Make a Cereal Box Notepad

There are quite a few cereal box notepad projects floating around on the web, but most require fancy equipment or sewing. This matchbook-style notepad requires neither, and only takes about five minutes to make.

Here’s how to make one.

What You’ll Need:

Empty cereal boxes
Scissors
Paper
A stapler

What You Do:

Step 1: Take a cereal box apart at the seams, and lay it flat on your work surface.

Step 2: Decide how big you want your notepad to be. Then, cut your cover out from the part of the cereal box with the best graphics. To get the length right, you want a piece that is twice as long as the finished size of the notepad, plus an inch (for the bottom flap).

Step 3: Fold the bottom inch of the cardboard up to create the bottom flap for your matchbook notepad. Fold the top down, so that it tucks behind the bottom flap.

Step 4: Now, cut paper to fit inside of your cover. I like to reuse junk mail and my kids’ school work for this purpose. Any paper that has only been used on one side will work well.

Step 5: Staple the bottom flap over the paper. Then, tuck the cover into the flap. You’ll probably need to trim the cover a bit, so that it lies flat when it’s behind the the flap.

Start using your notepad, or make a bunch more, and give them away as gifts. They’d make great party favors, and they’d be a fun replacement for greeting cards.