Notebooks are available in many stores in a large selection: In stationery stores, in bookstores and now as well in the little concept stores, where you can buy such wonderful gifts. But when you need a special notebook - you often search in vain for exactly THE notebook you want. I have therefore made the perfect notebook simply by myself.
The challenge
I am a big fan of notebooks and have many at home. Often I strike immediately when I see one in the store that I like. And then when I urgently need one, like recently for my notes for my friend's wedding preparations - I was allowed to be maid of honor - I just can't find the right one in my well-stocked notebook drawer.
Design a notebook yourself
First I thought about what my notebook should have: I like the large DIN A4 format. Because it's totally important to me that I have enough space for all my ideas and thoughts. I prefer to have as many notes as possible at a glimpse, so I don't have to flip back and forth so often. To have enough space for my wedding notes of every event, I created enough pages. I decided on 64 pages. That turned out to be just right later: I didn't need more. Then it was down to the layout. I really wanted to use colors for my inspiration that referenced my friend's wedding. She and her husband chose a beautiful old pink. First, I looked through the templates in the makerspace to see if I liked pages there enough to use them as the basis for my notebook. But I wanted it to be more simple. So I created a colored area on my notebook pages. To be able to write well on it, I made the color transparent. Then I browsed through the designs in the makerspace and discovered beautiful flowers there. I tried some more elements. But then I wanted it rather simple and with plenty of space for drawings and lists. My designed double page I duplicated then on all 64 pages and then individualized every page until I was satisfied with the result. Finally, I designed a beautiful cover with my favorite snapshot of my friend and me. So the notebook has become so really personal.
Two more ordering tips
I ordered my notebook as a bound book. So it stays nice for longer and also does not get dog-eared when I have it with me on the road. For example, to write lists in the café and stuff it in my handbag. In the back of the book cover, I glued a small compartment into my notebook made of matching colored clay paper. I use it to store loose notes that fly around. What does your dream notebook look like?
