How to make a journal from a cereal box

It can be nice to have a journal to record thoughts at the end of the day, but it is not always easy to find a journal that has a design that you like. For this project, you have as many pattern choices as there are scrapbook paper designs. If you want to make a thicker journal, just add more blank pages and cut the binding twine a little longer.

This craft works nicely as a wedding guestbook or as a portable sketchbook for children to sketch and doodle in during a long car ride or plane trip. It also works well for a daily affirmation or gratitude journal.

Materials
- Empty cereal box
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scrapbook paper
- School glue
- Hole punch
- Twine
- Blank paper of any color

Instructions
1. Open one side and the bottom of the empty cereal box. Lay it flat with the blank side facing up.

2. Cut along all the creases. Save the front or back piece. Turn the chosen piece so it lies horizontal on a flat surface.

3. Place the ruler horizontally 1/4 inch in from the left side and ½ inch up from the bottom. Draw a 5-inch horizontal line.

4. Place the ruler vertically at the right endpoint of the 5-inch line. Slide it down so the endpoint is at the second hash mark from the end of the ruler. Draw a vertical line to the 7-inch mark.

5. Complete the rectangle. Draw a 5-inch top line to the left. Connect the left endpoint to the bottom-left endpoint of the first 5-inch line. Cut out the rectangle.

6. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 with the leftover side of the original piece. You should have two identical pieces.

7. Turn one piece to a vertical position and place it on top of the scrapbook paper. Trace around it and cut out the shape. Repeat this step so you have a total of two scrapbook rectangles.

8. Apply the glue to the pattern side of the cardboard and adhere one of the scrapbook paper rectangles. Repeat for the other piece of cardboard. Let the glue dry.

9. Turn one piece to a vertical position the work surface. Set the ruler along the left side, ¾ inch in. Make a mark 1 inch down. Make six marks down the binding, 1 inch apart from one another. Punch out a hole at each mark.

10. Stack the two pieces of cardboard with the pattern facing out. Make a mark in each hole. Punch out a hole at each mark on the second piece of cardboard.

11.(Not shown) Cut blank paper 1/8 inch smaller than the cardboard’s perimeter. Stack the paper with one cardboard piece. Mark the holes. Punch out the holes in the paper.

12. Stack in the following order: cardboard with pattern facing out, blank papers and cardboard with pattern facing out.

13. Cut six pieces of twine, each approximately 3 inches long. Feed a piece a twine through each hole and tie a knot. Trim the excess twine.