DIY Fridge Notebook

Make a tear-away magnetic fridge notebook for all your to-do and grocery list needs. This project is easy enough for kids, and makes a fantastic gift!

We’re kicking off the Christmas season with a distinctly not Christmas-looking craft. However, I think this adorable little magnetic fridge notebook is perfect for the season. It’s quick, it’s cute, it’s kid-friendly, and it makes the perfect gift.

First let’s talk about the time. This project takes only 4 items (maybe a few more depending on how you decorate). It also takes less than 15 minutes. There are only a few steps, and each of them simple — cutting paper in half, cutting thin cardboard, and punching holes with a hole puncher. As for being kid-friendly, my 7-year-old can make these on his own, and my 4-year-old only needs a little help. My family has a tradition of making Christmas gifts for each other, and that can be challenging when the kiddos are really little. It’s been freeing to finally have skills like using scissors, folding, and punching. This project works each of those important skills in an easy, low-stakes way.

Which is why we’re making a bunch of them for gifts (shush, don’t tell!). Grandma needs one of these for her grocery list, everybody’s teacher needs them for their to-do list, and mom definitely needs at least one to keep her organized! Dad is excited to get his to attach to his whiteboard at work. I’m not sure what his plan is, but everyone needs a convenient place to write things down.

Magnetic fridge notebooks are also very cheap. Any kind of paper (including scratch paper!), cardboard from a cereal or snack box, a few brads, magnets or magnetic tape (you can totally cut up the ones that come in the mail sometimes), and whatever you have on hand for decorating. The cost here is very close to zero. We have definitely been in a place where worrying about how much Christmas was going to cost was a real concern. If that’s you, then this project is a good option for something heartfelt, useful, and not a cash drain.

And now, the part you’ve been waiting for: the instructions!

Materials

4 sheets of computer paper (or any other type of paper)
thin cardboard, like from a cereal box
3 brads
2 magnets or a strip of magnetic tape
hole punch
scissors
hot glue
stickers, markers, paint, etc. for decorating

Directions

Start by cutting your paper in half. Stack the two halves on top of each other.
Cut the cardboard into a rectangle. You can use the paper to measure the width of the cardboard.
Fold the cardboard over the paper. Then, remove the cardboard and punch three holes in the bottom.
Put the cardboard back over the paper, then punch three holes in the paper that line up with the holes in the cardboard.
Push three brads through the holes and then secure.
Turn the note pad over and use the hot glue gun to glue your magnets or magnetic tape. If your tape or magnetics aren’t very thick, you may want to put a piece of tape over each brad to keep them from scratching the fridge.
Decorate! We used stickers, but you can use crayons, markers, paint, pompoms, beads, or whatever your kids want!

If you’re a visual learner, here’s a 1-minute video to show you how to put one of theses together: