Cute Binder Ideas

Decorate a binder for school or other subjects.

The binders you find in the store are inexpensive but usually plain, so decorating them is beneficial in several ways. A cute binder is more interesting to look at and makes the learning experience more fun. Decorating your binders is just a more creative way to label them, so that you can quickly tell them apart.

One Subject

Dedicate a binder to fit something you are interested in, so that you can collect information about that subject. For example, if you love cupcakes, use a binder for only pictures of cupcake decorating ideas and recipes. Clip pictures of cupcakes from cooking magazines or download and print out free clip art of cupcakes. Glue these pictures of cupcakes to the outside of the binder, or on a sheet of paper that you can slip under the clear plastic sheet on the cover. Use cupcake-shaped binder clips and other cupcake themed accessories.

Candy Covered

Make a collage of colorful candy wrappers and gum wrappers. If your binder has the clear plastic on the cover that you slip paper under, glue each wrapper to a piece of 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper with craft glue. Cut letters out of the candy wrappers and glue them in place to form your name and the school subject the binder is being used for or another title for your binder. Form a type of collage mosaic with the candy wrappers by arranging the different colors in sections to make a picture.

Digital Photo Collage

Skip the scissors and glue and create a photo collage on your computer with a graphic editing program. You don't need an advanced program -- "Microsoft Paint," "Apple Paintbrush" or the open source "Paint.NET" will work. Just be sure to size the canvas to the dimensions of the cover of the binder. Cut each picture the way you would with a traditional collage by only cutting sections of the picture, or neatly arrange the pictures in a geometric pattern. This technique is ideal for decorating the cover of family photo album binders.

Three-dimensional Scrapbook

Measure and cut patterned scrapbook paper, in whatever theme you like, to the dimensions of your binder cover. Brush a thin layer of craft glue on the covers and glue the paper in place. Cut strips of colored paper that match the colors of the patterned paper and glue one or two vertically and horizontally across the covers. Glue a die cut shape where the strips intersect with craft glue, or attach a colorful button, large rhinestone or other decorative three-dimensional object with a dab of hot glue.

References

• Scrap Jazz; Creative Ideas Binder; Allyson Bright Meyer; 2007