Re-Purposed Menu Binders
One of my customers likes to bring me things just to see if I can recycle them into something new. (Stay tuned, Lorena, there's another of your inspirations coming in the Christmas collection!) Her daughter was working at a restaurant when the company decided to update the menus, so I was issued the challenge: What could we make of these little 3-ring binders?
As you can see, there are a variety of page sizes, some tabs, plus inside and outside covers to consider. Since it's autumn and the tones of the menu are the colors of rich spices, I chose a palette of Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, and Early Espresso. For the cover, I wanted to try out the watercolor technique using clear blocks shown here. We used the World Map stamp and glued the panel to the cover with the amazing Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue, smoothing from center to edges with the edge of a bone folder. Each person's cover came out beautifully different, but here's what mine looked like:
By selecting a color palette that echoed that of the original, I didn't feel that I had to wrap my new cover around edges and corners. Just covering the images seems to be enough.
Here's the inside front cover (the inside back will be similar, but likely with a pocket adhered at the bottom). I stamped this in Rose Red as an experiment... but by the next page I had changed to Cajun Craze, which tones much better with the original colors peeping out at the margins! Creative Elements comes together so nicely over an "anchor" of Old Olive stamped with a clear block. I chose a sentiment from Feel Goods, thinking it would be a great reminder no matter how one chose to use the book.
Divider pages are done simply, as above, with three quick stamps requiring no careful placement.
Pockets are easily added by simply punching holes in an envelope and inserting as needed.
Now, what could this project be used for?? Our list of ideas included...
*heritage recipes
*babysitter or housesitter notes
*holiday planning (including names/addresses for mailing cards, shopping lists, and recipes)
*a gratitude journal
*advices pages from each attendee at a bridal or baby shower
*collected wise words to live by/favorite sayings
*art or idea journal
*home dec records (paint chips, fabric swatches, etc. for each room in the house)
*photo/prayer journal for each family member as a gift for an elderly friend/relative, especially someone in the early stages of Alzheimers
Hope this inspires you to repurpose something you might otherwise send to the landfill. It's a great way to keep that brain in "innovation gear"! -Kathy
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