Making a Simple Notebook From Printed Pages

I keep a small stack of printed pages on my desk. I make simple notebooks for meetings, garden notes, and grocery lists. The process takes about ten minutes once I have paper and a stapler.

I start by printing lined sheets. I choose A4 or Letter depending on the binder or folder I plan to use. I print a few extra pages because I always mess up one fold. If I want a pocket notebook, I cut the sheets in half after printing. For a full-size notebook, I leave them as they are.

Then I fold. For a small notebook, I stack five to eight half-sheets, fold the stack in half, and press the crease with the back of a spoon. For a full-size one, I fold the whole stack in half only if the paper is thin; otherwise I keep it flat and bind along the left edge. Folding first makes the pages line up better, but it is not required.

I use two methods for binding. For a quick booklet, I staple along the fold in two or three places. I open the notebook and staple through the center fold so the staple ends are inside. For a folder-ready version, I three-hole punch the stack and put it in a ring binder. I punch a test page first, because printed margins can shift.

A cover sheet helps. I use a sheet of card stock or a plain printed page with the month written at the top. I fold it with the stack so it becomes the outside. If I am three-hole punching, I punch the cover too.

At the end of each month, I refill. I pull out the used pages, keep the cover, and add fresh printable lined paper in A4 or Letter to the stack. I staple or punch it again and date the cover. That small refill routine keeps me from buying another notebook.

— Emily Parker