I make my own Traveler’s Notebook and fillers — with limited success and lessons learned.

Note: This is part 2 of my Traveler’s Notebook saga. You can find Part 1 here. – Maria

About two weeks ago, I blogged about my attraction to and doubts about the Traveler’s Notebook system. If you didn’t read that post and don’t want to, the very short story is this:

• Traveler’s Notebooks — originally by Midori, a Japanese company — combine a leather folder-like cover with inserts held in by elastic cords. They are highly flexible, allowing you to build a notebook with the components you need.
• Traveler’s Notebooks were wildly popular about 10 years ago and still have an almost cult-like following among people who journal or take notes on the go.
• Traveler’s Notebooks are relatively expensive to set up, but YouTube has dozens of DYI videos to teach you how to make your own.
• I decided to make my own, following the very detailed instructions in a specific video.

And that’s where I left off. I’ve since made the notebook and started using it. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Making the Notebook Binder

I decided to stick to the standard sized Traveler’s Notebook, with the thought that I could accessorize, if desired, with manufactured components. To that end, I followed the instructions in Ray Blake’s excellent video. He’s very specific about measurements and I think that may have been my first problem. Well, actually, my first problem was using leather that was too soft.

I had some nice leather pieces I’d gotten as scraps for bookbinding projects. One piece was a gorgeous red leather that I suspected might be too thin to use for the job. But I used it anyway, since it was the best option I had. And let’s get real here: it’s not as if I can run out to the leather store and find something better. There is no leather store around here.

I followed Ray’s instructions and cut it exactly to size. Then I used a leather punch to punch holes where the spine would be. I did not follow Ray’s instructions for this. I followed instructions I’d seen on another video that had a much better way to secure multiple fillers inside a Traveler’s Notebook. I then pulled out the elastic cord I’d purchased online and strung it through the holes in such a way that I ended up with three loops inside the binder and the ends sticking out a hole in the middle of the book. Tying off those loose ends gave me the secure closure I’d need when I closed up the book.

And this was my biggest problem. I’d gone with some thick bungee-style elastic cord. It was simply too thick and heavy for the book. No matter how I strung it, the book wanted to fold up.

Well, I thought, maybe it’ll be better when I put the filler books in. So I spent about an hour making three filler books, exactly the right size. And that’s when I realized that the holes were too far in. When I inserted the fillers, the elastic cord bent the books. It was a mess.

This didn’t make sense. I followed Ray’s instructions. I took each filler to my guillotine cutter and trimmed it down so it would fit between the holes that hold the elastic and keep the books in place. It was still a mess.

Discouraged and more than a little pissed off, I set the whole project aside. Clearly, I needed a way to stiffen the leather and I needed thinner elastic cord.

The Fix

Life went on. I’m working hard this month to prep my boat for a season in the charter fleet for San Juan Yachting in Bellingham. I spent a week on the boat, mostly on the hard, to coordinate the work done by detailers and a maintenance crew.

The nice thing about being on that side of the mountains is that they have a lot more options for shopping and buying things. Although I didn’t try to find a different piece of leather, I did focus on finding better elastic string for the job. I found it in — of all places — Walmart.

(And yes, we have a Walmart about 14 miles from my house in Wenatchee. I just really hate shopping in there. The only reason I was in there in Bellingham was to buy four gallons of Rotella for my boat’s oil change. It’s $15/gallon in Walmart and $25/gallon or more at just about any marine store. It’s the same stuff and it meets Volvo’s specifications for engine oil. When you’re buying four gallons at a time, it’s nice to save $10/gallon. And Volvo can pound sand if they think I’m putting Volvo oil in there, which I’ve paid as much as $50/gallon for.)

I got home on Thursday. Yesterday afternoon, I brought my Traveler’s Notebook mess back to the workbench, took out the thick elastic, and replaced it with the thinner elastic. I then stuck my trimmed down fillers into the leather binder. It got bunched up at the bottom of the spine, but did not bend the books. The problem is that the books are now too short so they don’t hold the spine properly.

I printed out the May 2025 Daily Dashboard pages — similar to the journal pages I always use — punched them with a cover, sewed the pages together, and trimmed them to the size the books are supposed to be. I stuck that in as my middle book, figuring I could use it now to start planning for May. It pulls the soft leather binder up nicely.

The other thing I did was use some of my beeswax paste on the outside of the leather (before restringing the binding elastics). I’d read online (on a leather site) that you can stiffen leather by painting it with melted beeswax. I already had the beeswax paste I made and thought it might be a good (and a lot less messy) shortcut. I think it stiffened the cover to a certain extent. I know it darkened the color. It’s probably waterproof now, too.

Using the Notebook

Am I using the notebook? Yes and no.

I started using the Daily Dashboard insert for April on April 1. I just brought it with me when I traveled to the boat. I didn’t bring the leather binder since it wasn’t set up properly. I use the Dashboard insert to plan each day on an almost micro level, keeping track of how I spend my time and checking things off a daily to-do list. It really helps keep me focused and prevents me from forgetting to do important things. I have a shit-ton on my mind these days — I’m managing three companies now, prepping my boat for the charter season, making inventory for my jewelry business and upcoming art shows, and trying to finish a book. And get my garden started. And keep my house clean. And get rid of the wasps that have taken over my eaves.

(The to-do lists never end. It’s part of the “joy” of home ownership.)

Now I’ve got everything set up inside the binder: two months of Daily Dashboards and a lined journal for taking notes. When I head back to the boat next week, I’ll take the binder with me.

The big problem I have using the Notebook regularly is that you have to carry it with you to use it. While I’ll definitely take it when I travel, I doubt I’ll take it with me when I run errands or do other things out and about in town. The problem is, unlike most women, I don’t usually carry a purse. The little binder isn’t large, but it’s too big for a jacket or pants pocket.

(Years and years ago — I think I might have been in a college job at the time — a coworker told me that she doesn’t carry a purse because it’s like having a kid with you. You have to keep tabs on where it is all the time. 40+ years later, I still remember this wisdom.)

And that’s the problem with any notebook or journal a person wants to use: you can’t use it if it isn’t with you.

So that’s where I am now. I’ll try to update you in about a month. Stay tuned.