3 Simple Travelers Notebook Modifications

I have been really focused on increasing the functionality of my travelers notebook in the beginning of this year. With that I have seen a couple of holes in functionality that I wanted to remedy in my Travelers Notebook this week. You can see the alterations in the video below!

The Modifications

I made 3 modifications to this travelers notebook, two of them are rather simple and the other one (the folder) has a lot of steps to get the final product.

1. Mindfulness Charm

2. Large Copper Paperclips

3. DIY Folder with a permanent Pen Loop

Mindfulness Charm

This charm was made by gluing a pressed penny to a piece of leather. Then I cut out the leather in the shape of a UFO, just like the pressed penny I used!

I made this charm to remind me that I am a part of something larger than myself every time I look at my travelers notebook. This helps me not to take my problems too seriously!

Copper Paperclips

I used 1ft strips of copper wire and I bent the wire with some pliers and my fingers into a classic paperclip shape and a paperclip flag shape! With doing this, there are really so many options for shaping. I thought to make an arrow, or a mushroom, Ahhh the options are endless, however I don’t need that many paperclips, so I stopped after the first two.

Download your free copper paperclip bending template HERE. This is what the pattern looks like if you want to make them without the pattern :) They are about 3” tall and 1” wide.

Folder Dashboard with Pen Loop

I started with a hanging file folder to make this. Using this will make the final folder lice and rigid. These I found at the thrift store for 10 cents a piece, such a steal!

I used a TN folder that I like the size of to help me draft the pattern I want. It is just a hair bigger than the size of the papers in my signature so that they are protected on the edges.

Pattern for the TN Folder

Then I cut the folder out and folded it using scisors as a bone folder to get crisp edges. After that I glued the flaps together and voila!

Diy Folder after gluing

Then I used a scrap of soft leather and some cotton floss to stitch a pen loop onto the back flap of the folder. I used a thick and strong needle to punch through this folder material and the leather and it worked really well! I cut the leather so that the loop would fit my favorite fountain pen perfectly and it does!

Filled up folder with slits in the pockets for drafting rulers!

The leather pen loop installed on the back of my new folder, such pretty stitching!

After the folder was all stitched up, I installed all of my new modifications!

The Final Result

All the travelers notebook modifications before installation

Paperclip on the front looks great with my pen pouch too!

All Together

I love these modifications. I even think that I will make another folder with a pen loop to cover another one of my signatures! I like to use multiple fountain pens so that would ensure that my all my pens don’t get yanked off of my TN! I also want to make more paperclips but I don’t know what I will do with them so ill have to come up with some other uses for these paperclips :)

Thank you so much for reading! I hope this inspired you to create some Travelers Notebook modifications that will increase the functionality of your own Travelers Notebook!

And so it is!

With much love,

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