My search for the "perfect notebook" has been going on for a very long time. More than once, I thought of somehow making my own; but I've never been able to get farther with the idea than that.
In 2017, I'd used a Hobo Techo as a daily journal. I even bought a nice leather cover for it so that I could keep various loose notes and receipts safe. While I enjoyed it - great size, excellent paper - I prefer ring- or disc-bound books that let me rearrange the pages. I'd tried Franklin Covey pocket" size, small Circa disk-bound books, and more filofaxes than you can shake a stick at - all to no avail.
But then in early January, I was putting the 2017 Hobo away, and the idea came to me: a Circa with custom paper in the Hobo cover. It would give me a page-size I can use well, with the flexibility of pages that can be rearranged and archived as needed; not to mention a useful and snazzy cover. The one thing I would have to give up is the ridiculously wonderful Hobo paper, because it's far too weak to hold for long on Circa rings. Meh; as Meatloaf sang, two out of three ain't bad.
And since I was “resting hard” to get ready for a whole new semester, I binged episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Star Wars (the only ones that really matter), and made my first DIY notebook.
I had a supply of 90 gsm ivory paper from a previous project. 90 gsm isn't quite thick enough; but as an experiment, it would do. I also have a simple paper cutter, a Circa hole punch, a round corner cutter, and an assortment of Circa discs. And I prefer ivory to pure white paper. Not sure why, but I think it’s just nostalgia for those old notebooks I used as a kid - you know, the cheap-ass ones that yellow in no time? Yeah, I know; silly sentimentality. And yet, I can revel in my subjectivity sometimes too.
My biggest concern was figuring out how to punch the paper evenly. The Circa punch has a movable stop that sets to all the Circa sizes - which doesn't include Hobo's A6 size. I was worried I'd be unable to find a suitable stop. Surprisingly, the Circa's 3"x5" stop aligned 6 discs perfectly along the long side of the Hobo A6. Go figure.
I glued two sheets of cardstock together, then cut and punched it to form the "back cover” that would hold the notebook in the leather cover. I realized I had forgotten to account for the discs in working out the width of the page, and so I can only have sheets that are 95x150 mm. Disappointing - and rather stupid of me - but not enough of a change to put me off the page size. 1/2" Circa discs are just about as thick as the Hobo Techo, so I used those.
Then I cut, cornered, and punched a bunch of the ivory 90 gsm. Finally, I cut one more cardstock sheet to serve as an inner cover.
And that's just about it. My first DIY notebook. I'll start using it soon; and I'll post an update once I've had a chance to see how it works.
But then in early January, I was putting the 2017 Hobo away, and the idea came to me: a Circa with custom paper in the Hobo cover. It would give me a page-size I can use well, with the flexibility of pages that can be rearranged and archived as needed; not to mention a useful and snazzy cover. The one thing I would have to give up is the ridiculously wonderful Hobo paper, because it's far too weak to hold for long on Circa rings. Meh; as Meatloaf sang, two out of three ain't bad.
And since I was “resting hard” to get ready for a whole new semester, I binged episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Star Wars (the only ones that really matter), and made my first DIY notebook.
I had a supply of 90 gsm ivory paper from a previous project. 90 gsm isn't quite thick enough; but as an experiment, it would do. I also have a simple paper cutter, a Circa hole punch, a round corner cutter, and an assortment of Circa discs. And I prefer ivory to pure white paper. Not sure why, but I think it’s just nostalgia for those old notebooks I used as a kid - you know, the cheap-ass ones that yellow in no time? Yeah, I know; silly sentimentality. And yet, I can revel in my subjectivity sometimes too.
My biggest concern was figuring out how to punch the paper evenly. The Circa punch has a movable stop that sets to all the Circa sizes - which doesn't include Hobo's A6 size. I was worried I'd be unable to find a suitable stop. Surprisingly, the Circa's 3"x5" stop aligned 6 discs perfectly along the long side of the Hobo A6. Go figure.
I glued two sheets of cardstock together, then cut and punched it to form the "back cover” that would hold the notebook in the leather cover. I realized I had forgotten to account for the discs in working out the width of the page, and so I can only have sheets that are 95x150 mm. Disappointing - and rather stupid of me - but not enough of a change to put me off the page size. 1/2" Circa discs are just about as thick as the Hobo Techo, so I used those.
Then I cut, cornered, and punched a bunch of the ivory 90 gsm. Finally, I cut one more cardstock sheet to serve as an inner cover.
And that's just about it. My first DIY notebook. I'll start using it soon; and I'll post an update once I've had a chance to see how it works.
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