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Last week I shared photos of my Mini Legal Pad project that I'm doing for my daughter's high school (parent service hours) see my blog post here. Yesterday, I drew a template and am sharing instructions. Will really help if you can print the template to reference while reading the instructions.

Download Mini Legal Pad Diagram to print and see photo here:


Photo of mini legal pad diagram

What you'll need at a minimum
for a basic cover without decor:

  • 1 piece of any color card stock
    trimmed to 8 1/2" x 10 7/8" (just trim off 1/8" off a
    standard piece of card stock)
  • Something to score with –
    Simply Scored, bone folder and a ruler, etc…
  • Something to measure with –
    ruler or your trimmer or scoring tool
  • Scissors
  • Sticky Strip (SNAIL Adhesive is
    not strong enough)
  • 1 mini legal pad

Products I used to decorate with:

 

  • Real Red, Daffodil Delight
    & Basic Black card stock
  • Textured Impressions Embossing
    Folders: Perfect Polka-Dots, Vintage Wallpaper & Square Lattice.
  • Dies: Tasteful Trim and Fun
    Flowers.
  • Stamp set: Mixed Bunch. 
  • If desired, stamp the cover of
    the single sheet of card stock using any image you like. I prefer tone on
    tone and choose ink the same color as the card stock
  • Score from left to right
    placing card stock in "landscape" direction (as shown above) at
    3/4", 1" and 6".
  • Rotate card stock 1 turn
    counter-clockwise to have the card stock now in "portrait"
    position and score 1/2" from the right (or 8" from the left)
  • Return card stock to original
    landscape orientation and note the score line which is now 1/2" from
    the bottom. Cut away that part from the far left side to just a tiny bit
    over the right side of the 6" score line. Curve the cut at about that
    point (see diagram).
  • Still in landscape position,
    cut away upper left and lower left corners at an angle just to the 1st
    score line (see diagram)
  • Fold on all score lines folding
    away from you
  • Place Sticky Strip on the
    "front" of the bottom right 1/2" flap then fold it in to
    create bottom of pocket on inside of cover
  • Decorate cover as you wish
  • I don't like the Sam's Club
    logo on my mini legal pad so I cut a 5" x 3/4" strip of Designer
    Series Paper and adhered with SNAIL Adhesive (see yellow polka dot paper
    on top of legal pad in photos below)
  • Adhere Sticky Strip along
    "back" side of far left edge of diagram between far left border
    and 1st score line at 3/4"
  • I stand the mini legal pad on
    its side with its back facing me (horizontally) then cradle the cover over
    from front to back so that the two score lines (at 3/4" and 1")
    fit over the legal pad in a way to allow the cover to lay flat once
    adhered. If you adhere it too tightly, the cover raises up and won't lay
    flat nicely (learned this by making this blunder). You'll know what I mean
    when you're at this step.
  • That's it!
  • Photos on my prior blog post should help visualize the steps.
  • I bought a pack of 24 Mini
    Legal Pads at Sam's Club (they had both white paper pads or yellow paper)
    for $5.50 + tax (about 25 cents each). Did I say "dirt cheap
    project?"!