DIY Rustic Chic Note Pad

This post is part of a paid campaign with Yahoo! and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

I’ve always had a love of pretty paper!  This DIY Rustic Chic Note Pad is my new favorite desk accessory.  It’s beautiful, useful and not-so-ordinary.

I found this idea on Yahoo! Makers and I couldn’t get it out of my mind.  It ended up being the perfect lazy Sunday afternoon project.  I have boys, so most of my DIY ideas don’t get too much attention from my family {but, they do always try to act interested…lol}.  This note pad became a quick family project, and it turned out better than I expected.

Here’s how to make your own…

Supplies:

• Wood plank
• Watercolor paper
• Large nail or screw
• Wood stain
• Fabric dye

You’ll need to make sure you have a hammer or screwdriver, scissors, paint brush, and a plastic bowl.

My husband cut a piece of lumber to the right size in seconds with a saw, but you can always find scrap pieces at your local hardware store {just ask}.  While my husband searched to find me just the right size nail or screw my son sanded the edges of the wood for a more rustic look.  Way to get them involved, right?

We went ahead and attached the screw so I could make sure it looked right.  You can see this one using a large nail right here.

I added some stain, but I did think about spray painting it gold…so, that’s an awesome option for a different look.

I used a fabric dye in a pretty shade of pink.  You can find great tips for this step in this post on Yahoo! Makers.

Then I cut out a template so I could make sure all my paper was the same size.

I cut a bunch plus a little extra to use as a refill.  I did remove the screw and then added the paper before attaching the screw again right through all the sheets of paper.

Maybe I’ll use a pretty blue like this stationery next time.

I can’t get over how much I love it!  I didn’t know what I was missing…now I feel all special when writing a note.  Just awesome!

Visit Yahoo! Makers for lots of fun DIY ideas for your next weekend project!

~Kim