Sunday, February 20, 2011

Recycled Food Box Notebooks

Cardboard cereal boxes, and other food boxes are useful in crafting art and household items.  They are also accepted at many recycling centers as well.  If you purchase cereal in boxes, microwave popcorn, snack bars or other items in boxes, consider this fun craft.

Items Needed:


~ cardboard from food boxes
~ scissors
~ recycled papers or packaging paper
~ stapler
~ pencil or pen
~ optional:  recycled elastic string, reused button, thread and needle

Step 1:  Cut a piece of cardboard that you desire for the size of your notebook.

Step 2:  Cut your recycled paper into pieces that are the entire width of your notebook.  Do this by tracing the edges onto the paper.  Stack the pieces of paper and fold in half.  Fold the cardboard in half.


Step 3:  Secure the paper to the cardboard with paper clips if needed.  Turn them all over to staple in the center as shown.

 
Here is what you have:


Optional: Create a clasp to keep your brand new notebook closed.  Here is one idea.  Sew a reused button to the front right hand (center) side.


I used a pin to keep the button from being sewn onto the cardboard too tightly.  See above photo.

Using your needle, press two holes into the backside as shown below, and thread recycled elastic (or jewelry elastic) through from the inside of the cardboard.  Knot both ends from the inside.



Our final notebook:


Do not forget, that any extra pieces of cardboard can be reused and recycled into bookmarks and crafting templates.

1 comment:

Nancy Jo said...

You do come up with a lot of good and cute ideas. There is so much waste outin the world its a sad thing.
Thanks for stopping by my site, always excited when I see a new name.
Nancy Jo