Note for the notebook hoarder!

Only one week left of this year, and already 2019 journals and notebooks are seen stacked up on shelves everywhere. It is time to do that annual cleaning once more. But what to clean? Your last year's (rather even before that) notebooks remain still untouched. If you are a journal hoarder, particularly the type who would buy one for the beautiful border or the excellent paper quality, you know what we mean!

SORT IT ALL OUT

Not just basic sorting by size and ruled or blank paper, but actual sorting to figure out if the paper is usable or not. Your ten-year-old little diary with the cute cover may need to be sacrificed because the paper is crumbling. Sort first on paper usability, and then on the covers.

ON THE GO ORIGAMI

If you have a long cherished desire to master at least the basics of Origami, your semi-used notebooks can help you. Here's an inspiration: learn to fold the origami crane, and get into the vibe of Senbazuru — where you fold one thousand origami cranes to be granted a wish.

YOUR DAILY GO-TO LIST

While your latest apps already have all your reminders, trust us when we say nothing replaces writing by hand. Nothing gets a notebook finished faster than your daily to-do lists and reminders.

FEARLESS DOODLING

For the hibernating soul of the artist in you, traverse the daily traffic with any and all scribbles that come into your mind, and pours through your pen onto paper. Notebooks with unlined, blank pages are best suited for this purpose.

CALLIGRAPHY UNLEASHED

Think you spend way too much time in front of calligraphy videos? Don't worry, you are not alone. In fact, we say do not just limit yourself to watching, try it! Your favourite words or quotes all make for excellent calligraphy elements. Lined or lightly lined notebooks are perfect for initial practising. Even if you do not achieve the picture perfect letters and additional flourishes, you will still have a whole notebook filled with your favourite words and quotes!

CUT OUT ART

You can also reach for the next step in paper art with cut out stencilling directly done in your notebooks, especially if you have the larger, thicker ones. While some extra skills and supplies are required for this, you are at least set with a sizeable piece of stationery!

We are pretty sure you are painfully aware of the one or two lines that grace a one hundred page notebook, and that your drawers are nearly at bursting point with the stacks of still untouched diaries and what-nots. While your gathering habits still need a lot of working around, you can still make the best use of what you have around without going into elaborate plans for bullet journaling!

Photo: Collected