DIY Tear Pads - Made Easy
I am always looking for a piece of paper to write something on. I need to jot down a phone number or an appointment time, or something. But I don’t want single pieces of paper all over the place. It would be so much easier if I had a TODO List or Shopping List, or just a kind of list.
The solution is a DIY Tear Pad. This TODO List is just one of the many DIY Tear Pads that I have made.
With these DIY Tear Pads, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Supplies Needed for a DIY Tear Pad?
This DIY Tear Pads might just be one of the easier projects that you will ever make. All you need is the paper, glue and binding clips. It could not be easier.
So let’s collect our supplies and get started.
Do I Need Special Papers?
The Paper can be any size that you want. I like to make my DIY Tear Pads 6.5×4 inches. That is a good size for me and I an fit 2 pages of the design on a single 8.5×11 inch piece of paper and run it through my printer.
I will usually make 60 to 120 copies of a design for my DIY Tear Pad. Because I get 2 prints per page, I only need 30 to 60 copies.
What Glue Should I Use?
Glue is one of those personal choices. I use Elmer’s Washable Clear Glue. This glue is safe, non toxic and can be wiped off if it drips over to areas where no glue is needed.
I like this glue because it dries clear. It is also used by a lot of schools and is safe for the kiddos. I always like projects that the kiddos can get involved in.
Binder Clips
I use the medium size binder clips. The binder clips are used to hold the pages of the DIY Tear Pad together until the glue dries. You need a tight hold on these pages so that the glue can seal the pages together without issues.
You can find these binder clips at your local Dollar Store. I get them at my near by Dollar Tree. If I can find the larger binder clips, I will usually get those, but the medium binder clips work well.
If you find gaps in your glued seal, just re-apply the glue to that area and all will be well.
Putting It All Together
To get started, you just need to print your design. Once it is printed you get to cut out the individual pages that will make up your DIY Tear Pad.
If you are thinking about selling these DIY Tear Pads, check with your local print store and see what they will charge for cutting. The printing store can offer you a more professional finishing cut line.
But is you prefer to do the cutting yourself, I have some tips to help you get that done.
Let's Take a Look at the Paper Trimmer
Take your time. I use my Fiskars Pro Cutter. Alignment depends on accurate cutting. The pages need to be the same size. Personally, I don’t go crazy, since my DIY Tear Pads are for personal use or gift to friends. I do not sell my DIY Tear Pads.
This is what I do and it works out well for me.
I am using 8.5×11 computer paper. I like the Astrobrights Pastels, as previously discussed. I purchase these papers from Walmart or when I can find them on sale at my local big box store. I also like Sam’s Club.
The Layout
I am using 8.5×11 inch computer paper.
I can fit 3 designs on one sheet of paper. The designs are 6.5 inches tall and 3 inches wide. Notice what I did with the gold rectangles.
I grouped the 3 designs and centered them on the 8.5×11 sheet of paper. Then I created a cheat sheet for myself. The vertical rectangles are all 1/2 inches wide. The top and bottom rectangle are 1 inch high.
Now the cheat isn’t what will be printed. I do not need those rectangles and I don’t need to waste the extra ink.
Here is what I will be printing.
Because I have that cheat sheet, I know that I can trim 1 inch from the top and the bottom of the sheet. And I know that I can also trim 1/2 inch from each side.
So here is what I do. On the 8-1/2 inch side I cut 1 inch off each side.
Then I turn the paper so that the 11 inch side is in the cutter. I 1/2 inch off from one side. I flip the paper around and cut another 1/2″ off the other side.
The remaining piece is 10 inches wide. I make a cut at 7 inches. I make another cut at 6-1/2 inches.
One design is cut away.
I continue by cutting again at 3-1/2 inches and then again at 3 inches.
Now all 3 designs are cut away. Thank you cheat sheet.
There is one more way that you can do it and that is by adding very faint guide lines. I say very faint, because you won’t want them showing in the finished design.
I don’t use this method because I am very successful with my cheat sheet and which tells me the cutting lines.
Next Comes the Assembly
Once the pages are cut, it is time for stacking and aligning. 60 to 80 pages is usually a good size. But there are times when I have made 120 pages and that works fine.
Because I like using the Astrobrights Pastels, I will usually separate the colors and put one of each color in a pile. I just like the affect of the tear pad changing colors.
Now is the time to arrange the pages. Sometimes I will have a DIY Tear Pad that has more than one design. For example, if there are 6 designs, I will make stacks of 6. A stack will contain 1 of each design.
Once I have the designs separated into stacks, I will put the Tear Pad Stack together with the desired number of pages.
Gluing It All Together
Now that you have your pages stacked, tap them gently on a hard surface to two sides. This will help align all the pages evenly.
The brown cardboard that you see across the top will help keep the page from bulking from the glue. It will also help keep everything aligned when I am applying the glue.
I add the glue and spread it out with my finger. The object here is to get even coverage of the glue.
Now depending on you current climate, drying time shouldn’t take long. Here is South Texas, my drying time is only a couple of hours. You will know that your DIY Tear Pad is dry and ready for use when the glue is no longer tacky to touch.
You Did It !!
Wasn’t that easy? Be sure to share your projects. Leave a comment if you liked the project or if you have any questions. I love seeing what you make.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Another Project That You Might Like
There is another DIY Tear Pad over on Creative Fabrica that you might like. This is a digital file with 6 designs. These are monthly calendars. They are put together the same way as presented in this tutorial.
