Duct Tape Pocket Notepad
I searched all over for a small notepad I could keep in my pocket. I am an IT geek, so I do have a smart phone. However, there are times when it is not readily available (like now because it's being modded and currently down for maintenance). Also, it's just so much fun to actually mark things off a list!
My searches for a pocket-size notepad failed. Either they were not small enough or they were too expensive. That's when I decided to make my own.
My searches for a pocket-size notepad failed. Either they were not small enough or they were too expensive. That's when I decided to make my own.
Items Needed
Items needed:
1. Two cards - I used a gift card and a card I received at a casino
2. Duct tape - I am sure you have a roll or two handy
3. Rubber bands - They need to be thick and make sure they fit snugly around the cards
4. Notepad - I work in IT so a lot of vendors drop of their notepads covered with their logos. It's not corporate theft if these were free AND headed to the rubbish since we get so many of them.
Tools needed:
1. Exacto knife - nice and sharp
2. Well... that's about it
1. Two cards - I used a gift card and a card I received at a casino
2. Duct tape - I am sure you have a roll or two handy
3. Rubber bands - They need to be thick and make sure they fit snugly around the cards
4. Notepad - I work in IT so a lot of vendors drop of their notepads covered with their logos. It's not corporate theft if these were free AND headed to the rubbish since we get so many of them.
Tools needed:
1. Exacto knife - nice and sharp
2. Well... that's about it
Cutting Down the Notepad
To start, you need to measure and mark the notepad to be used in the case. You will want the notepads new cut-down size to be just a bit smaller than the cards used.
I used the card as a guide (offsetting just a bit for a reduced size) and made my markings. After that was complete, the cutting began. It took several passes to cut through all the sheets of paper.
I used the card as a guide (offsetting just a bit for a reduced size) and made my markings. After that was complete, the cutting began. It took several passes to cut through all the sheets of paper.
Making the Case Step 1
I needed something to protect the sheets of paper while they were in my pocket. Since I wanted something about credit card size, I figured the cards would be perfect. I decided to use duct tape because, well... it's cheap, handy, easy to work with, and cool (I love the duct tape instructables on this site).
Take the two cards and place them next to each other. You want to leave a space so the notepad has some room to breathe. Cut out 2 pieces of duct tape for the sides. Tape each side (as shown in the picture) and trim the sides to look neat and clean.
Make sure the tape fully covers one side of the cards (the back is fully covered in the picture). This will leave a stripe in the middle of the other side exposed. Don't worry, we will cover this with tape in the next step.
Take the two cards and place them next to each other. You want to leave a space so the notepad has some room to breathe. Cut out 2 pieces of duct tape for the sides. Tape each side (as shown in the picture) and trim the sides to look neat and clean.
Make sure the tape fully covers one side of the cards (the back is fully covered in the picture). This will leave a stripe in the middle of the other side exposed. Don't worry, we will cover this with tape in the next step.
Making the Case Step 2
Place two rubber bands around one of the cards. This will hold the notepad in place. Once that is done, flip the case over so the cards are exposed a bit (remember the exposed cards in the previous step that I said we would cover up now).
Measure out a piece of tape a little longer than the length of the case. Place this over the exposed cards and the rubber bands. This will be the back of our case. The duct tape will cover almost the entire width of the cards and wrap around the ends of the case to attach to the other side. This should make for a very clean looking outside of the case.
Measure out a piece of tape a little longer than the length of the case. Place this over the exposed cards and the rubber bands. This will be the back of our case. The duct tape will cover almost the entire width of the cards and wrap around the ends of the case to attach to the other side. This should make for a very clean looking outside of the case.
Insert the Notepad
Now it's time to insert the notepad. Just slip the cardboard on the back of the notepad though the two rubber bands. This should keep the notepad in place. Since the tape was a little stiff, I put another rubber band around the entire case to keep it closed.
Done!
