When I started making notebook covers, I wanted to make reusable covers for basic, cheap notebooks. But then a stash of blank hardcover books (at cost price!) fell into my lap, and I used those. I bought as many as I could, thinking that at the worst I'd have a lifetime supply of notebooks. And then the supply dried up.
I've spent the last few weeks fretting and phoning and scouring the internet, looking for a local supplier in vain. I can get basic hardcover notebooks, but something about them isn't right. They're too solid to be disposable, and not nice enough not to be disposable. And I was completely set on the idea of hardcover books. Fabric-covered books, rather than fabric covers for books.
Yesterday something finally came unstuck in my head; I looked at a spiralbound book. Why not? If you've tried putting a cover on a spiralbound book, you'll know that they don't easily look neat. The cover pulls back, the pages stick out. But if you put a cardboard sleeve, scored to curve around the wire binding, inside the cover first - well, we have a winner!
A washable, reusable cover for cheap notebooks. If the cardboard cover wears out, you can grab the nearest empty cereal box and cut another one. If you need a thicker cover, you can cut 2 extra pieces of card and slip them in. And best of all, in terms of shipping, these books weigh under 100g. The hardcover books come in at between 120g and 160g.
Does anyone else do this? Have an idea and go all the way around all the possible distractions before coming back to the original idea? I'm going to blame it on the wind; it's been howling and my hayfever has been spectacular.
I'll have books in my shop later this week, and they'll also be available at The Book Lounge.
Snippet from a book cover
An article about South Africa Etsy sellers on The Storque, Etsy's blog. It's part of the Shop Local series. Have a look at some of the previous entries while you're there; it's fascinating to see where the goods on Etsy come from.
Photo credits belong to each shop
When I started making notebook covers, I wanted to make reusable covers for basic, cheap notebooks. But then a stash of blank hardcover books (at cost price!) fell into my lap, and I used those. I bought as many as I could, thinking that at the worst I'd have a lifetime supply of notebooks. And then the supply dried up.
Yesterday something finally came unstuck in my head; I looked at a spiralbound book. Why not? If you've tried putting a cover on a spiralbound book, you'll know that they don't easily look neat. The cover pulls back, the pages stick out. But if you put a cardboard sleeve, scored to curve around the wire binding, inside the cover first - well, we have a winner!
A washable, reusable cover for cheap notebooks. If the cardboard cover wears out, you can grab the nearest empty cereal box and cut another one. If you need a thicker cover, you can cut 2 extra pieces of card and slip them in. And best of all, in terms of shipping, these books weigh under 100g. The hardcover books come in at between 120g and 160g.
Pics from Sway
Photo from the band's Facebook page
photo by painted fish studio
