recycling project no. 4 - matchbooks

This is a little quick project I thought of doing this afternoon (a rainy one again). It's another way to get rid of some junk mail in a more useful way.

I'm always carrying around little pieces of paper with lists on them. These matchbooks will allow me to have them all in one place and recycle some paper at the same time. The outer cover came from a box of paper samples that I've had for a long time. The actual pages of the books are junk mail letters that we've gotten in the past few days. I'll only be able to use one side of the pages because each has something printed on the opposite side.

I used a double fold to make the "spine" sturdy.



I stapled everything together before trimming.



Trimming after stapling ensures a nicer finish.



Done!


Edit::
I thought the covers looked a little plain so I added a scrap of a block print test (silver ink) that I had from another day. My OCDish side keeps looking at those poorly aligned staples, but they're staying as is. One of my intents with my recycling projects is to be more spontaneous and less worried about a perfect outcome. Easier said than done. ;)

15 comments:

  1. that is so clever, really, so simple but so clever and looks so cute.

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  2. Yes, that's really cute! I should make those instead of buying little spiral notebooks to jot random notes in. Next time, for sure.

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  3. Patricia-
    I love all of your recycle projects and this one is so simple and useful. I think I need to try this one today!

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  4. Great and useful recycling idea! I think I will have to try this myself. Did you need quite a strong stapler to go through all the layers of paper?

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  5. thanks for sharing such a great project. i love that block print detail!

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  6. Thanks everyone!
    Emma - I just used my regular office stapler. I did a test beforehand to see how many pages I could use. That's why I ended up with two books. My stapler couldn't go through all the pages I had the first time around.

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  7. Patricia-

    You already know what I think you should do with all these awesome ideas. :)

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  8. This is my first visit to your blog and already I love it. I also love your OCD side, the staples look wonderful to me but I'm hearing ya!!

    Cherry xx

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  9. very nice...great way to recycle all that junk mail!

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  10. Hi Hip Homemaker! No, I don't mind you posting it at all. I'm glad you liked the project. :)

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  11. very good job i'll try that also.

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  12. Thanks for the terrific idea. I think I will do this with the paper I have been given at school and get the kids to do thumb print robins on the covers as Chrissy gifts. Coooooollllll!

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