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Handmade Books More Christmas Crafts

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By Michele Beschen

Do-It-Yourself Sketchbooks, Journals and Idea Books

Looking for a practical gift? Create sketchbooks, journals and idea books people can actually use with these simple and versatile instructions.

Materials:

hard material such as old game board, Masonite, or thin wood
cardboard - optional
standard drill and drill bit
loose leaf or alternative paper
loose leaf rings or 1/4" slices of PVC pipe

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Steps:

1. Cut hard material such as old game boards, Masonite, or thin wood to desired notebook size (figure A). Tip: To draft out your design, do a sample book out of cardboard. The cardboard from cereal boxes works great for this.

2. Drill holes in hard material along the edge of both the front and back boards (figure B) with a standard drill bit. If creating a loose leaf ring book, use a piece of loose leaf paper as your guide for hole placement.

3. Connect with loose leaf rings that can be found at any office supply store (figure C). The size of ring you need will be determined by the amount of filler you’ll be using. You can also create your own rings by slicing off 1/4-inch slices of PVC pipe and clipping in the middle to open, or bind with hinges, nuts/bolts or strips of leather.

Handmade books of all types are excellent gift ideas that are always appreciated!

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