DIY Ring Bound Binding

Whether you choose two or more rings, this project gives your papers a place.

Binding your own notes together can make them look more professional and help you to get more organized. But the best part about creating ring bound binding is its simplicity; as long as you have all of the materials on hand it can be done in under 45 minutes. Crafting your own ring bound binder also allows for versatility, if you want to use more rings you just need to use taller pieces of cardstock and chipboard.

Things You'll Need

• 3 1-inch rings
• 2 5-by-4.5-inch pieces of medium to heavy weight chipboard
• 1 5-by-1.75-inch piece of medium to heavy weight chipboard
• 2 pieces of 6-by-12-inch cardstock
• 1 piece of 6-by-1-inch cardstock
• Marker
• Double stick tape
• Glue
• "Big Bite" hole puncher
• Ruler

Instructions

Making the Hole Template

1. Measure the diameter of the middle of your rings. Write this measurement down.

2. Draw a pencil line across the 1 inch width of your 6-by-1-inch cardstock three-quarters of an inch from the top and another line three-quarters of an inch from the bottom.

3. Draw a line the length of the diameter of your rings in the middle of both of your lines and mark an "X" at either end of this distance.

4. Make a small circle in the middle of each "X."

5. Draw a third pencil line through the middle of your 6-by-1-inch piece of cardstock.

6. Make another line that is the length of your rings' diameter in the middle of your third line. Mark an "X" at either end of this diameter line and draw a circle in the middle of each "X."

Making the Ring Binder

1. Glue both of your 5-by-4-inch and your 5-by-1.75-inch pieces of chipboard down to the middle of one of your 12-by-6-inch pieces of cardstock. The space between your 5-by-1.75-inch piece and the 5-by-4-inch pieces should be double the thickness of your cardstock (approximately one-sixteenth of an inch).

2. Put double stick tape all around the edges of your chipboard. The tape should form a solid rectangle.

3. Clip the corners from your cardstock. But leave approximately the width of your chipboard (one-thirty-second of an inch) at each corner.

4. Peel the cover off of your double stick tape.

5. Wrap each side of the cardstock over your chipboard.

6. Measure the length and width of your cardstock after all of the edges have been folded in and are held down by the double stick tape. Cut out a piece of cardstock that is one-quarter inch shorter than the dimensions that you measured.

7. Glue your second piece of cardstock over the exposed chip boards.

8. Gently fold your flat, lined shell along the seams between your pieces of chipboard.

9. Place your hole template over the middle section of your binder. Draw a circle in pencil at each place that your template indicates.

10. Punch out the holes using your hole punch.

11. Wiggle each of your rings through their respective holes. The link needs to be on the outside of your binding, while the opening clasp needs to be on the inside.

12. Use a hole punch to make the appropriate holes in your paper and then put them into your binding.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use rings bigger than 1 inch you will have to change the measurements on your template.

• Instead of chipboard you can also use cereal or cracker boxes. However, if you do so then you will need to use two layers of cereal/cracker box board.

• Roll the edges of the cardstock up before folding them over your chip board.

• Tie twine or ribbons between the outsides of your rings to strengthen them and keep them in place.