Making a magazine file for Field Notes and Moleskine booklets

It's easy to make your own magazine-style file to hold spare or archive booklets from a sheet of A4 card (Letter size will work too.) Make a row of them for your shelf.

This video tutorial will guide you through the process. It also includes measurements for a Midori Traveler's Notebook version you can make from A3 card.

This method should be easily adaptable for other sizes, too, such as index cards or Filofax pages.

Making multi-pocket file folders for the Midori and other systems

I like using kraft folders in my Midori Traveler's Notebook to hold loose papers, and I've shown more than one way to make them before. But recently I saw Marianne Kensington's fantastic multiple-pocket folders, which represent true genius.

Marianne is behind the PocketfullOfVintage YouTube channel and has given me permission to share her fantastic videos.

Watch this one first. This was Marianne's mark 1 version and this remains the basic method.

I made a few of these, but didn't like the tape. I came up with a method that used glue instead of tape. That's when I made these:

I found that sparing use of Distress Ink to pick out the pocket edges looked pretty good.

But then Marianne released her mark 2 method, a better tape-free solution:

I've made these in full size and in Field Notes size, but you can make pretty much any size you like. Marianne's tutorials make it so easy to make these yourself and I'd recommend anyone to have a go.

Making Field Notes storage envelopes

For those of you using Field Notes, Moleskine Cahiers or similar pocket notebooks, here's an easy DIY job to protect and store your valued books.

Geek out with a DIY Pencil Guard

Wooden pencils are wonderful tools for writing and drawing, but if you've tried to take them out and about, you'll have become aware of the disadvantages that spring from having an exposed point knocking around in your pocket, bag or pencil case. Sooner or later the point will snag, or you'll get graphite marks everywhere. You might stab yourself, or someone else.

May I present the solution? This is what I'm calling a Pencil Guard. You can make it at home for pennies and it will make it much easier and more pleasant to carry and use your pencils away from the desk.

You need to begin with some clear PVC or silicone tubing. It needs to have an inner diameter of exactly 7mm. Tubing is usually specified using two measurements, e.g. 7mm x 9mm. The smaller number will be the internal diameter, the larger number the outer diameter. This is the one I bought. You'll probably want to order just a metre of this, unless you carry a very large number or pencils around with you.

All you need to do is use a very sharp knife to cut 40mm lengths of tubing. Each one is a Pencil Guard.

Carrying a pencil using a Pencil Guard will mark you out as a careful and resourceful user of traditional writing instruments, or - as my wife would have it - a geek.

Easy DIY Midori kraft file - passport and Field Notes edition

I recently showed how to use an old A4 envelope to make a quick kraft file for your Midori Traveler's Notebook.

I'm delighted to find that you can use the same trick with an A5 envelope to make a similar insert for your Passport-size Midori or your Field Notes-size version.

Adding the insert

Insert in place and ready for use.

Make an easy kraft file insert for your Midori Traveler's Notebook

I have previously shown how to make a kraft file insert from a file folder. That is pretty easy to do, but today I'm going to show you an even quicker and easier way to create a similar insert.

Start with a regular, A4-size envelope like this:

Mark a horizontal line 210mm from the bottom of the envelope:

Cut along this line and discard the top of the envelope. Here's what you should be left with:

Now fold this piece in half along a vertical line, like this:

What you are going to do now is to mark out and remove a funnel-shaped central piece from the top layer of your envelope only. As shown below, this will leave you with a little folder with a flap at each side the works exactly like a kraft file insert.

This project costs nothing if you start with a used envelope and takes no more than three minutes. It's not quite as sturdy as the real thing (unless you have a really thick envelope, or maybe a tyvek envelope) but it's very easy to quickly replace it if it starts to get tattered with use.

Make your own binder clip tabs

On my recent trip to Orlando, I bought a packet of binder clip tabs:

Once I was home, I set about making my own. I began with a postcard. Any piece of fairly thick card would do. I first cut out a rectangle shape from it, measuring about 40mm x 35mm:

These are for the small binder clips, which are 19mm wide, but you can scale up if you want to use larger ones.

Next, about 20mm from the top, I cut a slot 20mm wide and just 2mm tall, like this:

This bit is impossible with scissors, but a sharp craft knife does the job.

Here's the actual piece I cut out:

The next step is to attach the binder clip itself. I tried this a number of ways, most of which involved disassembling the clip, but I'm pleased to report you don't have to.

First, you have to put one of the binder arms through the slot you made and then poke the jaw through the hole, like this:

Now you can gently help the card find its way between the jaws until the clip is fully inserted, thus:

Here's how the finished clip now looks:

And here it is keeping my place in a magazine:

Making a case for Field Notes or Moleskine notebooks

This is going to be a long one, but I think the end result is fantastic and although there are quite a few steps, there's nothing particularly challenging.

What we're going to make is a cardboard case to hold one thick notebook (say a Moleskine pocket) or several thin ones, like Moleskine Cahiers, Field Notes books, or home-made notebooks of the same popular size, which is 14cm x 9cm. If your favourite notebooks are a different size, you can easily adapt the measurements.

First, find a piece of card that is at least 222mm square. The front or back of a large cereal box would do, or you could use a file folder.

You are going to mark some parallel vertical lines in pencil. Using the straight left edge as your starting point, draw the lines using the measurements shown.

Now draw some horizontal lines. Use the top edge of the folder as your starting point.

Next you're going to cut out the big cross shape marked below in red.

Here's what the piece looks like once you've cut it out fully.

What you have to do now is score all the remaining lines. Fold along the lines you have scored and you'll have this:

Note that I have drawn faint pencil lines to find the exact centre of the large panel and punched a small hole there. That is so I can thread through some elastic to keep the case fastened. This is the type of elastic you need:

It is called hat elastic because it is used to keep hats in place. If you've ever worn a party hat with elastic that goes under your chin, this is the stuff they used. You need to cut a 240mm length of it. Thread if through the hole from the back and tie the ends in a knot that will sit inside the case.

And it's ready. Pop your notebooks inside, fold it up and stretch the elastic round the case.

If you prefer a more elaborate fastening and you have the appropriate equipment, you can use some card offcuts to make discs and punch some holes in them.

Use brass rivets and some thin string to make a string tie fastening.

The finished case can comfortably hold two or three of my home-made cahiers:

If you want a case that can hold more then simply increase every 10mm measurement in the template accordingly.

You can now decorate the case. I've always loved the look of manila card covered in travel stamps. A collection of rubber stamps and different coloured pads is costly, though, so I cheated. Can you tell how?

Homemade cahiers with dot grid paper

Recently, I made available dot grid paper to download and print. I keep some in my Filofax and have found it very useful.

Moleskine's cahier books are another very useful thing, but ludicrously expensive.

I decided to have a go at combining the two ideas and making my own dot grid cahier books. I used the following:

• Used file folders for the covers
• A hammer, to hit the awl
• An awl
• An embroidery needle and some strong thread
• Some grid paper, printed double-sided in A4 and A5 sizes to cut down
• A round-corner punch

I made single-signature notebooks in regular Moleskine cahier size and in A5. These books will nestle happily in the inside pockets of most Filofax binders. I love the end result. What do you think?

Click to zoom and see the dots!

Another option for your Filofax Post-It index tabs

A few months ago, I posted on a DIY project to make a sticky tab holder for a credit card pocket. I discovered this week a great alternative that works in the same way but requires no DIY at all. It’s made by Office Depot and comes in a pack looking like this:

What you can’t tell from the outside is that these are attached to a folded piece of plastic:

Front view

Side view

Well, obviously, that’s just begging to be popped into a credit card slot:

The downside? Well, unlike the Filofax and Tesco versions, these index tabs don’t take to being written on very well.

Boo! Still, there’s nothing keeping you from sticking your own index tab pads on the Office World holder, is there?

Bargain Filofax Post-It tabs and a hack to go with them

Tesco are selling these mini Post-It-style index tabs for £1.20 a pack.

Here's the link. They are the same size as (and look and feel completely identical to) the ones on the Filofax sticky notes insert.  So, if nothing else, you've got a cheap way to replenish your stock. But we can do better than that!

When you unwrap the package, you find the tabs are attached to a piece of firm, clear plastic.

This plastic piece is just about the same height as a credit card and slightly narrower.

I rooted out the used iTunes gift card you see above, and used a short piece of tape to attach it to the plastic card the tabs are on.

If you do this right, leaving a slight gap between the two pieces, the clear plastic will sit snugly on top of the gift card. At this point you can put the gift card into one of your credit card pockets, with the attached tabs sitting outside.

I've used a credit card insert, but there's no reason why you couldn't use an empty slot in the cover, if you have one. And if you have a Pocket or Mini Filofax, you could attach the tape to the shorter edge of the card, which should work just as well.

I used clear Scotch tape because that's all I had to hand. My only concern is how well this will hold up in day-to-day use and I may upgrade to a stronger tape at some point.

And if you're looking for other uses for used gift cards, here's a project you could try.

Spent your iTunes gift card? Repurpose it

There are too many plastic cards in the world. I got another one this morning from my son, who gave me an iTunes gift card, for which I was very grateful, of course. I scratched off the panel, keyed in the code and logged the credit. This left me with a useless plastic card. I gathered some simple tools:

You can see here a steel ruler, a manual single hole punch and a craft knife. The first step is to use the ruler and the craft knife to make some deep cuts along the top and bottom of the card that do not quite run to the sides, like this:

Each of the four corners now needs an additional cut, to join the ones you have made to the long edges, at a slight angle:

Once you have made all of these cuts, you can gently flex and then snap out the two edge strips. This can be tricky if your cuts aren't deep enough, so you may need to go back and use the knife to make them a bit deeper. You'll be left with a sort of bone-shaped card and two thin strips you can throw away.

Next, use the hole punch to make a hole at each end of the card. This takes a bit of strength and risks ruining a less than sturdy hold punch. You could use a drill to achieve the same effect.

Finally, use the knife or some strong scissors to make little V-shaped joins from the holes to the short edges.

Have you guessed what it's for yet?

Yes, it's a headphone cable tidy, which can double as a cable shortener if you only wind part of the cable around. Given the fragility of your average headphone cable you might want to take a nail file or emery board to any rough edges before you use this.

I gave this to my gift-giving son this morning. You see, his new headphone cable was so long he was in danger of tripping over it.

Happy Christmas everyone.

Free London Underground Map for your Filofax

I know you can buy these maps ready-made for your Filofax, but:

1. The map actually changes fairly often, with stations closing and reopening; staying current would cost a fortune; and
2. London Underground hand out lovely ones for free at every station. 

Here is one of the free ones I picked up today:

It's smaller than Filofax Personal paper and it folds out beautifully:

You don't want to punch holes in that. And if you did, it wouldn't open properly. You could put it in a pocket or clear envelope, I suppose, but here's a better idea: recycle some packaging. Here is something I bought that's sealed in unnecessary plastic:

The back of the package is a little flat sheet of transparent, firm plastic. Using a craft knife, I liberated it, trimmed it and punched it so as to end up with a sort of shorter 'today' marker:

Then, it's just a matter of using glue to attach the map. I used a clear-drying glue so you can even see the content where the join is:

 
Here it is, stowed away in my Filo:

And here it is, unfurled and in action:

This trick is fantastic for all sorts of little maps and booklets that fold out. What other ones can you think of?