What better way to ring in March, Spring, and get into that St. Patty's Day spirit than to create a "green" project? This one is perfect for your Spring Cleaning "to-do" list ;)
This project is easy to do and is very "green"--you can recycle your old gift cards into covers for a cute little notepad. If you only have one gift card that you like, find a fake credit card (like the kind you get in junk mail) or a gift card you don't like that you can use for the back cover.
Supplies:
- Bind-It-All
- 2 Gift Cards (no money on them)
- About 10 sheets of printer paper or notebook paper
- 4 "loops" of 3/4" Zutter O-Wire
- Strong Tape Runner Adhesive
2. Insert the cards into the Bind-it-All with the INSIDES of the covers facing each other. Use the holes printed along the top of the machine to make sure that you're only punching 4 holes into the cards.
This is what your cards should look like once the holes have been punched:
3. Cut the printer or notebook paper down to slightly smaller than your gift cards -- a standard size seems to be about 2" x 3".
4. Punch 4 holes in the top of the paper pieces along the 2" (shorter) side. You can punch as many papers at a time as will fit in the Bind-It-All slot.
5. Stack your pages in this order to be bound:
- Notebook or Printer paper stack
- Then put the COVER on top.
- Then put the BACK COVER on top so you can see the INSIDE of the back cover.
6. Thread the O-Wires from the bottom (through the paper pages, then the cover, then the back cover).
7. Close the O-Wires using the Bind-It-All machine. Flip the back cover to the back and voila: instant mini notepad!
Easy peasy! If you don't have any old gift cards or you want to make a bunch of these you can get the giftcards at your local friendly retailer. But before you go shoving a pile of cute giftcards into your purse, ask the store if you can take them for a craft project. Sometimes they want you to load money on them -- I just spend the cards on my next purchase if that happens and afterwards I have the empty cards to keep. Other times they just let me have the stack of cards. The stores keep track of their inventory of cards so if you just take a bunch (besides being like stealing) they won't reorder any because their inventory will say they are all stocked up. And how will you get new cute gift cards to make mini notebooks from then?!
These mini books are great teacher gifts (it's getting close to that "end of year" gift time), party favors, co-worker gifts, or just to have in your purse or glove box in the car.
Happy Binding!
Posted by Jennifer Priest, OZZ Member
7 comments:
That's such a great idea. I work at Target - you can ask the cashiers for the discarded gift cards, we just throw them away after they are used up if the guest doesn't want them. We ARE starting an in store recycling program in the near future, but in the meantime, least make some notebooks!
I love recycled projects, and this one is a great size for any little gift or to keep in the car for notes. It's also super cute!
Karen, good to know about the Target info! tfs!
I love your decorated Bind it All, what did you use to add your name and embellish, I have wanted to do this to mine but am not sure which medium to use
wow!! this is great!!! i love!!
awesome jen it would make a fab mini note pad book
Thanks for the info about Target!! So cool!
I cut vinyl using my Quickutz Silhouette machine and applied that to the Bind It All. You can use whatever---vinyl, stickers, bling. Just make sure you keep it away from the slot where you paper gets punched and away from any moving parts so it does not interfere with using your Bind It All. Thanks for the compliments!
This is such an adorable little book. I would use it for a notebook or a gift also. But, I love that it's a great recycle craft. Thanks for sharing.
Post a Comment