Operation Organized!

Designer Dee Moran has created a fun and functional shopping planner that will help keep you organized and stylish while you’re out trying to conquer the task of acquiring all of those Christmas gifts and goodies.

With a notepad for making lists, and a filing system for coupons or receipts as well as a matching micro bead embellished pen you will be all set to hit the mall and get what you need for everyone on your shopping list.

Supplies needed to make one for yourself:

Elastic: 1/4” x 8” (1 piece)

Chipboard: 5.5” x 3.5”(2 pieces), 5.5” x 1” (1 piece)

Paper pad 5.5” x 3” (1 piece)

Patterned paper: 6” x 9.5” (1 piece)

Coordinating  paper 2” x 8” (1 piece)

Coordinating Papers 6.5” x 4” (1 piece) and 8” x 5.25”(1 piece)

Plain colored card stock 6”x 6” (6 pieces)

O’So Sticky Tape 1/8” size

Sharpie marker – color to match the paper

How to do it:

Step 1.  Create the cover:  Glue the chipboard pieces as shown below on to the back of the 6” x 9.5” patterned paper leaving a small gap between them.

 

Miter the corners and glue all edges down to the chipboard .

Step 2 Attach the elastic:  Punch 2 holes on backside of organizer 3/4” up and 3/4” in from each corner.  Color the elastic with colored Sharpie to match paper.  Thread elastic through the holes and adhere on the inside with O’So Sticky Tape.  Note:  You need  some slack in the elastic to have enough room to close the book - so don’t make it too tight.

Here is a photo of the back cover to show how the elastic comes through:

Step 3 Finish the cover”  Glue the  8” x 5.25” coordinating paper inside the cover to give it a finished look.

Step 4.  Create the pocket:  Cover the 5.5” x 3” chipboard with 6.5” x 4” coordinating paper.  Apply 1/8” O’ So Sticky Tape to the back side of this piece, as close to the edges as possible to the bottom and outer edge of the pocket. Place this inside of the back cover of the organizer (the side with the elastic on it) to create a pocket for the paper pad to slip into.  When you insert the paper pad it looks like this:

Step 5.  Create the file pockets:  Take one of the 6” x 6” cardstock pieces and score 1/2” on 2 sides then fold the whole piece in half like this:

Cut away two edges like this:

Glue the remaining edge flaps to the inside to create a folder.  Repeat four more times for a total of five folders (shown below).

Step 6.  Create file tabs: With the remaining 6” x 6” cardstock, punch or cut five tabs.  Fold and adhere to each pocket.  Label as desired.

Step 7.  Create accordion with files:   Adhere double sided tape to the center of each of the four pockets and attach them together to create an accordion.  Cover the top pocket with patterned paper (2” x 8” strip of paper) and embellish as desired.  Glue the accordion to the inside of the front cover with pockets facing out.  Here is how Dee did hers:

Step 8.  Embellish as desired.

Dee created a faux bound edge with cardstock and faux brads leaving a gap to store her pen:

To create the coordinating pen, Dee took a plain round barrel pen and wrapped it with O’So Sticky Tape.  She then covered it with coordinating patterned paper and embellished the top edge with 1/4” O’So Sticky Tape and micro beads.

 

While the instructions may seem lenthy, it’s only because we have a way of over explaining everything to make it easy for you!  Got an hour or two of down time this week?  Whip one up and see for yourself, and then send a photo so we can see it too!  Ü