I have a love-hate relationship with notebooks. I use them all the time and have to write out lists and draw diagrams and take notes (I always hated the people in school who could just “absorb” all the knowledge and learning and never took notes. ugh.). BUT, I almost never look at those notebooks after maybe 1 day after writing the notes/list/diagram. It just becomes not important/I don’t look at it so I forget I wrote that down. or I make a new list.
So today I realized I was in one of those situations where I needed a notebook. But I don’t have any that I would want to just scribble some notes or diagrams in.
DILEMMA: need big writing space that is clean, no lines, lots of space, fun to draw/write on, but not expensive/fancy, big, heavy, or clumsy (in size etc).
ANSWER: The Paper-Bag-Notebook!
It is compact and travel-able (with handles even!), economical (free with your groceries!), readily available (it’s all I have around my apartment!), clean drawing space that can be expanded for big drawings or compacted for small lists (or purse-stashing)!!
1. Start with a paper bag (possibly from your super-friendly neighborhood Brooklyn Fare!)
2. tear down the (vertical) seams of the bag to separate the front from the back, but keep the bottom connecting the two big wide sides together. Just look at the pictures not these words.
3. do this on both sides and fillet that bag real good.
4. detach those weird arm piece things. (anyone think of a good way to use these pieces? I couldn’t really think of a good one so I just gave up on them.)
5. fold the sides down like a giant hotdog. sorta like a hotdog. do this on the top and the bottom.
6.fold the whole not-hotdog thing into an accordion book, fold it into 6 sections so it closes up like a book.
7. how to make the individual “pages” expandable? rip the edges right at the fold of the end of that “page”. rip the seam at the top right of this photo below. If I was sitting next to you this step would be easier to point out. but you’re smart you can probably figure it out.
8. ta-da! see, now isn’t #7 more clear?
9. ok so when you hold up the cute handles, the book falls apart and becomes less compact and travel-able ! bummer.
10. inspect the contraption — decide that you need some fastener in the “spine” of the notebook to keep the thing together and at its full potential.
11. easy solution = paperclip! done! (but… it doesn’t sit flat when you open the book/you have to not lose the paperclip….)
12. fancy solution = sew a little loop / single “binding” ! (red string/embroidery floss is preferable, of course. and you know you have so much embroidery floss hanging around just taking up so much space with its potential uses and seductive range of colors)
13. BAM! look at that sexy notebook sitting flat and keeping its shape as a notebook!!!
14. ok so here it is! it’s sitting flat, a great drawing surface, expandable for when you need more drawing room, compact-able for when you need to grab it by the handles and go on your important business trip, and has more pages for when you have more lists to write!
It’s also a great raisin snack holder/temporary plate. and those are always temporary because I eat my raisins so fast. Also a great accompaniment to your SPOT coffee Delray Beach nostalgia mug of delicious tea.
OK So great! wahoo! i love this thing really! I’m gonna make so many for all my different projects. or just ideas. have one with you at all times!!
Leave a comment or send me a picture of one you make if you decide to! I really recommend it. This bag-notebook has really changed my life in the 8 hours I’ve used it so far. So don’t wait any longer ok. I know the directions above are not the most helpful but there’s so many pictures, you gotta be able to figure it out.
OK GOODNIGHT FRIENDS!
p.s. I of course made this during the time I needed to be doing other things, but I needed the notebook in order to PLAN those other things!! so that’s another dilemma to investigate into: how to plan and organize more efficiently so that they don’t take up the time I actually have to DO the project….
p.p.s. have you entered the lightbulb earrings GIVE-AWAY (that means they’re free) contest yet?? The weekend / now is really a great time to do that.
I FEEL GREAT TODAY 
What a great idea!!