Mini Dot Grid Notebooks
Since spring has officially started, I decided to create these mini dot grid notebooks out of paper scraps I have laying around. To be honest I really just wanted to play around with embossing powders as well as see if I could bind pages together manually using a needle and some thread. If you would like to know how I created the mini notebooks above, just continue reading.
MATERIALS
sheet of card stock (8.5”x11”)
dot grid paper (5.5”x8.5”)
scissors
paper trimmer (optional)
corner rounder (optional)
binder clips
cork board or styrofoam
push pin
embroidery thread
thick sewing needle with eye large enough for embroidery thread
STEPS
1) Gather card stock sheet and dot grid paper. Fold papers in half. You can do a few sheets at a time but I prefer to fold one sheet at a time to make sure the sheet is folded nice and evenly. I used 13 sheets of dot grid paper for a total of 26 pages once each sheet was folded.
2) The card stock will be the cover of the notebook so you want to make sure that the height of the card stock is even with the height of the folded sheets of grid paper. Trim card stock sheet down to size using scissors or paper trimmer.
3) Once card stock is trimmed stack all sheets one inside the other placing the card stock sheet on top around all of the stacked grid papers.
4) Open the folded sheets to the middle. Make sure the creases of all pages are aligned and clip pages together with binder clips for stability.
5) Place clipped opened notebook on top of cork board or styrofoam and using push pin make holes along the crease of the pages. I started making my holes three dot grids from the top and bottom and then every two dot grids in between. My dot grid paper had 5mm spacing so your spacing might be a little different if you are using different paper.
6) Thread your needle with your embroidery thread. I opted for a thread similar in color to the card stock but you can use any color you like just make sure the thread is at least 1.5 to 2 times the length of the notebooks spine and cut. Thread the end through the needle and make a double knot on the end. Make sure the knot is big enough to not slip through the holes you made with the push pin.
7) Start at one end on the inside fold and stitch in and out until you reach the other end. Pull thread taut but not too tight, you have to be able to fold the notebook close and turn the pages without tearing them. I worked from bottom to top and then top to bottom to make sure the entire spine was covered with thread then tied it off where I started on the bottom inside.
8) Now fold entire notebook in half. At this point if you used more than the recommended pages you might have to trim off some of the grid paper to make it flush with the card stock cover.
9) You can leave the corners square or you can round them with a corner rounder. I opted to round mine.
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| mini dot grid notebooks | closed & opened |
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| mini dot grid notebook | close up of stitching |
10)Decorate the cover to your liking or leave as is and you are done. Keep in mind, the cover can be embellished or designed anyway you like. Just let your imagination run wild.
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| mini dot grid notebook | embossed cover |
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