Paper binder.Earlier this week, in my Back to Eww! School post, I ranted about the mindset people have that causes them to needlessly spend money on items they already own; resulting in an abundance of leftover school supplies from previous years. I am totally a type A person who likes everything neat and tidy and in its specific place. If you have ever seen Monk, yeah that's me. So all this clutter chaos caused by Ew's incessant school shopping has me a bit miffed.
I am looking into ways to responsibly rid myself of this surplus and have received some good suggestions from you all. However, half used beat up notebooks are not something my church can send to needy children. We have a lot of these. In an effort to reduce the sheer volume of stuff we possess and feel less guilty about trash through repurposing I made a paper binder.
The materials:
Various leftover notebooks with usable paper and a vinyl binder I was feeling guilty about throwing away. *Which is why it had not quite made it to the trash yet.* I clipped all the spiral bindings off the notebooks and sorted the fresh from used paper. Why not just tear the pages out? Because I am Mr. Monk and like clean edges. If I had tore them out I would have had to go back and trim all the frayed edges off. I know, I may have a problem. Then I removed the three ring spine from the binder and separated the pieces.
Various leftover notebooks with usable paper and a vinyl binder I was feeling guilty about throwing away. *Which is why it had not quite made it to the trash yet.* I clipped all the spiral bindings off the notebooks and sorted the fresh from used paper. Why not just tear the pages out? Because I am Mr. Monk and like clean edges. If I had tore them out I would have had to go back and trim all the frayed edges off. I know, I may have a problem. Then I removed the three ring spine from the binder and separated the pieces.
After punching holes in the top cover it was as simple as assembling.
Done! A pile of old notebooks, past calendar, and a trashed binder reduced to one. Streamlined just the way I like it. The used pages from the notebooks will be cut into scrap paper, the covers composted, and the binding reserved for a future craft project. The only trash I have now is the vinyl binder cover and I may just find a use for that, too.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
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8 comments:
I love it! Bravo!
Another similar idea would be to bind the pages together, cover the boards with (recycled?) fabric, attach, and give to someone as a journal. Have to find another use for the rings, though.
And I know what you mean about going back and trimming edges... luckily I have a paper cutter for that very reason...
Cool! Thanks for the idea!
Great idea--and great execution of that idea! I, too, would be bothered by messy edges. And I, too, don't tattered like half-used notebooks. (I actually don't have any of these anymore, but I do remember this from high school!)
Oh, and like Robin, I own a paper cutter. I don't know how I ever lived without it!
Thanks for joining us for Thrifty Green Thursdays!
Good idea. I have tons of half-used school supplies!
Wonderful! Your finished product looked better than a brand new binder--which is icing on the cake! I'm a school teacher while I'm not detail oriented in most other areas of my life, I can tell you that the dangling bits on the edges of spiral notebook paper drive me mad! Thanks for making paper recycling so chic--and for joining Thrifty Green Thursday this week!
dang! you are way more creative than me..... i just stood in front of the recycle dumpster ripping out the pages and then threw them in a pile in my office.
That's a great idea. I can see lots of possibilities for letting kids decorate the binders too.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
My husband made a comment to me the other day - "I guess I can use this notebook...it says 'home inventory 2004.'" Oops. Even if you don't have school kids, you're still at risk!
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