How to Make a DIY Disc Bound Notebook Journal

How to Make a Disc Bound Notebook Journal using your Automatic Cutting Machine

Have you ever wanted to make your own personalized planner or journal designed exactly the way you want it?

What if you can cut the perfect size page or divider on your own machine WITHOUT going to the store?

That's what I wanted to do for a garden journal. So I made a free template for you. It's design no. 55 in the Paper Glitter Glue library. Use this pattern I could make my own personal disc-bound journal notebook from scratch. I even included dividers with tabs in the pattern.

Decorate the cover with creative elements

Then decorate the cover with whatever creative elements you like. I used these great Tim Holtz dies from Sizzix, Distress Paints, Distress Inks and crayons.

Books are fun to make

I have always enjoyed "making" books for my paper craft projects. Mostly I use the books as the base for my houses. But I've never made my own journal before.

Sometimes I make a book as a shadow box as I did for the Owl's House. And sometimes I make a book to function as the base for my little houses. The best book I made was the base for Gus the Ghost's House.

For this little book I have two online challenges where I can share this journal - A Vintage Journey's Book It Challenge and the Mini Album Maker's May Challenge.

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Steps to make the Disc Bound Journal Notebook

As a paper craft this is an easy project because your automatic cutting machine does the work for you. I use either my Cricut Explore Air 2 or my Cricut Maker to make this project.

Step 1: Download the Notebook Journal file from the library - Design No. 55

If you already have subscribed to my newsletter, just type in the password and it will take you to the main part of the library. I always put the most recent files at the top of the library. Each file is numbered as well. These journal files are no. 55 in the library.

Subscribe to my newsletter with the form below. Just subscribe and you will get the password right away.

Download the Journal Notebook SVG Zip file from the Paper Glitter Glue Library. In order to make it download easily the file is in a zip format which compresses the file. You have to unzip it to open the file. On a Mac, all you do is double click the downloaded file and it automatically opens.

Here is a link to Microsoft support for how to unzip a folder.

Step 2: Upload the SVG file to your cutting machine design software

Now upload your file to the design software. There are 2 different sets of files in the folder. One is for the disc bound journal and the other is for a 3 hole notebook template. Choose whichever system works best for you.

What I love about the disc bound system is that you can always add individual pages anywhere in the notebook easily at any time. But the advantage of using the 3 hole is that you can use loose leaf rings or ribbon or twine to hold your notebook together. And it is easy to find a hole punch for the 3 hole system.

Each journal template file includes:

• A front and back cover (5" x 8")
• Dividers with 6 staggered tabs - same size as the covers
• Regular pages which are slightly smaller than the covers and dividers (4.75" x 7.75")
• 4 insert pockets you can glue on the dividers or pages (4" x 2 ⅞")

There is also a PDF file so you can see what is involved if you don't have a cutting machine or you want to print out the templates. Later I'll talk a bit about options for cutting out the journal pieces by hand.

Step 3: Cut out your journal covers

Next cut out the components for your personalized journal. I used a lightweight cardboard for the covers and the dividers. You can use a heavier weight cardstock (110 lb) or watercolor paper to make your notebook. Since mine is going to be a garden journal I want it to be sturdy.

Here is the way the Notebook Journal pattern looks like in Cricut's Design Space. I did rearrange it so you can see the each component of the notebook:

• Covers - 2 cover pieces
• Dividers with tabs
• Page - the page is slightly smaller so it doesn't extend past the dividers. In addition the pages have narrower slots for the discs since the material for the pages is thinner material
• Insert pocket

The only score lines are for the insert pockets. Be sure to designate the lines on the insert pocket as score lines and attach to the piece it is grouped with.

And here are the pages that are slightly smaller (4.75" x 7.75") than the notebook covers (5" x 8"). Please note that these are smaller than the commercial disc bound pages that you can buy. The advantage is that you can cut your own pages whenever you want, but if you want to a lot of pages it will take time to cut them 2 at a time.

Finally, if you want an insert pocket you can use these to make some small pockets. I use them to hold seed packets and plant labels.

Make your DIY Disc Bound Notebook without an automatic cutting machine

You can still use the disc binding system if you don't have an automatic cutting machine, but it is a little more challenging. Your options are to buy a disc binding punch. Here are some options:

• The Levenger Circa 1-2-3 Portable Punch
• TUL Custom Note-Taking System Discbound Hole Punch

The simplest way to make your own notebook by hand is to simply use an 8.5" x 11" paper or cardboard, cut it in half and use a hole puncher for a 3-hole notebook.

Step 4: Personalize and Decorate Your Journal Cover

You knew I was just waiting for this step, didn't you? Indeed, it is my favorite part.

So there are 3 main steps for personalizing your journal cover - the background cover itself, design elements, and putting it all together.

First paint the background cover if using cardboard

I used stencils to decorate my cardboard covers. Below is the leafy stenciled cover background. First I paint the cardboard with white gesso - the primer I use all the time. Then I painted it with Twisted Citron Distress Paint. It's a light, bright yellow green color that I didn't expect to love but I do.

Next I dry brushed Mowed Lawn Distress Paint over the Twisted Citron layer. I followed that with a Stampers Anonymous stencil called Leafy inked with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink. Also I think there is some smeared Peeled Paint Distress Ink and then lightly spritzed with the Twisted Citron Distress Oxide Spray.

After this photo was taken I decided I needed more contrast so I inked the edges with Wilted Violet Distress Oxide ink.

The background for this cover is very similar with two layers of green paint. Then I used this beautiful Stampers Anonymous stencil called Floral with Ranger texture paste.

For the Floral background, I painted the leaves and flowers with Picked Raspberry and Mowed Lawn Distress Paints. The centers of the flowers are tinted yellow with some gold perfect pearls powder.

Design Elements for Your Personalized Journal Cover

Next make the design elements. Since I'm making a garden journal I used some of my favorite dies to decorate the cover.

There are alphanumeric dies for the Garden word. An offset darker version of the letters forms a drop shadow so they would show up better on the green background.

The embossed wooden barrel is from a new Tim Holtz Sizzix die called "Potted". I love this die.

The flowers were colored with various paints and inks. I even used the Mowed Lawn Distress Crayon for the leaves.

Next test the arrangement of the flowers, the words and the barrel.

Actually I like this arrangement better than the one I ended up with. I changed the arrangement so the leaves would not go over the edge. Oh well.

Now Put it all together

Just use your favorite glue and glue your decorative elements to the front journal cover. I glued a piece of cardboard behind one of the daisies for extra dimension.

And I finally remembered to add the metal band to my wooden barrel. I colored the band with silver and gunmetal mixative distressed with some Black Soot Distress Paint.

One mistake I made was adding little purple flowers in the R and D letters of Garden. That just looks silly.

To give the edge of the notebook cover a little more definition I inked it with some Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Ink. I like that a lot.

The End Result - the Finished DIY Garden Journal Notebook

Here are the journal covers.

Oh, here is one photo I will to be sure to add to my journal - my first apple on one of my dwarf apple trees. It's about 2 inches in diameter right now. I hope I can wait until it is ripe but I know it will be difficult because I stare at it everyday.

And this is what the pocket insert looks like on a disc bound page.

Finally, here is a sketch of my front yard garden - a rough sketch. I am going to do a lot of rearranging this fall probably.

Finally, this is what the pocket insert looks like on a disc bound page.

So that is how you make your very own personalized journal with an automatic cutting machine.

I hope you will try it out. Let me know if you have any questions - [email protected]. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Lucy

P.S. Be sure to pin this if you want to remember where to get the instructions.