The first week of second grade, I begged Ms. O to please, please, please let me write a book report. My No. 2 pencil was poised, extracted from the other scholarly paraphernalia in my bright red pencil box. I was ready to take on the big-kid task of homework.
The charm of homework eventually wore off, but each year the shiny new school supplies re-kindled the hope that the year ahead held something more exciting than PB&J in brown bags and V. putting a tack on my chair when I went to the blackboard to miscalculate a math problem.
This lovely little set of desk supplies, with a fabric-covered notepad and coordinating binder clips, pens and a sticky-note holder, is a sweet way to send someone off to school or a new job. Shiny, new and hopeful.
Here is how to make it:
What You Need for the Fabric-Covered Notepad:
small plastic-covered notepad
scrapbooking eyelet setter
What You Need for the Sticky-Note Cover, Binder Clips and Pen:
rotary cutting board
small adhesive velcro dots
small binder clips
pen with clear shaft
fine sand paper
What To Do To Make the Fabric-Covered Notepad:
1. To make the fabric-covered notepad, cut two pieces of fabric that are each as wide and twice as long as the notepad (plus a little more at each edge for trimming). Remove the notepad’s wire binding and set aside.
2. Working on a sheet of wax paper and using the foam paintbrush, soak the fabric completely with gel medium and apply it to the notepad covers, folding the fabric over the bottom edge to cover both sides. Smooth out any wrinkles. Allow to dry.
3. Cut the edges of the fabric to be flush with the notepad cover. Use the eyelet setter and craft hammer to punch through the fabric and reveal the notepad cover holes.
4. Re-thread the wire binding through the covers and paper.
What To Do To Make the Sticky-Note Cover, Clips and Pen:
1. Use the rotary cutter, ruler and mat to cut a piece of scrapbooking paper 7 1/2″ long and 3″ wide.
2. Mark the rectangle at the 3″, 3 1/4″, 6 1/4″ and 6 1/2″ marks. Apply one side of the sticky velcro dot between the 6 1/2″ mark and the end of the paper.
3. Use the ruler as a straight edge to crease the paper at each marked line.
4. Peel the backing off the sticky-note pad and insert into the cover. Apply the other velcro dot to match the other side and seal.
5. For each small binder clip, cut a piece of scrapbooking paper 1″ by 3/4″ and use the glue stick to apply (or measure the appropriate size paper strip for your binder clip sizes, if different).
6. For each pen, use fine-grit sand paper to remove any writing on the pen shaft. Disassemble the pen and roll a scrap of paper around the ink tube to get the right size cylinder.
7. Insert the paper into the clear shaft and clip off any extra. Re-assemble the pen.