How to Make Your Own Homemade Sketchbook

Create a custom, portable sketchbook for your drawings using simple supplies you have at home. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

  1. Prepare your paper. Stack your printer paper neatly. If you want a smaller, pocket-sized book, fold the entire stack in half and use your fingernail to make a sharp crease along the fold.
  2. Create your cover. Place your folded paper stack onto your cardstock. Trace the outline of your paper onto the cardstock, then ask a grown-up to help you cut it out so it matches the size of your pages perfectly.
  3. Punch your holes. Align your cover and your paper pages. Use a hole punch to make two holes along the folded edge, about two inches apart. Make sure you punch through all the layers at once so they line up.
  4. Bind your book. Thread a piece of yarn through the holes and tie it in a tight knot, or use two binder clips to secure the spine. If you use clips, you can easily add more paper later.