Envelope notepads.

You know all of those lovely business-sized envelopes that happen to accumulate in your mailbox in spite of your efforts to opt out of such solicitations? Well, in our house they become grocery lists!

We collect these gems all year and re-purpose them as notepads. I made a few this weekend and thought I'd share the process with you. It's a super simple way to give that paper one more life before it dives into the recycling bin.

Here's what you'll need:



1. PVA bookbinding adhesive
2. foam craft brush
3. a container to put the PVA in (preferably not something you're going to eat out of, though the PVA does peel/wash out easily)
4. 1" binder clips
5. a bunch of envelopes

The steps are quite simple. Here we go...
First, stack your envelopes. They can (and likely will) be of somewhat varying lengths, but should all stack evenly along what will become the spine of your notepad. Secure binder clips on each end of the stack, close to the spine edge.


Once the stack is secure, I like to prop it between two books so that I can paint the PVA along the spine without having to hold it. This is also a helpful setup for letting the PVA dry.


Slather on a thick layer of PVA, making sure to gently press the adhesive into any gaps.


Then, let it dry a bit (it doesn't take long...perhaps half an hour). Once dry, I like to give it a second coat and for this one I remove the clips and position the stack horizontally between the books. (The pressure helps to flatten out any bowing that the clips caused.)


Again, let it dry and--Voila!--you're ready to make that list.