DIY Memo Notepad from Scrap Wood

Whether you’re writing your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY Memo Notepad is a fun conversation piece that is functional in any room. It makes a great gift for the list maker in your life and it’s a good beginner project- super easy to make with scrap wood! Do you dare to try?

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list. I’ve been wanting to make a cute wooden memo notepad like this for a long time. They’re all over the internet and people call them “grocery list holders”.

Ever since we painted our cabinets last summer I’ve been working on adding some natural wood elements to add a little character to the kitchen. After searching the internet for inspiration, I finally came up with a simple design.

I’m so happy with how it turned out and even happier about how easy it is to make. As always, I’ve got the full, detailed tutorial for you! Be sure you read the entire post before you attempt it. Enjoy!

Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post to see a video summarizing the process!

DIY Memo Notepad from Scrap Wood

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Materials Needed
(1) 1×6 cut to 18″ (or desired length)

(2) 1×2 cut 18″ (or desired length as above)

(2) 4″ mending plates

(2) Screw Eyes

(1) 3/8″ wooden dowel cut to desired length (mine is 8 inches)

Finish of choice This is the stain I used 

Brad Nail Gun

Wood Glue

3″ thermal paper

Miter Saw (or have wood cut at the store)

Drill

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

DIY Memo Notepad Tutorial- Process

Step 1-

Cut the lumber, or have it cut at the store. The length of the boards can be adjusted to fit your space. For mine, the main body of the wooden memo notepad is a 1×6 cut at 18″ and the two trim pieces are 1×2 s cut to the same length.

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

Step 2

Attach the 1×2 trim. Use wood glue and a brad nail gun (<—battery operated kind, powerful and no compressor necessary!) to attach the trim to the sides. The sides will slightly stick out on the front and be flush to the back.

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

Step 3

Apply the finish. At this point you can paint/stain the piece before you attach the hardware. I am currently obsessed with this stain , so I highly recommend it 🙂 I love that it’s not too light or too dark. A perfect shade of brown!

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

Step 4

Add the hardware. At this point I added the screw eyes. I first drilled a small pilot hole (optional). This made it easier to manually screw in the eyes (screw in the eyes sounds violent!).

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

I placed the screw eyes about 2″ from the top. Make sure you mark the spot accurately on each side, so your paper roll will hang straight.

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

Follow by attaching the mending plates, which frankly, I had NO idea that’s what those things were called!! I searched for flat brackets, straight L brackets (what?), and several other non-sense words before they finally popped up. I swear that Google man is a mind reader.

Anyway, drill the screws in the two end holes of the plate. I placed my top plate 6 1/2″ from the top and the second 2″ from the bottom.

Side Note: You may have noticed that the hardware is black on the pics. I spray painted all the pieces. Be sure and do this before you start, so it can be nice and dry when you’re ready to attach them.

A trick to spray paint screws: stick them through a foam plate!

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list. Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

Step 5

Cut the  wooden dowel to desired length. I first cut mine exactly the width of the piece, then decided a longer piece would look interesting and be more forgiving to excessive rolling 🙂 It’s definitely up to you how long to cut it! If you like the dowel sticking out the sides like mine, cut it at 9 1/2″.

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

The thermal paper I got was 3″ wide and the 3/8″ dowel fit perfectly through the center. I recommend you purchase the paper first, then buy a dowel that fits.

You can find this “receipt paper”  in any office supply store. I tried to find it in color, so it’d  look less like toilet paper 🙂 but I couldn’t find any right away, so I bought the white.

If you find a different color let me know in the comments!

Here’s a couple more pics of the finished piece. Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

Are you ready to make a few of these? I mean, you might as well since the paper rolls come in large packages! They make perfect gifts!

Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.

If you like this simple project, be sure to visit my gallery of scrap wood projects .

And if you like my step-by-step beginner-friendly style of teaching, stick with me and join my email list! By signing up you will receive exclusive access to my FREE resource library of free plans and printables. I promise I won’t spam you!  🙂

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Whether you're making your weekly grocery list or leaving a quick note as you rush out the door, this DIY  memo notepad is a stylish piece that will make a statement in any room. It's easy, inexpensive  and makes a great gift. So, grab some wood scraps and a few cheap supplies, and get building. Full tutorial and supply list.


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Janice| Sawdust Sisters

Novice woodworker and serial Popcorn eater, Janice Thomas writes detailed tutorials that motivate others to "dare to try". Originally from Puerto Rico, Janice is fluent in Spanish and dreams of owning a beach house on the island someday! Janice currently lives in Utah with her husband and children, where she works as a university professor.

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