How To Make Notebooks At Home In 15 Minutes
Step by step instructions on how to make notebooks by hand and is beginner friendly.
I will show you the easiest way to make notebooks at home in no time. Trust me, you’ll quickly develop a new hobby making handmade notebooks. Especially if you have a small business, these are the perfect stationary notebooks to sell.
There are so many different kinds of notebooks you can make by hand. Think to-do lists, recipes books, planners, reading journals, and so much more! Not only are handmade notebooks fun, it is also cost effective in the long run. No more buying boring store-bought journals.
What you need to make your own notebook:
- The Cinch book binding machine (no sewing required!)
- Blank paper for the inside
- 2 pieces of patterned scrapbook paper
- Binding coils
- Optional: pliers, chipboard for hardcover
How To Make Notebooks Of Any Size To Sell
Luckily, the Cinch makes it incredible easy to make various sized books. You can make them only a couple of inches, or up to 12 inches! Which means you have complete creative freedom of your projects.
Each notebook only takes a couple of minutes to complete. This is great news if you want to produce a lot to sell, give as party favors, or just hand out to friends.
Let’s run through the steps from the beginning, then you will get a better understanding of what I mean!
1. Create A DIY Notebook Cover – Hardcover
The first step to creating your own notebooks is designing the cover.
There are quite a few options for notebook covers. You can go for a hardcover, plastic cover, or paper.
I prefer hardcover notebooks because they will protect the inside pages much better than regular paper can.
What materials are notebooks made of?
If you want to learn how to make notebooks with a hardcover, you will first need chipboard.
Chipboard is basically thick cardstock made to be strong and heavy. You could technically use recycled box cardboard, just make sure it has the same thickness.
Next, you will want to decorate your covers with pattern designs. You could achieve your desired look with scrapbook paper, fabric, or paints. Scrapbook paper is by far the easiest in my opinion.
There are so many cute paper patterns on the market. Think of the theme you want for your notebook, and pick out a corresponding paper.
Use double-sided adhesive to attach the paper to the chipboard. Permanent double sided adhesive will ensure the design is on there for good. Check out the best scrapbook adhesives for projects like this.
2. Design The Inside Notebook Pages
The thing I love about the Cinch machine by We R makers is the complete freedom to customize your notebook.
You could keep it simple and just use plain, blank white pages. That’s what I did for my sketchbook.
Although, you do have the option to create fully customized, functional notebooks. For example, dotted-lined journals, habit-trackers, recipe books, gratitude notebooks, meal prep, etc. So many options!
If you want to know how to make notebooks that serve a purpose, I suggest you check out Canva. There, you can completely customize different templates for your needs (Source: “How To Make A Notebook On Canva“).
3. How To Make A Spiral Notebook With The Cinch Machine
Once the contents of your notebooks are ready, the next step is to assemble!
Binding your notebook is much easier than it seems. See for yourself how easy it is to align each page for uniform punches.
- Punch holes on each page – Measure the length of your notebook to determine how many holes need to be punched. If you get to the end of your notebook and there are extra button punches, pull those out so they do not create unnecessary holes.
- Add binding wire – Place binding wire on the right-side hooks and add paper.
- Adjust coil sizes – Press and turn the knob on the back of the Cinch machine to adjust the size of your binding coils.
- Close binding rings – Use the handle to close and secure the binding
- Cut off excess wire – If you created a notebook less than 12 inches in length, you will likely have left over wire. Use wire trimmers to cut off any excess.
After you complete these steps, you’ll officially know how to make notebooks at home! After much practice, I can make my own notebook in less than 15 minutes. You will quickly realize how much fun they are to make, and all the different projects you can create.
4. Use It, Sell It, Love It
Notebooks will never go out of style. Even in the digital age with Iphone notes, and online documents.
There is something satisfying about pen on paper. For many people, writing stuff down helps them remember better. Everyone can always use a new notebook, especially if it is handmade.
Many people will create there own small stationary business selling their homemade notebooks and journals. All you need is to design something unique and useful that people can use daily.
Create your own online website or sell notebooks on online marketplaces such as Etsy. Craft fairs are another popular place I see people selling personalized notebooks.
Why Notebooks Make Great Handmade Gifts That Are Easy!
Two things people love – useful gifts and handmade items. Put the two together and you have the perfect gift!
Notebooks made at home are the perfect gift for friends because it is practical, yet affordable. Each notebook can be completely personalized to the person’s design preferences and needs.
Create school notebooks for your children, or to-do lists for your mom. A personalized recipe notebook is the perfect gift to give grandparents and cousins.
A store-bought notebook cannot even come close to the personalization you put into your books. People will quickly see how much thought and effort you put into their gift.
How To Make Notebooks To Sell
Selling notebooks can be competitive. Although with unique designs and personalized pages, you can create a competitive advantage against other sellers.
Before you decide to sell your notebooks, ask yourself these questions:
- What makes my notebooks different than others?
- Who is my target customer?
- Where will I sell?
Having a thorough understanding of what makes your product unique will help you identify ways to sell your notebook.
For example, if you plan on selling notebooks to students think about how they will use them. They likely need notebooks for note-taking, studying, to-do lists, and planning their day. Cater to these students by designing personalized pages that will help them with their notetaking and planning.
Next, you will want to think about where to sell. Online marketplaces, pop-up shops, and social media are all great starting points.
Learn to market your notebooks by highlighting their unique attributes. Soon enough, you will have a genuine interest from customers willing to buy from you.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
Can you make notebooks with A4 paper?
Yes! Any sized paper will work with the Cinch machine by We R Makers.
Are these notebooks good for school students?
Check with your local school’s requirements on proper notebooks. Some schools may require double-lined notebooks, or double-ruled. They may also want the paper to be perforated.
Regardless, you can buy the proper paper for your notebook and design the cover. This way, you can still make a stylish notebook design for school.
Where do you get paper for your notebooks?
You likely have tons of paper lying around your house. Any blank paper can be used in a notebook. If you want to learn how to make notebooks that are more functional, you will need lined pages.
If you are looking to buy specific paper for your notebooks, try searching for lined or dotted pages. You can also find lots of templates on Etsy that can be printed out at home.
What is the cost of creating your own notebook?
The initial cost of the Cinch machine is an investment. But after creating a dozen or so books, the machine will pay for itself. Especially if you sell a few of your books, the money can quickly be recuperated
Not taking into account the initial cost of the machine, the average cost of creating a notebook is approximately $4-$5. The binding costs about $1.75. The paper and chipboard will equal about $2. Although it is cheaper if you buy paper in bulk.
Compared to the average cost of a store-bought notebook that is $8-$15, creating your own is much cheaper. Plus more fun!
This post will teach you how to make notebooks
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