DIY Green: Make Your Own 2009 Planner from Trash

Posted on December 31, 2008 by Matt Embrey in DIY

Ready to get organized for 2009? Instead of buying a new planner, try taking some of the trash that’s been piling up in 2008 and put it to good use. Check out how I made my own DIY Green planner out of household stuff I recycled…

I made this planner using:

Scrap paper that was in my recycling bin
A USPS box and USPS Tyvek Envelope that I received packages
Twine (this was new but if you can try and find something used)

The disadvantage to using scrap paper is that you can only write on one side. If you choose to make a page for every day this things gonna get pretty thick. I don’t like my planners to be too thick so I made mine weekly. If you need a day by day planner, consider doing it one month at a time. Once this it fills up you can unbind it, replace the pages and recycle the old ones.

Ok, here’s how I made it (click on any of the pictures to enlarge)…

1. Take you old scrap paper can cut it down to size. I chose 5×7 inches.

2. Print out the planner sheets (you could draw them if you like but it’ll take a while. I designed my pages in Open Office. I made two different pages, a weekly page and a monthly page.

You can download the pages I made in PDF: Week Page & Month Page

Tip: Instead of making the lines & text black, choose light gray to save ink.

3. Once you have them all printed out and the dates written in, now it’s time to make a cover. I used an old box to make it sturdy and covered it with an old Tyvek envelope to protect it.

Pages: 1 2 3

Tags:

DIY, Make, Organization, Planner, recycle, upcycle

15 Responses to “ DIY Green: Make Your Own 2009 Planner from Trash ”

Carolyn

31. Dec, 2008

Way to follow-through with this project, that was quite the effort! Taking steps to be green at home is worthwhile, but I like that you will have this when you are out-and-about and it should function as a conversation starter!

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Rachel

05. Jan, 2009

This is fantastic! I’ll be linking to this in The Daily DIY.

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Alesha

09. Jan, 2009

I think this is the greatest invention I’ve seen so far! What a great way to save money and the Earth! I’m more of a day-to-day person, so a monthly cardboard-miracle would be best! I’m also an artist, so maybe I can insert some blank pages for drawing… actually, I can make my own sketch book! Thanks for the amazing article!

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Matt Embrey

10. Jan, 2009

@Alesha

Thanks, I’m glad you liked it! Once you make your sketch book, snap a couple of pics and send them in and we’ll post them on the site.

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brad

19. May, 2009

hi yo yo yo

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Sites linking to this post:

Art news 12-31-08 :: CARMINE MAGAZINE

31. Dec, 2008

[...] Looking for the perfect planner? Wish you could find a way to reuse some of your old papers? Green Upgrader shows you how to Make Your Own 2009 Planner from Trash. [...]

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Make Your Own 2009 Planner from Trash | Glue&Glitter.com

06. Jan, 2009

[...] For the past few years, I’ve been buying Slingshot organizers each December. I like the layout of the pages, and all of the cool doodlings and tips keep me entertained on the train if I forget my book. This year, though, I think it’s time for a change. I forgot to pick up a new Slingshot (maybe I should have written that on the calendar somewhere?) and then today ran across this awesome tutorial on making your very own planner out of trash on greenUpgrader! [...]

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2009 Planner | Glue&Glitter.com

10. Jan, 2009

[...] and decided to give it ago! Lots of cutting and gluing later, it’s all finished! I used the tutorial by Matt Embrey over at Green Upgrader and made a few adjustments, so I could use all materials that I already had. Instead of an old [...]

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Glue & Glitter’s 2009 Planner « a bardis

10. Jan, 2009

[...] drawings to make it the most cheerful planner ever! She got the instructions from greenUpgrader here, and you can read her personal retelling of the project [...]

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3-ring Binder Cover | Amanda Hawkins

14. Jan, 2009

[...] Simply B, Simply Me - (This is really close to how I made mine) —-You could make this awesome Planner made of trash and print my templates on your [...]

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Trash Planner! · Recycled Crafts @ CraftGossip

27. Jan, 2009

[...] have a planner we love ready and in use! Have no fear, because Apartment Therapy directs us to Green Upgrader for directions on how to make one using recycled materials! You can print up the inner pages from DIY Planner, or [...]

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Green it Yourself: 15 Innovative Eco-Friendly DIY Projects | WebEcoist

17. Feb, 2009

[...] (images via: Green Upgrader) [...]

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Make Your Own Trash Planner « Recycled Crafts

28. Mar, 2009

[...] you definitely don’t have to go out and buy one. Head to your recycle bin and sit down with this great tutorial from Green Upgrader to make your own [...]

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Seven Uses for Empty Cereal Boxes : Crafting a Green World

08. Apr, 2009

[...] Binding - The front of a cereal box would make the perfect cover for a home made planner or [...]

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Recycling at Work 101

24. Sep, 2009

[...] Recycle your old mailing boxes into next year’s office planner! [...]

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