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This is my entry into the Pocket Size Challenge. I'm a very forgetful person and depend on task lists to keep me focused and on track. To keep me organized this is a PocketMod inspired ultimate task list. I've been told that this is called a "Leporello" style notebook. I first published this before Halloween but unfortunately it just got lost in the flood of Halloween Projects. Because the Pocket Size Challenge deadline was extended to Nov. 21st I decided to pull it and wait until after the Halloween deadline to try again.
A Note of Apology:
About PocketMods
I first learned about PocketMods a few months ago and have been a fan ever since. Basically you create a custom mini notebook on a single sheet of paper. check out www.pocketmod.com . There are templates for calenders, to do lists and even games.
There are a number of PocketMod Instructables that are great, especially the ones with covers.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-PocketMod-Book/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Reusable-Durable-Easy-to-assemble-PocketMod-Cove/
I Love PocketMod's but not PocketMod Lists.
For what I do the PocketMod lists don't really work. The sheets are in vertical (portrait) which doesn't give much room for each item. This works great for a simple things like a shopping list, but not if you need to write more than 4 words. My lists are very descriptive and I do lot of sketch's.....a picture is worth a thousand words. I also save all my lists so that there is a history of the decisions and changes that have been made. I'm constantly referring to this back history.
A New Kind Of Task List
One day I had an idea for my own task list. The idea is to create a long continuous paper strip which is folded accordion style down to Pocket size. I've been told that this is called a "Leporello" style notebook. The inspiration came from looking at a long grocery receipt after a big shopping trip. I used a receipt to create my first list but I felt very self conscious about people seeing my shopping, so I quickly abandoned that idea. If you don't have any problems with that; they work great so you can skip ahead to step 3.
What I like is that the list expands as you need. you can use one page at a time or pull out as much as you need or even the entire strip. You use the book horizontally (landscape). This way adjacent pages naturally make your writing area twice as big. Pull out the strip as you need to see the entire list. This is how I work. I never make a new task list, i just keep adding to the end. This way you have this giant notepad which vanishes into your pocket. Fully unfolded this sheet is 4" x 60" (5 feet) but folds down to 4" x 2 1/2"
Cover Options
A Note of Apology:
I didn't realize at the time that unpublishing then republishing is a big no-no with instructables because people could use that to cheat and get an old project into a new contest. That's not what i did. I was simply unhappy with my first post so, in my ignorance, thought that i could take advantage of a time extension for a fresh start This project is not an old project. It was inspired by and has always existing within the Pocket-Size Challenge time frame. I apologize to all for my misstep.
About PocketMods
I first learned about PocketMods a few months ago and have been a fan ever since. Basically you create a custom mini notebook on a single sheet of paper. check out www.pocketmod.com . There are templates for calenders, to do lists and even games.
There are a number of PocketMod Instructables that are great, especially the ones with covers.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-PocketMod-Book/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Reusable-Durable-Easy-to-assemble-PocketMod-Cove/
I Love PocketMod's but not PocketMod Lists.
For what I do the PocketMod lists don't really work. The sheets are in vertical (portrait) which doesn't give much room for each item. This works great for a simple things like a shopping list, but not if you need to write more than 4 words. My lists are very descriptive and I do lot of sketch's.....a picture is worth a thousand words. I also save all my lists so that there is a history of the decisions and changes that have been made. I'm constantly referring to this back history.
A New Kind Of Task List
One day I had an idea for my own task list. The idea is to create a long continuous paper strip which is folded accordion style down to Pocket size. I've been told that this is called a "Leporello" style notebook. The inspiration came from looking at a long grocery receipt after a big shopping trip. I used a receipt to create my first list but I felt very self conscious about people seeing my shopping, so I quickly abandoned that idea. If you don't have any problems with that; they work great so you can skip ahead to step 3.
What I like is that the list expands as you need. you can use one page at a time or pull out as much as you need or even the entire strip. You use the book horizontally (landscape). This way adjacent pages naturally make your writing area twice as big. Pull out the strip as you need to see the entire list. This is how I work. I never make a new task list, i just keep adding to the end. This way you have this giant notepad which vanishes into your pocket. Fully unfolded this sheet is 4" x 60" (5 feet) but folds down to 4" x 2 1/2"
Cover Options
- Use a single folded strip. These work great for quick notes and shopping lists
- Simple cover using a recycled magazine
- Simple cover with business cards
- Duct tape cover with money and credit card slot and has RFID shielding.......coming soon
- Fabric / leather cover with elastic ban, pen loop and book marks......coming soon.
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Signing UpStep 1Print & Trim Graph Paper
Supplies:
Computer / Printer
Old Magazine to be recycled
First Aid Fabric Bandage Tape
Tools:
Paper Cutting implement - scissor, x-acto and straight edge or paper-trimmer
(2) rulers
Pen
there is a 8 1/2" x 11" template and a 11"x17" template. use whichever you prefer and your printer can handle.
If possible print in color. the grid is a light blue color, so black writing will stand out well.
I only use this single sided. If you can, use old prints so that your not wasting paper.
Print as many pages as you like depending on the length that you like.
For the ones I've been using 3 pages of 8 1/2 x 11 and end up with a total length of about 5 feet (60 inches). With 1 sheet of 11x17 you get 3 sheets at 16", will give you a 48" strip. The 11x17" strips are 1/4" narrower than the 8 1/2 x 11 strips.
Once your pages are printed use scissors, paper trimmer or x-acto knife & straight edge to trim off the edges, then cut paper into linear sheets on the red line. the dark blue lines are the fold lines.
Note: the width of the spine on the cover template is based on using 3 sheets of 8 1/2x11 or 2 sheets of 11x17. if you go thicker you'll want to make the spine a little wider.
Computer / Printer
Old Magazine to be recycled
First Aid Fabric Bandage Tape
Tools:
Paper Cutting implement - scissor, x-acto and straight edge or paper-trimmer
(2) rulers
Pen
there is a 8 1/2" x 11" template and a 11"x17" template. use whichever you prefer and your printer can handle.
If possible print in color. the grid is a light blue color, so black writing will stand out well.
I only use this single sided. If you can, use old prints so that your not wasting paper.
Print as many pages as you like depending on the length that you like.
For the ones I've been using 3 pages of 8 1/2 x 11 and end up with a total length of about 5 feet (60 inches). With 1 sheet of 11x17 you get 3 sheets at 16", will give you a 48" strip. The 11x17" strips are 1/4" narrower than the 8 1/2 x 11 strips.
Once your pages are printed use scissors, paper trimmer or x-acto knife & straight edge to trim off the edges, then cut paper into linear sheets on the red line. the dark blue lines are the fold lines.
Note: the width of the spine on the cover template is based on using 3 sheets of 8 1/2x11 or 2 sheets of 11x17. if you go thicker you'll want to make the spine a little wider.
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You might be inerested that this style folded notebooks are called Leporello after a character from Don Juan who used it.
I had never heard of Leporello before. that's awesome. Gonna have to change my title, I guess :)
I just did a quick google search and found some photo albums that I think will be inspiration for some future cover designs.
These are very useful and something I depend on every day. The writing that's in the photo's isnt staged. Those are my daily notes.
If you make one let me know what you think!
Editing an old project sends a notification to your subscribers, saving you sacrificing the views and votes you already had.
Call it a lesson learned.