These mini walnut shell notebooks are perfect for the tiniest of critters! I love making small notebooks (see some of my favorites here and here!). I’ve been playing around with the idea of these for a long time and I’m happy with how they turned out! They’re such a sweet size for making tiny drawings. You can use embroidery thread or heavy weight waxed cotton thread for the binding. I was my own thread using beeswax. I’m using a curved needle that is commonly used in bookbinding but you may be able to get away with a straight needle if it’s really short. After you cut out your inside papers make sure that you save any scraps for your compost/recycle bin or to make your own paper!

Materials:

– walnut shells (ideally whole walnuts)
– scrap paper
– medium weight cotton thread (waxed using beeswax)
– curved needle
– awl or push pin

Instructions to make walnut shell notebooks

Step 1: How to create the cover and pages

Drill two holes on opposite sides of your walnut shell. You will use these holes to bind the two halves of your walnut shell together to create the notebook cover. Fold a stack of scrap paper in half. I’m using six sheets for a total of twelve sheets when folded in half. Place one half of the walnut on top of the stack of paper, making sure that you leave a portion of the folded edge in tact on the side where your drilled holes are. Cut out the pages.

Step 2: Bind the cover together

Use the cotton thread to bind your cover together using the drilled holes, making sure that you leave enough space in between to accommodate the pages. Use the pages that you’ve already cut out as a guide to determine how much space to leave. Double knot the thread so that the knot sits on the inside of one of the shell halves. This will be hidden later.

Step 3: How to prepare the pages

Place the folded papers in between the walnut shell covers and mark where the holes will need to go on the folded edge of the paper. Open the paper so that it is flat and use an awl, push pin or large needle to create two holes along the fold in the area that will become the spine of the journal.

Step 4: How to bind your notebook pages

Open your notebook papers so that they are flat and the fold is facing inwards. Begin by pushing the needle through one of the holes, starting from the underside through the top. Make sure that you leave a tail of thread on the end– this will be used to tie the pages to the front cover. Thread the needle back down through the second hole, leaving a tail on this end as well.

Step 5: How to attach the paper to the cover

Place the papers into the walnut shell cover with the tail of threads hanging downwards. Loop each side of thread around the threads that are holding the cover together, then back through the same holes where the cover is knotted together. This will ensure that your knots and ends of your threads are hidden after the next step.

Step 6: How to finish your walnut notebook

Use glue to attach the first and last page of your inside papers to the shell. This will hide the knots from the binding and give the notebook some stability.