22 World Sweet World: Issue #07 World Sweet World: Issue #07 23

MAKING TIME: MAKING TIME: MAKE A NOTE OF IT

Make a
note of it
For my mother, life without lists would be SCAVENGING YOUR
MATERIALS
unmanageable. In recent years, I’ve found
Stack of used A4 paper
that I share her need for written reminders.
NOTEBOOK NO. 1:
Whether you’ve got a hectic life, or just a Fabric for the covers (bigger than A6)
sieve for a brain, having a handy book at the Embroidery floss

ready for phone numbers, to-do lists, or Glue (PVA, flour paste or fabric glue)

wee poems and ideas, can be the difference NOTEBOOK NO. 2:

between productivity and chaos. Here are Tetra Pak

Plastic binder comb
two simple notebooks that you can make
out of scrap paper – choose between pop- TOOLS YOU’RE GOING
TO NEED
art inspired Tetra Pak and a traditional
Scissors
Chinese bookbinding method.
NOTEBOOK NO. 1:
Brush for glue
Awl (or similar hand tool for piercing

Notebook No. 1: holes)

Paper knife or smallish kitchen knife

Fabric-covered diary Sturdy needle

NOTEBOOK NO. 2:
By Jiang (Jan) Yinghua and Comb binding machine

Sabine Schneider Steel ruler

Craft knife
This method of binding originated in China, but quickly spread
PHOTO BY KATE MACPHERSON

from there to other Asian countries, such as Korea, Japan,

Malaysia, Singapore. Outside of China, the notebooks were $5ish
covered in paper. For this one we're using fabric, but feel free to
experiment with paper if you like. The fabric should be SKILL COST

reasonably thin, an old shirt will do, or scraps from a sewing

project. If you have to buy some, go to a fabric shop and ask for
the remnant bin or fat quarters for quilting. We’ve used an old
SPEED
tea-tray liner for the one shown here, so feel free to get creative.
24 World Sweet World: Issue #07 World Sweet World: Issue #07 25

MAKING TIME: MAKE A NOTE OF IT MAKING TIME: MAKE A NOTE OF IT

Choose embroidery floss in a contrasting colour, a matching hue

or use a creamy off-white for a natural look. Embroidery floss
can often be found in second-hand shops.

1. Fold six sheets of A4 paper in half using the short sides.

2. Using a knife, cut paper along fold FIG 1.

3. Fold sheets in half – again using the short sides. If you’re using
second-hand paper, make sure the blank side is facing outwards. FIG 6

4. Place a folded sheet of paper on your fabric and trim with

FIG 1
scissors so fabric is about 1cm larger than paper FIG 2. Cut
off the corners.

5. Starting with short sides, apply glue and fold fabric over.
Press and repeat until all four sides are folded FIG 3. The
front cover is now done.

6. Repeat with back cover. FIG 7

7. Place remaining folded sheets between covers – with folds

15. Sew corner: Leading thread around the spine of your notebook,
FIG 2 pointing to the right of the notebook, open sides of paper to push needle through corner hole from front to back. Then,
the left. leading thread around the top of your notebook and using the
8. Using a ruler, mark seven holes along the left side of the corner hole again, push needle from front to back. Push needle
notebook: Two of the holes should be 1cm in from the left through first hole from back to front. The top corner is done.
edge, as well as top and bottom. A further three should be Using the next hole – the one where the beginning of your thread
evenly spaced between the first two and also about 1cm away sticks out – push needle through from front to back FIG 9.
from the left edge. A final two should be 5mm in from left 16. Then, using the third hole from top, push needle through
edge and top and bottom FIG 4. from back to front. Leading thread around the spine of your
FIG 8
FIG 3 notebook, push needle through the same hole from back to
9. Make holes with the punch, holding the notebook firmly so
front. Don’t worry about the gaps, they will be closed soon.
paper and covers don’t slide.
17. Using the fourth hole, push needle through from front to
10. Cut your embroidery floss – you should have six times the
back. Leading thread around the spine of notebook, push
length of your notebook. An easy way of measuring this is to needle through the same hole from front to back again.
wind it lengthwise around the notebook.
18. Using fifth hole from top, push needle through from back to
11. Starting at the second hole from top and holding the end of front. Leading thread around the spine of notebook, push
your thread, push needle through from front to back FIG 5. needle through the same hole from back to front.
FIG 4 FIG 9
12. Still holding the thread with your thumb, push needle 19. Sew bottom corner: Leading thread around the bottom of your
through the same hole – again from front to back FIG 6. notebook, push needle through the same hole, from back to
13. Push needle through first hole from top – from back to front
front. Push needle through corner hole – front to back.
FIG 7. Leading thread the spine of your notebook, push Leading thread around the spine of your notebook, push
needle through the same hole, again, from back to front. needle through corner hole from front to back. Then, leading
Then, leading thread around the top of your notebook and thread around the top of your notebook and using the corner
using the same hole, push needle from back to front again. hole again, push needle from front to back. Push needle
through fifth hole from back to front. Push needle through
FIG 5 14. Push needle through corner hole – front to back FIG 8. FIG 10 fourth hole – from front to back.
26 World Sweet World: Issue #07 World Sweet World: Issue #07 27

MAKING TIME: MAKING TIME: MAKE A NOTE OF IT

20. Closing gaps: Push needle through third hole 4. Fold the used A4 paper in halves, with the
– from back to front. Push needle through printed side on the inside. The amount of
second hole – from front to back, but don’t paper you need to fold will depend on the size
pull thread through completely. Leave it a bit of your plastic binder comb. Bigger comb =
slack. Now loosen the beginning of your more paper = bigger book.
thread by pulling about 5mm of it through the
hole. 5. Stack your book, so you can be sure which
side you’re punching holes in. The edges of
21. Apply a tiny drop of glue to the front of your the A4 paper will be facing the left (and
second hole. Then pull threads tight. The glue be bound), and the creased side will face
will be pulled into the hole, securing the
the right.
beginning and end of your thread FIG 10.
6. Get someone to show you how to use the
22. Snip off ends at front and back of second hole.
binding machine. They’re not difficult to use,
but the first time they can be a bit confusing.
Sabine and Jan are enthusiastic crafters and love
beautiful handmade things, from furniture to mittens, Generally the arm or lever goes one way to
coffee mugs to hand cream, sourdough bread to punch holes, and the other way to unfurl the
hand-bound diaries. They believe in re-using good- binding combs.
quality materials and hope this little notebook will find
its way into many handbags and back pockets. 7. Punch holes in the covers, and along the edges
of the paper. With most binding machines you
can’t punch holes in more than ten sheets of

Notebook No. 2: paper, which is the same as five sheets folded

in half. Go easy on the binding machine, trying
A juicy read to stuff more paper in to save time will likely
result in stuffing up the machine.
By Tara Robertson 8. Use the machine to unfurl the binding comb,
Unfortunately Tetra Paks are not recyclable in and put the cover, inside sheets, and the
most of New Zealand. Here’s a great, quick other cover on the binding comb. For the
project to re-use computer paper and old juice inside sheets, you’ll have to put them on a bit
packs to make bright and colourful books or at a time. If you make sure the binding comb
notepads. You'll need access to a binding machine goes through all the holes the final book will
– many office workplaces have these, so see if you look neater.
can borrow one. Otherwise a stationary or copy
9. If the binding comb is too long, trim it
store, like Office Max or Warehouse Stationary
carefully with scissors. After you’ve finished
might have one that you can use there.
binding, use a steel ruler and a craft knife to
1. Cut the top and bottom off the Tetra Pak. Do neaten the top and bottom of your notebook
this over the sink, as there will be a bit of juice - don't trim the outer edge though, or you'll
PHOTO BY KATE MACPHERSON

left in the fold of the tetra pak. I like to keep cut off the folded edges.
the plastic juice spout attached, but you can
cut it off if you prefer. Tara Robertson is a crafty, queer, geeky

2. Wash and dry the inside of the Tetra Pak well. librarian who likes to ride her bike. She recently
moved to Wellington from Vancouver, Canada. Tara is
3. For a large book, cut the Tetra Pak in half. passionate about open source software, social justice,
Fold the Tetra Pak in half and crease well. Use and finding the perfect shade of red lipstick. She has
the crease lines as guides to cut. a big mouth, a big butt, and a big heart.