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 5x7 inches.

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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.