Craft Tuesday: Make your own notepads!

Let me give a brief history of this project: I followed the instructions I found on a collection of different blogs, but the adhesive they said to use (padding compound/adhesive) didn't work! I don't know if it was the specific one I bought, or if I didn't use it correctly, but I was quite dismayed. And determined. I decided that I had to try something different. SO I had to experiment. How about Mod Podge? Would that work? Why yes, yes it does! =D

This homemade note/memo pad is a great project to do with leftover scrapbooking paper that you'd normal toss out,  cardstock scraps, paper that you print out (to make personalized notepads), or paper you buy specifically for this (you know those paper stacks you find in the scrapbooking section? Hooray for pre-coordinated paper). I have lots of scrapbooking paper scraps and full pages I have had for years that have never been used and were getting ready to be thrown out, so I decided to use those. You don't need much for this project! Just a little time and some color coordination!

For this project, you will need:

• Paper
• Craft paper cutter (or scissors and a ruler, but I suggest something like the Cutterbee, pictured, or Fiskars craft paper cutter)
• Drop cloth for use when applying adhesive
• Mod Podge (not pictured, that's a picture of the first adhesive I used, which didn't work)
• Binder clips (not pictured)

Please read through the whole set of instructions before beginning!
First I went through all of my papers and divided them into a couple of piles of papers that would look good in a notepad together. I decided to go with the pink/red and blue paper combination.

Next, using my handy-dandy paper cutter (SUCH a good investment, especially since I scrapbook) I trimmed off rough edges and any tears and cut the paper into strips that were 3.5" wide (pictured above). After I did that I had lots of different lengths, since it was scrap paper. From this point on there is not too much direction, because it gets creative. I picked the first paper, making it the bottom piece, and cut it to 8.5" long (the average magnetic notepad is 3.5x8.5"). I then continued to pick papers and trim them down, making each piece 1/16" smaller than the one it stacked on top of. Make sure you save your scraps you trim off of the 3.5" because you will use them later! Of course you can make all of your paper pieces the same size! It's just a fun look I wanted to try. It takes a while to cut them all and stack them, but the effect is really great in the end.

Now, if you are strategic with it and have enough paper, you could (theoretically) use the small scraps from the end of the strips (pictured above) and get your notepad so that the bottom piece is 3.5x8.5" and the top piece is 3.5x3.5" Of course, I didn't have enough paper of the set I chose so I used the small pieces to make a separate small stack. I only had to trim up these pieces a little bit.

After all of your stacks are lined up, tap the end you want to the top (where the adhesive is going) and place your binder clips about 1/4" away from the top. Use a foam brush to apply Mod Podge (I used two moderate coats, drying about 15 minutes in between each) and allow to dry COMPLETELY before removing the binder clips. Ta-Dah!

Other great things to use this for:

• Trim your pieces to 5x7" and create a notepad of ready to use picture backdrops for scrapbooking or frames.
• Print out blank recipe cards and make into pads and give as gifts! Add a little extra by putting one of YOUR favorite recipes on the front card.
• Make your own day-by-day (or week-by-week) calendar, personalizing with YOUR birthdays, cute pictures, etc. Usually these measure about 5.5x8"
• Buy some chip board and sticky magnetic strips, put the chip board on your notepad and put your magnet on the back! Now you can hang your pad on your refrigerator!