I’m sure crafters who do bookbinding will understand what it’s like to have your recycling bin filled with leftover paper. Since my shop sells predominantly small handmade notebooks, I always end up with a lot of extra paper from each product, especially when I get large orders. Depending on the products I have to make, the extra paper can be too small to reuse so it’ll have to go into the recycling bin. Sometimes, I keep the small strips anyway as scratch paper for quick notes or to test out the paper quality with new pens I buy. In most cases, the leftover strips are a good size to be reused into a new product or for packaging.

Some sample leftover paper strips from my orders.

From Scraps to Products

There are many creative ways to reuse materials to minimize waste as much as possible. Making your own paper will 100% be the most reusable method but not many people have the time for that. If you’re interested in learning how to make your own paper from recycled materials, there are a lot of tutorials and starter kits online. I’ll also be discussing and reviewing those kits in a future blog post as well so stay tuned!

Blank Mini-Notepads

One creative way that I’ve been reusing my extra materials is by making blank mini-notepads. They are easy and fun to make and are also a great way for me to practice bookbinding on a smaller scale.

Multiple mini-notebooks placed side by side to create a basic flower look on a white background.
These mini-notebooks are also a great decorative backdrop for photos 😀
Paper Bookmarks

When I know that I’ll have a lot of leftover materials, I’ll print out the bookmarks alongside the product. Currently, I only do this when I fulfill orders for my small notepads.

Sample 2″x6″ paper bookmarks I drew when I was practicing drawing clouds.

Since I don’t officially sell prints, the bookmark designs are from sample art pieces that I’ve done. Each bookmark has a glossy laminate coating and rounded corners. I occasionally give them out as freebies or as a small gift to friends and family instead of selling them. You can think of these bookmarks as a free promotional item that’s easy and practical to give out.

Packaging

When my leftover materials are too thin to be made into mini-notepads or bookmarks, the last option is to use them in my packaging. This is one of the simplest ways to reuse paper scraps. Extra paper that can’t be reused anywhere else can be great as extra padding or as a decorative filler.

I’m sorry that I have not been blessed with nice writing _| ̄|○))

When I have a lot of orders similar in packaging size, I’ll use my Silhouette Portrait 3 with a pen holder attachment to write out the message on the paper strips and then stamp my brand name or logo on the left side. Otherwise, I’ll handwrite them myself for a more personal touch.

I created my custom stamps using the Silhouette Mint. Unfortunately, Silhouette will no longer be continuing support for their Mint product line so I cannot recommend this product. This is a shame because I really liked the concept of the Mint since it was an easy and convenient method of creating personalized stamps for my branding for less than $50 (the machine + extra stamps and ink colors).


It’s always satisfying to see what new creations or uses can come from materials that would have been discarded. These are a few ideas that work for me and my store. Feel free to share how you guys repurpose extra materials from your personal projects or business, or if this post gave you some new ideas to try out. I’d love to hear it!

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ TURNIP UP!

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