August Crafternoon: Decorate Your Own Agenda or Notebook

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麻豆精品在线播放

Crafternoons are a partnership between the 麻豆精品在线播放 Student Government Association and the Library. 

It's back-to-school time, and usually we'd host a few Crafternoons so you can get organized and decorate your own planner/agenda or notebook. Since we're 80% online this semester, we won't be hosting face-to-face events, but we do have some opportunities for you to still get organized for the new semester with a fresh 麻豆精品在线播放 planner, begin your pandemic diary, or take notes for your new classes in a you-decorated 麻豆精品在线播放 notebook. 

notebook decorated with a piece of scrapbook paper with photos of grapefruits and washi tape stripes in the lower corner: polka dot natural color with gold and white polka dot on orange. The binding is duct tape.
Scrapbook paper with washi tape and a duct tape spine


Able to make a quick trip to campus and pick up a blank agenda or notebook to decorate at home? We have a few to-go packets available for students in the Main Campus Library that include the blank agenda or notebook, a few pieces of scrapbook paper, and some stickers. 
First come, first served. Check library hours for availability. Limit one packet per student.

Staying home and have a printer? Keep reading for files and instructions on how to print your own agenda and notebook. 

Supplies (but you can be flexible with what you have): 

  • 8.5 x 14 paper (legal-sized)
  • Templates:
    • For the notebook: (print as many double-sided copies as you want)
    • For the agenda: (print one double-sided copy); (print as many double-sided copies as you want; 52 is enough for a whole calendar year)
  • A printer that can print double-sided (you'll be printing on short-edge)
  • A piece of thicker paper, such as poster board
  • Scissors
  • A stapler
  • Glue (sticks are best because the bottle can be a little sloppy)
  • Decorative things: Magazine pages, scrapbook paper, stickers, glitter glue, washi tape, duct tape, etc. 

Instructions: 

A note on printing--

Print menu showing double-sided, short edge printing option (in Advanced printing options)

For this project, you will need to print all the pages double-sided flip on short-edge. This will ensure that the pages are the same direction when you flip them after making a book.

You may need to expand your printing menu to find this option. 

For the notebook--

notebook pages printed and fanned out on table

Print as many double-sided, flip on short edge copies of the as you want.

For the agenda/planner--

Agenda pages, including first page with notebook lines on one side and agenda template on the other

Print one double-sided copy of . It has one side with lines and one side with an agenda week.

Print as many copies of the as you want. For a whole year, I usually print 52, which comes out to 27 pieces of paper total (1 copy of the first page and 26 of the interior pages, all double-sided). I also have to use a heavy-duty stapler to get through all these pages since I fold them in half and the stapler has to make it through 54 pieces of paper (since you fold it in half) and then a cover, so be aware of that. 

After you have your pages printed--

piece of posterboard cut to 15 inches by 9 inches

Cut a cover out of your heavier paper-- 9 inches by 15 inches allows for folding and can be trimmed later if needed. (Better to have too large of a cover than one that's too small.)

A large stapler stapling the middle of the folded interior pages

Fold your interior pages in half and staple 2-3 times-- once at the top, one at the bottom and one in the middle. Staple near the line provided on the template. 

A stapler and the cover fastened to the booklet with two staples

Put the cover over the stapled interior pages and staple at least 2 times-- I like to staple between where the staples holding the interior pages together are. 

the cover folded back to create a spine

Fold the cover back to create the spine-- it's easier to open the book again once you decorate if you know where that bend will be. 

Decorate! You can create a collage, draw or paint on the cover, use stickers, washi tape, or duct tape, layer scrapbook paper, create an interior pocket, make yourself a braided bookmark, or whatever you want. You can cover your cover (lol) in clear packing tape once you're all done to keep everything in place.

Want a little inspiration? Check out our gallery!

Did you make your own agenda or notebook? Send us a picture or share it on to Facebook or Instagram post about this Crafternoon. Happy crafting! 

Keep your eyes open for our upcoming virtual Crafternoons this semester. 

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Crafternoon