Playing Card Notebook

[the craftster admin (leah)]

I found a deck of really cute playing cards that is a "vintage reproduction" of the game "Animal Rummy" and I knew I had to do something with them! ðSo I figured notebooks would be a good little gifty item that really shows off the card.

A playing card is a little bigger than 2" x 3" so cut out 30 rectangles of copy paper (or whatever you like) that are exactly 2" x 3". ðThese become the pages. ðThen cut a piece of chipboard that is exactly the same size as the playing card. ðI use a rotary paper cutter which is really darn handy.
	Use a 1/8" hole punch (normal hole punches are 1/4") to punch out three evenly spaced holes in every sheet, as well as in the playing card and the chipboard. ðIn order to get the holes in the same place on every piece, I make one sheet be a "stencil" which I use as a guide. ðI find that I can punch 5 sheets at once so this goes pretty quickly.
For a nice polished look, I used eyelets in the three holes of the playing card. ðTo use eyelets you need a special tool which costs under $10 and a hammer. ðEyelets can be found in the paper-craft section of a craft store. ðThey're really easy to put in.
	Now you need to find 12mm "jump rings" (jewelry dept. of craft store) that are easy to open and close. ðIf you can't find these, then you can make them yourself from pliable but somewhat substantial wire. ðLine up the holes of the notebook pieces, open the jump rings and thread them through the holes and then close them.

inside	back

[artzyfartzy]

oh that is like the cutest little book ever! my daughter (who is only 6) is a FANATIC for journals 'n paper books.. I love this idea of a mini book .. thanks : )

[DeborahM]

I made one from loteria cards (the bingo side not the playing size) the other night and they are so cute....but I must...have...yours ....!
Very Cute!

[the craftster admin (leah)]

Hey DeborahM!  Any chance you'd post a picture of it?

[circa62]

hi - i was inspired by your cute little ckickie book... i made a similar book for a friend's birthday.  but i didn't have any cute playing cards... i just used stiff cardboard covers and spraymounted cool illustrations to the covers.  

i made mine into a recipe book.  on the inside i used lined notecards.  most pages are blank, but on some of them i pasted recipes and pix cut out from bon apetite and other mags.

she loved it!  thanks for the idea!

[the craftster admin (leah)]

How funny! I've been thinking about making a recipe organizer thingy for a while now!

I have some great images for the cover and inside "recipe pages."

I just need to decide how to put it all together.  I'm going back and forth between using a 3-ring binder that I decorate OR making something with two pieces of cardboard and book rings.

I'll post it when it's done...

[animegirlie]

Hi! I just joined, but have been reading for a few weeks. ð:)

I made mine with recycled coke cartons for the covers.
http://home.earthlink.net/~animegirlie/Art/cokenotebook.jpg

I love it!!!

Thank you for the idea!

malinda

[comfits]

Okay, this is a little off subject--but where did you get the vintage animal rummy cards?? ðI remembered them immediately! ðI used to play with them when I was little at my grandmas. ðIt brought back memories. ðFunny how such a simple thing can make you so happy. ðI think I would group them into sets ð& frame them. ð

Another version to your idea is to use cereal boxes. ðYou just cut off the top & bottom of the box. ðThen you cut up the side, between the front cover & the nutritional info side. ðNow flatten the box. ðThe small side & front cover will be the front & the nutritional info side & the back cover will be on the back. ðYou throw in some computer paper, staple it along the creased fold that's already there by the front cover & tada!! ðYou have yourself a cool book. ðGreat for kids. ðYou can use any kind of food box to do this, you just have to cut the paper to size. ð Those tea boxes are the perfect size to throw into your purse for a notebook. ðThey open north/south, instead of east/west like the cereal box. ð

I'll re-post this idea in the appropriate place for you. ðSorry no pics, maybe later.

[the craftster admin (leah)]

Hey comfits,

I got the cards at a gifty shop near me.  They are new reproductions.  It was a set of cards games that included:
Old Maid, Animal Rummy, Hearts and Crazy Eights

The company that makes them is called "Dimestore Dreams a Division of Binary Arts."  There is a website listed:
http://www.puzzles.com

[chubbybunny]

lordie, I NEED to make these...

because I'm a geek on all sorts of levels, I have a stack of Neopets cards that a friend sent me a few weeks ago. (http://www.neopets.com in case anyone is bored enough to go and play...I've been addicted for nearly two years-- and I'm almost 21 )  These would be PERFECT to use!  Thanks for the great idea, I can't wait to make these for holiday gifts!