Earth Day Recycled Paper Handmade Notebook/Journal

For this swap you will spend a couple of weeks collecting all sorts of paper that could be recycled into a mini-notebook or journal. Think envelopes, boring circular letters, paper bags, magazine pages, wrapping paper. The things you ought to be recycling already, apart from now you'll be re-purposing them.

1. Collect paper, enough for at least 15 page sheets/30 page sides.
2. Collect a piece of card for the notebook cover.
3. Cut down to uniform size [some smaller pages are okay]
4. Bind into a notebook [sewn, ring-bound, stapled etc. are all okay].
5. Send to your one designated partner!

• It's okay if some pages are more decorative than functional [eg already have a picture or text on them] but make sure at least half the pages are functional. A 'functional' page could still include a postage stamp in one corner or be patterned as in the insides of envelopes.
• Feel free to decorate if you wish - sew a button to the front cover, add a bookmark, paint the front cover, add an envelope somewhere inside to collect bits and bobs, use collage etc.
• Try to use as many recycled materials as possible, not bought paper from your stash [unless, like me, you 'stash' includes mostly salvaged paper!]
• Size of the notebook is up to you. Getting enough salvageable paper in larger sizes may be hard so don't expect anything too large!
• Even though these will definitely be rough around the edges, please try to present your notebook as nicely as possible.

Try a few google searches for inspiration. I also just found this: http://craftydaisies.com/2007/07/05/making-your-own-mini-journal/

• Rating of 4.5 needed, no recent unexplained 1s or 3s. If you're new maybe just message me or have on your profile a link to a handmade item you've made? Or something? I'm pretty new too so I'm not going to be mean!

ONE LAST NOTE: I'd like this to be kinda gender neutral so that everyone can be involved, so maybe bear this in mind when you make your book? Make the kind of notebook that could be enjoyed by anyone of any gender. [I know this is difficult, stereotype-heavy territory!]