Make it Monday // Spiral Bound Planner with the Cinch

Way back in this post I mentioned my love for a gadget called the Cinch.  And I'm here today to do a wonderfully awesome DIY for you - make yourself a spiral bound planner!!  Using all the free printables I have here on the blog.  Hoo-to-the-ray!  It is almost 2016 which means it is nearly time to choose your planner for the next year (or get started planning if you're new to the planner community!)  

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Today I'll show you how to make a planner using this monthly view, this weekly view (it's vertical so it will fit your ECLP designed stickers, oh yeah!), this goal planning printable, & this budgeting tool.  (If vertical planning isn't your deal, I have one other weekly layout here, you can also find some lined pages freebies here.)

First, print all the planner pages.  These printables are designed to print on already trimmed pages.  So take the 8.5 x 11 inch printer paper and slice it in half to get a stack of paper that is 8.5 x 5.5 inches.  Print the pages you need from the links above and arrange the way you'd like.  I chose to do the goals pages first, then alternate the monthly view with the weekly views for each month.  On the back of the monthly view I printed a lined page for notes.  Then the very last page was the bills tracker for the entire year, then I added a section for notes.

Once the pages are in the order you'd like them to be, it's time to make the cover.  I already have a tutorial that would be great for this planner cover here. But I wanted to make it simple and do less measuring and cutting by hand, so I used my Cricut Explore and Design Space to create a rectangle 8.6 x 5.6 inches.  I also added a Custom Material to my account since I couldn't find a preset cut depth to cut through my poly-folder.

To add a custom material, from the cut page select Manage Custom Materials.  Then at the bottom of the screen select Add Custom Material.  Name your material and specify your cut pressure and multicut options.  I picked the highest pressure because the other pressures I found did not cut all the way through and to cut the shape 5x to ensure it was cut all the way through.

Once you've done this you can choose your custom material when your Cricut Explore Smart Dial is set to Custom Material.  One of the things I love about the Cricut Explore is the ease of use when it comes to cut pressure.  Simply choose the material you're working with - there is very little experimentation.  And when you do need to add a custom material you can base your values on the settings you used that did not cut all the way through.  The Cricut Explore is my go to crafting gadget!

This is where the Cinch comes into play - to punch the planner pages!  (I suggest using some scrap pages to test your alignment before you punch your planner pages)  Line up a few of the planner pages by placing the bottom edge against the flat piece of the ruler.  Using the lever, punch your pages.

Slide the ruler all the way out and pull out the number five punch.  Place the bottom of the pages flush against the base of the ruler and drop the little knob down on the side to fit into a punched hole.  This keeps the pages aligned properly.  Punch the last remaining holes.  Repeat this process for the entirety of the planner pages.

Line up and punch the cover.  I used one of the scrap pages that was punched to my liking and some small binder clips to keep everything in place while I punched the covers.  Be sure to align the covers wrong sides together so you don't end up like me with and upside down back cover!!!!

The Cinch not only punches the pages, but it also binds them.  Depending on the thickness of the page layout you've choses, you'll need to choose the corresponding binding wire size.  I went with a pink colored binding wire that was .75 inches and trimmed of the excess loops using wire cutters.

Using the holster on the side of the Cinch, align your pages starting with the last planner page  (right side facing up towards you) working towards the first page.  Then lay the front cover (right side facing up) then lay the back cover (wrong side facing up).

Align the binding at the back of the Cinch, adjusting the dial at the top to fit the size of the binding you've chosen, and press the lever down.  This will bind all the pages together in a nice little book!!

Now you're done!!!! Holy cow that was pretty cool wasn't it?  I love the little planner I made and I do hope to show how to plan in it (or how I would plan in it!)

Have you ever bound your own planner?  Do you use spiral bound or binder style planners?

xoxo, Moe

(And if you're thinking of purchasing any of these little gadgets for gifts, be sure you use Ebates for cash back!)