r/pocketnotebooks

My self designed notepad! Helps me live intentionally and orient my thoughts throughout the day.

I have used this analog PDA for years to help me stay organized. Update it on the computer, then print it out and fold it up for a shirt-pocket PDA. Sometimes I will carry it for months marking it up until I update it for printing again.

A feature shown in the first photo is the Personal Development Activities on the left side. I have found it's better to do daily activities towards a goal instead of writing down the goal and feeling unproductive about it.

When I travel I put my flight info on the outside panel for a quick glance without pulling out my phone.

I also used to keep a contact list on the back side along with other useful info like email recovery etc.

More description and OpenOffice/PDF examples here :

https://late-scene-3cfe.elmertjonez.workers.dev/instructions/ElmerPDA

Picture 1: Generic A7 notepad with cover from AliExpress, costed less than 3 EUR, lasts me months already. The cover has a pen loop and card slots (normally for business cards). I use it as my wallet, and like that I can easily take notes. I've printed the barcode of an often used customer loyalty card on a sticker and stuck it on the wallet. There is another one on the back.

Picture 2: my EDC: Mudita Kompakt minimalist phone, wallet notebook, small key pouch with cash and coins.

These should last me about a year or so
72 pages
Field notes size to fit in my Lochby pocket journal
Pages are Pen+Gear dot grid. It does surprisingly well with medium and fine point fountain pens even showing some sheening and shading at times.
Covers are Paper Studio card stock
Stitched with a heavy linen thread

3D printed some stencils for the journals I have. These are not my designs 🩷 absolutely lovely for whoever created them. 🩷🫶🏽

The smaller journals are my favorite, because they make a good gift. 🩷 Filling them up with bookmarks, clips and paper clips 🩷

For the last three months I’ve been using a “Field Notes” pocket notebook as my daily planner. It has been very helpful for me. I’ve always used a planner, but this is probably the best system I’ve ever used. Here’s a copy of my system.

Lucky to find these Traveler’s notebooks during my stay in Tokyo and Kyoto.

1. Traveler’s Notebook Airport Edition (Passport Size)
2. Traveler’s Notebook 20th Anniversary (Card Size) Brown
3. Traveler’s Notebook 20th Anniversary (Card Size) Black
4. Traveler’s Brass Tag (Mount Fuji)

Now I just need to staple, trim, and round those edges! I've been messing around with images I've taken, some public domain artwork, and a movie graphic I love so I had to print it for fun for a trade.

I may have to sell a few sets to offset the cost of snagging a nicer guillotine cutter and corner rounder.

All paper in these is Kokuyo, it's my favorite lately, with graph, lined, and a few dot lined.

Thrifted a nice leather guitar strap and decided to use the section with the 'pick pocket' as the cover for a little memo pad. Used the spiral from an older used pad and cut some elastic for the pencil holder from some scrap jeans. Only downside is you have to make your own refills and tie them to the spiral.

Some 'Ed Sherry' had wrote his name on the piece I wanted to use, and since I couldn't remove it I just wrote mine under, hence the censorship haha. Ed if you see this sorry for putting you on blast.

I recently tried making a pocket notebook out of leftover paper and cardboard I had on hand, and I ended up loving it a lot! So, when I found more supplies, you can guess how crazy I went.

I made some good notebooks out of some Kokuyo loose leaf paper, staples, elastic, and blank greetimg cards from the MoMA I received as a gift. I'm really proud of them!

I do want a full reusable cover for these, but because they're not standard sized, finding one for their measurements has been a pain. I don't think I want to make one, simply because I hate working with leather. Does anyone have reccommendations for what size cover might work? The measurements are 4 and a quarter inches by 5 and a half inches. Closer to square than rectangle, I guess.

Used the smallest binder rings and few different paper types and 2 card sleevespockets plus !!!! Rite in the rain notebook in the back !!

I posted earlier about making my own notebook for the first time out of a MoMA greeting card and some kokuyo paper I had leftover instead of getting a new TN, just to see if the pocket notebook system would work out for me. I am a chronic notebook abandoner, usually with larger, pretty and shiny notebooks thwt I found and thought "surely, I'll use this!" And then end up abandoning a few pages in. So instead of buying yet another fancy notebook, I made one out of scraps and what I had on hand, and essentially promised myself that if the pocket size worked, then I'd invest in a TN.

Well, I've been using it since the 14th, and it's almost full!!! Having the tiny notebook go everywhere with me has been super helpful, and has encouraged me to even start using my larger notebooks I abandoned! But now all I want is a custom cover for the notebook- bc I loved it so much I made 8 more!

I'm so proud of this and so happy it's working out. I hope i can keep up the habit!