from scraps to doodles

*

for the first time in the nearly 10 (gasp!) years we've been homeschooling, we ended the school  year with a stack of worksheets. i wanted an alternative to tossing them into the recycling bin, so turned them into doodle pads for elfling.

here is how i did it:

* make sure the papers are all blank-side up.

* cut them in half, across the middle.

* separate into manageable stacks. too thick & you could break your needle.

* cut covers for each (fronts & backs) from grocery bags.

* place a front & a back on either side of each stack.

* choose a short side to be the top, & sew a straight stitch 1/4 an inch from the edge.

* go back to the beginning, & sew (at the edge) a zig-zag stitch.

* repeat for each doodle pad.

i recommend that you do this when you are not bone-weary from lack of sleep. i was that, & the result is the worst sewing job. ever. 

i'm in love with the illustrations on trader joe's grocery bags, which is what i used to cover these doodle pads. if you want to see what else i do with the bags, read this tutorial.

i hope you are inspired to reuse paper that still has one blank side. if so, let me know what you come up with!

~peace.