession there.  I try to dance around that word, it sounds so... well, obsessive, LOL) is dragging me in to the world of scissors and tape and things you hold in your hand.

I have tried to rein in the desire to buy everything that sparks my curiosity.  I have acquired a few binder-style planners and one arc-bound version (not a fan).  But lately I have been fascinated by the traveler's notebook concept, with it's interchangeable notebook system.  With the disappointment of a few of the things I have ordered and not been happy with (I'm looking at you, Happy Planner - ironic that you didn't make me happy, and the Heidi Swapp personal planner is right up there, too), I figured I'd better find a thrifty way to experiment and decide if this is something I really really want or if it's just curiosity.  (Honestly, if I could have handled all of these planners before purchasing them, my collection would consist of 2 or 3, and not gasp 7).

As a result, I've buckled down and made my own "paper" dori.  Which seems to have sparked an obses...er, preoccupation all its own, since I've actually made two in as many days.  Of course, the excuse for the second one was that I didn't take many photos of the process for the first, and there were many things about the first one that disappointed me (oh, for an "undo" button!).  So, without further ado, let me show you what I've done.

First, I made my filler notebook.  I cut a piece of cardstock (letter size) in half, so my cover was 8.5" x 5.5".  I cut several pieces of paper (I printed a light grid on them, first) in half and then trimmed them so they were a bit smaller than the cover.  I measured the center, and opened up my stapler and stapled straight through into a cork coaster I happened to have.  Then I pulled it out of the coaster and closed the staples.  As you can see, I did it from the center inside of the booklet to the back; on further tries I did it from the outside to the inside, but honestly I don't know that it matters.  After stapling, I folded the cover pages back to the outside first.

Then I gently folded the inside pages inwards, one side at a time, and then the outside pages were folded in.  I covered the spine with washi tape and tucked it under the pages.  The first booklet I made, the inside pages were a little too long for my taste, so I ended up putting them in my trimmer and narrowing them.  (Can you tell I'm not one for precise measurements?  Seriously, I'm an eyeballer, so my process is sort of "make it up as you go")

 Next I got out my Contact Paper.  For the first version I made, I used a different brand and it was super shiny and slick.  Not a fan.  Contact Paper makes a matte clear cover and I like the feel of it much better!  It was at this point that I realized I hadn't printed my cover paper, LOL.  You are getting the step-by-step, even with the errors ;)  I printed a letter-size sheet of matte presentation paper with papers from my Passionately kit.  Then I measured past the edges of my inner notebook and cut accordingly - and after it was all finished I decided I hadn't made it quite big enough, so I will add my desired measurements at the end of the post :)

Once cut, I rounded the corners with this nifty corner chomper I recently acquired at a thrift shop.  My inexperience showed here; I should have used the smaller size round for this smaller dori.  Then I applied Contact paper to the outside, peeling off the leading edge and applying to the edge of my cover, and then gradually pulling back the liner paper while burnishing with my ruler.

Once that was finished, I trimmed the excess Contact paper to the edge, and then repeated the process for the inside.  I then measured down from the edge and on the center line and marked my holes for threading the elastic - holes about 1/8 inch in from the top, and another set about 1/8 inch in from those, plus a center hole for the cover closure.

I used a paper piercer (leftover from a failed hybrid project attempt many years ago) to punch my holes; it didn't really create a large enough hole, but my only hole punch is too huge for this size notebook.  I used the paper piercer to help me shove the elastic cording through LOL.  From inside to outside on the very top and very bottom holes, then from outside back to the inside on the middle two holes.  Keeping the elastic taut but not so much as to keep the cover from laying flat, I tied a double knot.  (Note - make sure you test the tightness before you commit and cut off the excess!)  Then I doubled my closure elastic and pushed the folded end for the inside out to the outside.

I double checked to make sure it was the appropriate length, and then tied a knot to secure it.  Then just had to slide my inner notebook in, and fasten on a cute charm to the outside cord!

Voila!

The final measurements that I decided on:

Cover - 9.5 x 6"
Elastic - about 18 inches for inner bands, and about 10-11 for the outside closure

Inside notebook cover - 8.5 x 5.5"
Inside notebook pages - 8.125 x 5.25"

I went ahead and made two more inner notebooks using more papers from the kit as covers.  I love my cute little paper dori!