Up-Cycled Cereal Box Notebook

Use collected items to make a handy dandy notebook!

All you need is a few office supplies that are easily found in your school or public library:

Printed paper w/ at least one blank side (check the re-cycle bin)
Paper cutter or scissors
Three hole puncher or a single hand held hole puncher
Ruler, pencil or pen

And: 

Empty cereal box
Hemp cord or twine


*Note: I recently condensed the steps. The photos may differ slightly from the info, be sure to follow steps and use the images as a second guide.

Step 1: Deconstruct the Box

1. Use a pencil or pen to open the seam* of the flattened cereal box. Your cereal box will now open to lay flat for upcoming steps.

*This is the area where the box is glued together. 

Step 2: Cut Off Excess Tabs

1. Cut the horizontal excess tabs. 
2. Cut the vertical excess tabs.This will most likely be the "nutritional facts" of the cereal box. 

*Note: Always practice care and precision when using cutting devices!

Step 3: Create the Spine

1. Measure and mark the middle of the top/ bottom spine on the flattened cereal box. 
2. Cut down the middle of the spine, making sure to align the cutter with your marks. If you are using scissors, connect these marks with a straight line to insure more precise cutting.

(* Please ignore the excess tab in the picture!)

Step 4: Punch Some Holes

1. Whole punch the front side of your notebook. 
2. Whole punch the back side of the notebook. Make sure the design is upright but facing down.
3. Hole punch the paper that will fill your notebook. If you are using collected paper that has been printed on one side, make sure the printed side is face down on all the paper you will use to fill the notebook.

*If you are using a single hand held hole puncher mark where your holes will go using a regular ruled writing paper. Punch holes in filler paper and cover following steps 1-2. 

Step 5: Construct Your Notebook

1. Measure the cord four times the length of the spine of the notebook.
2. Fill the notebook with paper, blank side facing up.
3. Use a pencil to align the filler paper and the outer casing of the notebook.

Step 6: Bind the Notebook Part I

1. With cord folded in half, insert the loose ends in hole #2. Insert a pencil into the loop to avoid the cord from slipping through. 
2. Insert loose ends of cord through hole #1, back to front.
3. Remove the pencil/pen and pass the loose ends through the loop.

Step 7: Bind the Notebook Part II

1. Insert the loose ends through hole #3 front to back.
2. Feed both loose ends back through hole #2 back to front.
3. Fashion a knot of some sort. Loop under, over and string through how ever you fancy

Step 8: Ta-da!

You have now successfully completed your handy dandy up-cycled cereal box notebook!

Comments

[clairenoel]

This is so neat! I'm trying to decide which cereal box to use! :D

[rrkrose]

This is so cute!

[jessimata]

Thank you! Check out this other awesome Instructable for a matching box of crayons:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Use-Your-Crayons-in-Style/

[kaypgirl]

On A. it should be "insert the loose ends in hole #2 back to front. Probably not needed for anyone who could see the pictures, but I could only copy the words really quickly w/o looking at the pics and ended up doing it backwards.

[jessimata]

HI! I recently re-vamped my cereal box notebook in hope that it will be easily to follow. Check it out!

[hartmannsclass]

Very nice instructions and clear photographs. Instead of cutting apart the narrow side that will be on the left of the cover, I crease and fold it in half vertically. Insert the paper and use a strong staple to hold them in place. Turn the notebook over and press the staple prongs flatter with the side of the stapler. There are lots of cute duct tapes out these days and sometimes I use it to cover the binding side of the book.

[jessimata]

Awesome ideas! Thanks for the suggestions.

[SageMinto]

This is so creative!!
Why hasn't anyone commented yet?!!

I am trying this out the soonest a empty cereal box reveals itself. Thank you for creating this! :)