A Steno Pad for My Thoughts
Blah, Blah, Blah. Connect the dots. This blog is now an archive only. No new entries will be posted, please visit our new blog here.Life changing compound.
It’s hard to resist the back to school aisles this time of year and this year I managed to just pick up this padded index card notepad. (I can’t seem to find it online.) It got me thinking about making notepads and the glue that held these index cards together–because it was just a stack of index cards glued together. But I love it! Along with my spiral bound list maker, I use this notepad all the time. So I figured how hard can it be to make a notepad and you know what? Not hard!
I ordered a quart of this life changing padding compound (comes in red + white) from here for $13. This is the glue you just brush on the edge of your stack of paper to make a notepad. So simple. The compound is so thick it’s really easy to work with and you use so little of it this stuff will last forever. (I did find this Ebay seller selling smaller quantities but you get so much less for half the cost so I say go for the quart.)
Or long enough to make a thousand and forty-two notepads. I got my feet wet just making a notepad with scrap paper which I hand stamped the pages with this cute stamp set I picked up from cottonblue’s Etsy shop a bit back.
(Photo of stamp set from cottonblue.)
The only trick is to cut all the pages the same size. I have a paper cutter so it made this pretty simple but without a paper cutter, I can’t imagine trying to cut them all the same size with scissors. Then you need a backing board. I used some tagboards I had around from packaging up artwork. Though I have also used a cut up portion from a sketchpad or even a thicker food box would work. You stack it all together, keep it tight with a rubber band and then brush on the compound. So simple! I found that I could keep the pad the tightest but slipping it into a clipboard after brushing on the glue to keep the pages all good and tight together. All right so after I figured out how easy it was, I knew next would be a fill-in-the-blank note pad. A grocery list!
I have been using this grocery list notepad from Kathleen Habbley and have been silently freaking out because it’s almost gone and she doesn’t have anymore for sale right now and I don’t know why I didn’t buy two. So I decided to replace it with my own grocery list. I sized it so I could fit four pages to a sheet and went over to my local copy store and made 30 copies to make a 120 page notepad. I glued it all together and added a magnet to the back and it’s awesome!
They’re so great cause it costs so little to make them but I think they will be awesome gifts. I’m so excited about this. Updated to add: I put together some Do-It-Yourself Notepad Kits for the shop with instructions, our Meal Planning Notepad and supplies to make about 50 more notepads. You can find it here.
1f32Entry Filed under: shop, organization, craft
77 Comments Add your own
1. Lisa M | September 4th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Wow thanks for the info! I think this is a really fun project! Off I go to find some compund :)
Oh and thanks for the list too! It is adorable!~Lisa
2. Melissa H | September 4th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Hi–I stop by often but never comment so I just wanted to thank you for the constant inspiration lately! I love your enthusiasm for all your projects. keep up the good work (and thank you!)
3. month of mail | September 4th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Wow, I have never even heard of such a thing! That is so amazing! Now I feel like I *must* go find some of that compound :)
4. Rachel | September 4th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I love this idea! And I would never even have known how to search for something like that, because I wouldn’t have been able to think of what it is called.
5. Cass Ward | September 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
That glue looks cool but I just used regular craft glue, you the stuff that goes on white and dries clear. Seems to work ok
6. alice | September 4th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
i am AMAZED by this, seriously. i really want to do it sometime. but does that compound have really gnarly toxic odors? i am one of those wusses that has a really sensitive sense of smell, and i hate chemical smells. does it smell like it’s going to melt your brain? or just kind of gluey?
7. Kimberly Michelle | September 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Wow!!! Thank you so much for sharing this! I’ve been using Elmer’s glue, but sometimes it doesn’t always take like I want it to! Now… no worries at all!!!
And that grocery list is to die for! This is so perfect for so many presents!
8. sarah | September 4th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Alice, it just smells gluey. It says its non-flammable and water based so I think you should be fine. I was actually surprised it didn’t smell.
9. jessimat | September 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
i love it. love your list, too. that is just how i set mine up–by hand, though. your way is much more fancy :)
10. jennlui | September 4th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
wow thanks so much for the info!!! i’m ordering some padding compound right now!!! my head is spinning with ideas and list pads to create!!! ps love your grocery list!
11. sarah | September 4th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Yay!! I’m glad someone else is freaking out over this. Heads up, I uploaded my grocery list here so you can download it if you want.
12. abbyjane | September 4th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
i have looked for so long for a list like this, divided into categories that correlate to the store aisles. i would totally buy a pad like this if you ever make some to sell.
13. Melissa | September 4th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I’m so glad you posted about this! I have been saving pieces of used paper to make into a recycled notepad. this stuff is just what i need!
14. mushroommeadows | September 4th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
wow…life changing indeed! I’m going to try to get my hands on it; you’re just so darn inspiring! :)
15. Holly | September 4th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
This is potentially life-changing! Thank you for sharing it.
~Holly
Two Cheese Please
16. Ali | September 5th, 2008 at 5:12 am
Lovely lovely lists you have there. On the subject of the magic compound - I’ve made similar (though less beautiful) pads by using strong PVA. How is the magic compound different?
17. sarah | September 5th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Couldn’t tell you how it’s different since I’ve not used them side by side, but the padding compound is obviously an adhesive but it is much thicker than the white glue mentioned above and dries to a flexible coating pretty quickly.
18. hannah | September 5th, 2008 at 5:32 am
i NEED that grocery list. NEED.
19. denise! | September 5th, 2008 at 6:18 am
WELL HOT DOG! I’m famous - I like the print on the fridge! Okay okay, I also love the note pads! You too damn creative - I love all the little things you come up with!
20. denise! | September 5th, 2008 at 6:18 am
WELL HOT DOG! I’m famous - I like the print on the fridge! Okay okay, I also love the note pads! You are too damn creative - I love all the little things you come up with!
21. alice | September 5th, 2008 at 6:31 am
water based, non-flammable- that’s awesome. i’m totally picking some up. thank you!
22. floatytoes | September 5th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I just found that same exact compound (even the same color) in our supply room at work, and have been using it to make tiny notepads. That stuff rocks!
23. Tina | September 5th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Laughing is allowed. My father had that stuff years ago for some project he was working on (he’s a stamp collector). He used it to fuse a stacks of 20 $1 bills for a trip we took (crisp, fresh bills from the Treasury). We went our merry way at the amusement park with money in pocket that didn’t go anywhere unless we wanted it to. It was great.
24. Suzanne | September 5th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Holy mackeral! I am totally buying TUBS of that stuff! I dodn’t even know it existed! (Well, I mean other than to giant paper notepad companies.) That’s freaking awesome!!!
Thanks for sharing :)
25. amy k. | September 5th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
this is stupid cool. i am printing the list now-thank you!
26. Jo-Ann Coe | September 6th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
You just rocked my world!
27. christine | September 7th, 2008 at 9:51 am
And to think I almost purchased this! Now I have my own make a tailor made shopping list(s). Yay. Brilliant Sarah does it again!
28. lisa s | September 7th, 2008 at 10:23 am
thank you SO much for sharing this…. what a find!
29. Rocio | September 9th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Awesome! I can’t wait to try this out!
30. Tina | September 9th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
This is fabulous. I was searching for a tutorial all last week. I found you on Craft today. Thanks.
31. Pollyanna | September 9th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Tres genius!
32. Lisa Clarke | September 9th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Oh WOW, this is *exactly* what I need. Exactly! This fills a void I just discovered I had today. Buying my quart right now… thank you!
33. Ann | September 9th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Wow, a tutorial I can not only do and afford, but something ussefull!!! Thank you!
34. trish | September 9th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
super awesome!!! thanks for sharing your finds with us.
35. Ruth | September 9th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I used to work for a printer doing this kind of thing–they always used a heavy weight on top of the items they were padding. They used an machine that pressed a wighted arm down, but you could use some really heavy books around the pad while keeping the glue area clear, and then something heavy on top.
36. susan | September 10th, 2008 at 5:48 am
THANK YOU! I have always wanted to do this! also a great way to recycle paper.
37. Lisa | September 10th, 2008 at 8:05 am
This is great. I was looking for something similar a few months ago to make note pads out of scap paper at work. But I didn’t see anything as neat as this. One of the ideas I saw then was to use binder clips to hold the pages together while the glue dries.
38. ashleyD | September 10th, 2008 at 10:56 am
soo great! i love this list!!!
i’m a spiral kind of gal, i bought a zutter bind-it-all a month or so back. i’ve been binding everything i can get my hands on!
i too use sturdy food boxes for backer board!
39. Emma | September 11th, 2008 at 3:17 am
Oooooh! I didn’t know you could buy that in a jar and do it yourself! My mind is going wild with ideas… =O
40. 1fea N. | September 13th, 2008 at 4:12 am
Yesterday I went to the printer to get a notepad done up like this (and get this, using your fabric/paper doll template from kiddley as the pad for a present!) and they wanted to charge me $9 to do it. NINE DOLLARS!!!!!! I came here wanting to get more ideas and I saw this and squeed. I have some PVA and am going to try it with the notepad. Then I’m going to go out and get some of that compound! Your site is such an inspiration. :D
41. lisa | September 13th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Thanks for this post! I have wanted to make little pads like this *forever* but have done a little work-around with little bookbinding projects instead. Woo-woo!
42. Rebecca | September 15th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I went to buy the compound at the site you listed and htey do not normally ship unless you order 50 bottles. htey did say they will fulfill the order if it sneaks through the ordering process but as I had to call them since my billing address is Canadian, they refused to ship to me even though the ship to address is US. so I got mine here http://gwjco.com. It was actually cheaper there anyhow. $8.50 instead of $12.99! thanks so much for hte idea. I had no idea this was doable outside of a factory. Yeah!
43. Lindsay | September 16th, 2008 at 5:51 am
really awesome. thank you so much for the tip. I also have always wondered what kind of glue is used for this. It would be cool to put a ribbon over the glue to make it look like a little legal pad too!
44. Alissa | September 17th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Ooh. That glue makes my heart beat fast. Neat.
45. La C. | September 24th, 2008 at 5:22 am
I love that you blog. This site has been so extremely useful to me. Seriously, one of the most informative on the web. Thanks.
46. Julia H. | September 29th, 2008 at 9:27 am
What a great idea! I have so much GOOS (Good On One Side) paper, and this is something I could use for it. I did find some padding compound on amazon - $9.41 for a quart!
47. jen | September 29th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Just a note. I used to be a printing press operator. We would make tons of pads. The real trick is to do a bunch at one time and make a big sandwich - chip board, paper stack, chip board, paper stack, repeat. On the top, as close to the binding edge as possible, lay 2 unopened reams of paper. Use as large a brush as possible and give the entire edge a light coat of compound and let dry. Give it one more coat. When dry, the pads can be turned on their side and sliced apart. There is an actual tool called a padding knife, but I’m sure a letter opener would work in a pinch.
48. Alison | September 30th, 2008 at 4:17 am
You’ve just given me my Christmas gift idea!! Notepads for everybody! woo hooooo! Thanks!
49. Leonie | September 30th, 2008 at 11:54 am
This looks so useful and like SO MUCH fun.
Just how common is this compound stuff? I’m going to have to hunt all off my tiny little country (the Netherlands) to find some. And then get some cute stamps. Obviously.
Thanks for posting! :)
50. SarahStarr | September 30th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Wonderful. Thank You!
51. Joey Ramone | October 1st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
this is a lovely idea! I never knew you could get the special glue! Oh, do you have a choppy-type guillotine or a paper cutter with a slidey cutter? I bought a cheap-ish slidey cutter type but took it back to the shop because the cut wasn’t clean enough… Can you recommend anything?
Cheers for the lovely idea and pictures!
Joey x
52. jane | October 1st, 2008 at 1:58 pm
between the bandit lunch bag + this + the adorable cookbook log i am sorrier than ever that i missed you at renegade (though i have to say, the weather was awful!) you should sell this grocery list. i would buy them :)
53. Allisa | October 1st, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Love it! I can’t wait to make some of these for upcoming birthdays & holidays. Wow, who knew that crafty little binding glue existed!? Thanks for sharing.
54. sarah | October 1st, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I’m with you all, this stuff is awesome and I am making up notepads galore for holiday gifts! Joey–as to the paper cutter I use, I have a guillotine type cutter and have never had any luck with the slider kinds unless you are cutting one piece at a time. I was given a rather cheap GBC paper cutter that has worked great for the past few years. If I were going to buy a new one I’d get one that had a adjustable paper guard on but I just rig up a paper fence by taping down a piece of cardboard so I get the exact same size cut each time.
55. claudia | October 9th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I made notepads in middle school when I was in shop class way back in the 80’s. I think it was the lesson on how to use a vice. :) I have always wanted to try it again! Now I know which compound to buy! Thanks!
56. emily | October 10th, 2008 at 8:06 am
seriously brilliant. i’ve been wanting to use my scrap papers to make note pads - instead of just piles of scrap papers. can’t wait to try it!
22ac57. hedgenettle | November 14th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
you are so rockin’! i’ve wondered about that stuff at the top of a notepad for like twenty years and now i know! all cuz of you! i thank you from the bottom of my quick-beating-with-craft-potential-excited heart. wooohooo!
58. Sarah Blake | December 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 pm
This is my favorite thing I’ve ever found on the internet ever, and I thank you. I’m actually making my mom a personalized notepad for her birthday!!!!
59. Angela | December 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
This is the most awesome idea EVER! I got my compound in the mail on Friday and have already made a few ‘practice’ notepads. The possibilities are endless!!! Thanks so much.
60. Victoria Lynn Voll | February 2nd, 2009 at 11:40 am
This could be a craft and an income
I am gonna try this
I love this post
Bye and into another income adventure!
61. Valerie Nicdao | March 10th, 2009 at 3:34 am
hi, just wondering what the gluey compound is called. the links don’t seem to work for me.
62. KaysMom | March 27th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
This is such a fun project. Thanks for sharing with us all!
I found a source for smaller containers of padding compound at a very reasonable price (and free shipping) here: http://www.chicaandjo.com/ourstore/
63. Dida | August 28th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
OMG…!!!! this is such an awesome idea…padding compound is indeed life changing….
many many thanks for introducing this to me…!!!
thanx a lot for sharing…
64. Sandra | September 22nd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Hi there. I loved this project and it inspired me to do a giveaway to share some of the padding compound I picked up. I hope it’s okay to link to this tutorial? I love your blog & your creativity–thanks so much for sharing with us.
65. kyred | July 1st, 2010 at 11:04 am
What a great idea to recycle paper. I print recipes, ideas, etc online. And there always seems to be one sheet that doesn’t have a lot printed on it. Now, I make scratch pads - Thanks for a great idea!
66. Zmitr | July 17th, 2010 at 11:00 am
it was very interesting to read.
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?
67. Melanie | February 14th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Thanks for all the information! I have lots of paper left over from my business, and wanted to recycle it. Now I can! Thanks also for the clipboard trick. Perfect!
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