I think it’s too big because I had to punch really large holes to get it to fit through. I ended up purchasing some colored elastic that you usually see with these types of notebooks – but I didn’t realize 3mm is actually really thick. After everything dried completely, I trimmed my leather to size and made some measurements to punch the holes for the elastic band.

I cut my paper to size first, then glued it to my leather with standard white glue. I would have preferred to make mine wider, but I’m limited by the size of the patterned paper that is 30 centimeters wide. Depending how thick and expansive you want the notebook to be, you’ll have to calculate enough width for the spine area. You can see a bunch of note system page sizes here and decide what you want to go with. Since I live in Italy and we use A4 paper, I decided to size my notebook accordingly.

Besides adding strength, it’s a nice way to add a pop of color and design to the inside of your journals. Whenever I want to strength my cover material, I just cut a piece of cardstock to size and glue it to my leather. I know that not everyone has access to leather, but you can definitely consider any kind of material that will hold up to be a cover. Unfortunately, the leather is not a very thick and quite floppy. All the other details are sort of up to your preference.Īfter rummaging in my stash, I decided to use the dark blue leather for my first fauxdori notebook. But ultimately, all you need is durable material for your cover, the elastic band material and some basic bookbinding tools. There are lots of tutorials out there and definitely some variation in regards to sizes and how the elastic band is bound into the cover. I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try my hand at making a Midori (fauxdori) Notebook. Everyday sketchbook artists, planner addicts, list makers, diary writers, bullet list journalers – you name it! The system is so flexible, it’s just a great way to keep a perpetual journal for any topic or hobby. Although the Midori was originally intended for travelers who would swap out inserts for every trip, nowadays people use the same idea for all kinds of purposes. People have copied the idea and often go DIY, calling them fauxdori. Of course, the original brand name is Japanese and not the cheapest on the block. This means that you can use the same journal cover over and over, just swapping out your notebook insert inside. The Midori Traveler’s Notebook is basically a leather cover with elastic bands inside that enable you to slip in and out saddle stitched inserts. Although it’s been around for a long time, I never actually understood what it was. I’ve been looking into paper planners recently and kept seeing the mention of Midori journals and notebook inserts.

Diy travelers journal