The Book of Ideas – Modding a Notebook

I like the “new media” for taking down ideas and accessing them from virtually everywhere as much as the next person who likes them, but taking down notes on paper has something liberating, and offers a lot more options than a keyboard does. Enjoy, and remember to be Inspired!

Improving the Design

Ever since completing the video I have been using this book, and I found one problem with my design – to get to my most frequently used pen, the ball point one, I need to undo the flap, obviously, and dig into the bag to find it. It would have been easier to create a separat compartment for a single pen, to be held by its clip – like an I next to the U i cut.

Since I cannot go back and do that, what I will do is remove part of the flap to allow for a pen to slide into the pouch unhindered, and make a little notch to slide it in far enough so it does not stand proud of the book.

A Note on Notebooks

While I like the one I am using for style alone, any kind of book with space to write and doodle in will work for this. If you keep your eyes open, you can get calendar books as freebies every now and then, and they sometimes come with a section of information that is nice to have on hand, like holidays, unit conversions, time zones, etc.

If you do not have such a calendar gathering dust already, it might be a good idea to ask around. In all likelyhood someone near you has one they are not using, or knows where to get one.

Variations

This project does not use a great many tools – bandsaw, scisors and clamps – so it should be fairly simple to make. The bandsaw can easily be replaced with a coping saw, and the paper does not offer too much resistance anyway. It would also be possible to work your way through the layers using a craft knife.

As for material, you could replace the leather with any kind of fabric that is sturdy enough, and use cardboard to make the pouch more rigid – which would in turn make it harder

Thanks for reading/watching, and remember to be Inspired!