With the beginning of the new academic year, most of us have also geared up to go to our institutions and that brings us back to all the essentials we need for the day at school or even while studying at home. This also brings us close to today’s craft — an easy notepad kit by using a useless DVD cover.

Recycling things at home is both easy on the pocket and it gives you a chance to add a unique and personalised touch to whatever you are making.

Things you need:

1. DVD case

2. White glue

3. Scissors

4. A-4 sized felt sheet (I used black colour, you can use any)

5. Red piece of felt to make two loops (use any contrasting colour)

6. Wrapping paper or patterned cloth

Directions:

As we will be making a notepad kit, it will have most of the things used for taking notes, such as a notepad, pen, sticky notes, etc. If you think of any other items, you can include them in.

1. Flatten the DVD case. Usually, DVD cases have protruding rings in the middle to hold the DVD, you can cut them out if your DVD case also has them, see picture 2.

2. Paste the felt sheet on both sides of the inside of the case, picture 3.

3. To keep the pen, make two parallel vertical cuts (according to the size of the pen you are going to insert there), one inch down from the top and make similar cuts at the bottom, on any side of the case. See picture 4.

4. Cut out a two-inch strip from the red felt and insert in the cuts to make the loops, see pictures 5 and 6.

5. Paste sticky notes at the same side of the case, picture 7.

6. Stick any other item on the same side. I used colourful sticky notes, picture 8.

7. On the next side of the case, I have pasted a long notepad, you can use smaller, picture 9.

8. Cut out the wrapping paper or patterned cloth, according to the size of the DVD case, and cover it, picture 10.

Voila! We have transformed a DVD case into an amazing notepad kit; keep it in your bag or carry it around. It’s handy and looks wonderful.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 30th, 2020