It isn’t very complicated, but it did take me a few hours to make and a couple trips to the craft store.

You really should only make this, instead of using a Moleskine Pocket, if you need something slim enough to actually fit in your pocket.

Materials

To complete this project, you’ll need the following:

• Moleskine Cahier: You only really need a piece of heavy bond paper if you don’t want to spend the $10 for the Moleskine stamp on the back
• A very thin piece of Birch plywood: I liked the Birch because it was thin and strong, yet flexible not to break when bent a little. I bought mine at the crafts store
• A Manila envelope: Used for the inside and to make pockets.
• A piece of elastic band: For the “normal” Moleskine touch
• A stapler: to secure the elastic band to the case
• A pencil: For tracing outlines of the cover
• Scissors: For cutting the wood
• Normal paper glue: For gluing it all together
• Needle and thread: For holding the “pages” to the cover
• Clear Nail Polish: Used to put a protective coating on the outside.

Step 1: Trace the Cover on the Wood

You need to trace two halves (front and back) of the cover onto the Birch wood, which will provide the core of the cover, like with a hard-bound book. Remember to leave the width slightly smaller on the wood than the actual cover, so you have room for the cover to fold when you close it and when you put your cards inside.

Here is the Birch with the cover outline drawn on it.

Step 2: Cut Out the Wood Cores

The wood I used was thin and soft enough to be cut using regular scissors.

Step 3: Staple the Elastic Band

First I cut the elastic band a little longer than the length of the cover, giving it about an inch on each side.

I used some tape to help hold it in place as I stapled each end of the band about 2 or 3 times, just to be safe. Each of your wood “cores” should have a side with rounded corners (if you traced the Moleskine cover) and a side with sharp corners. You want the band by the opening of the case, so position it near the rounded corner side.

Step 4: Tear Off the Folder on the Backside of the Cover

You’ll be gluing this to the wood, so the folder gets in the way. It comes off pretty easily if you are careful and don’t rush it. Also, you’re going to want to remove the paper and carefully cut the strings that hold the papers in place.

Step 5: Glue the Cover to the Wood Cores

First I prepped the outside of the cover with painter’s tape to prevent glue from getting on the outside. Be careful because the painter’s tape still took off a little bit of the paper cover when I removed it.

Also be sure to flip the elastic band, so it is all on one side. You’ll be gluing the other side.

Step 6: Trace/Cut/Glue Manila Folder Inside

I forgot to take pictures of this, but you’ll want to trace the whole Moleskine cover twice onto a Manila envelope. One you will use for the inner lining of the case and the other you will use for folders.

This is a picture of after I glued in the lining and put an index card inside.

Step 7: Sew the Folders In

There should be holes in the cover, along the spine, where the old string was located. Use these holes as guide to puncture new holes in the Manila lining. You are also going to want to align the case with your “folders” Manila cutout.

Here is the Manila folder cutout you will use for the inside folders.

Once you make the guide holes, just weave the string in through one hole and out the next one up. After you get to the top, work your way back down and tie the two ends together.

Step 8: Coating

I coated the outside with two layers of clear nail polish. I also used some of my glue along the edges to seal the gaps between the paper and the wood.

Step 9: Creating Pockets

As an afterthought to my creation, I later added pockets, rather than just divisions. All you need to do is cut a Manila envelope in the shape of the the division pages. Be sure to cut 3 of the sides about 1/2 an inch longer than the division page, so you can have tabs to glue on (the fourth side is the opening of the pocket).

More About the Moleskine Hipster PDA Case

• 8/15/08 :Moleskine Hipster PDA Case
• 1/3/08 :How to Use the Moleskine Hipster PDA Case