Hi y’all! Today I am going to show you how to make a notepad in Canva for FREE!
We all use notepads of various sizes pretty much everyday. From sticky notes to grocery lists on the refrigerator, notepads are incredibly handy!
While I love pretty notepads scattered around my house, I hate spending the money on them. So, in the end I buy the super cheap, 3 for $1, notepads, which aren’t always very attractive.
However, I recently found the perfect alternative- creating and designing my very own notepads! I am going to show you how you can create them in various sizes to reduce waste. As well as, various designs to match your personal taste. Plus, I am going to let you in on a little DIY notepad binding secret!
IMPORTANT: This tutorial is meant for PERSONAL USE ONLY! If you are wanting to create and sell any type of printable design, please refer to Canva’s Legal Pages.
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. Which means, if you click on a link and make a purchase I will receive a commission at NO extra cost to you!
What You Will Need
- Computer or Laptop
- Internet
- Printer and Ink
- Canva Account (Free or Pro Plan)
- Printer Paper (US Letter size)
- Chip Board or Heavy Duty Kraft Paper
- Paper Clips, Staples, or Something Similar
What Is Canva?
Canva is an amazing online design tool that I use almost daily! You can design a multitude of things on there from coloring pages to t-shirts, to simple documents and spreadsheets.
The best part about Canva is that they offer a FREE plan for you to use and enjoy!
You can sign up HERE for a FREE Canva account.
I personally have the Pro plan, but for the sake of this tutorial I used everything that would be included in the Free plan.
Check Your Printer Settings
Before you start creating your notepads in Canva, I recommend looking over your printer settings, because that may determine the size of your notepads and how many notepads per page you can create.
For example, my printer ALWAYS prints with a border around the paper. So, I can not create my notepads to fill the entire sheet of paper. If I do, then I need to reset my image sizing to 90% before I print, in order for the entire image to print properly.
If you are unsure, you can open your printer settings on your computer, Google your question, or simply change the Image Scale percentage in the Print Preview to see which sizes prints properly.
P.S.- I do not know a lot about printers, but if it helps, I currently have an HP DeskJet 2545.
Notepad Sizes
I created my notepads in Canva in 3 different sizes. But you can easily adjust the sizes to fit your personal needs!
Small
6 Per Page-Portrait
- Notepad Background (2.8 inches wide x 5.5 inches high)
- Writing Background (2.3 inches wide x 4.6 inches high)
- 18 Lines (2.3 inches wide)
Medium
3 Per Page-Landscape (fits within automatic margins)
- Notepad Background (3.1 inches wide x 6.8 inches high)
- Writing Background (2.4 inches wide x 5.8 inches high)
- 22 Lines (2.4 inches wide)
Large
3 Per Page- Landscape (fills entire page)
- Notepad Background (3.7 inches wide x 8.5 inches high)
- Writing Background (3.1 inches wide x 7 inches high)
- 23 Lines (3.1 inches wide)
How To Make A Notepad In Canva-Getting Started
Step 1: Log In Or Create A Canva Account
Before I can show you how to make a notepad in Canva you will need to create an account. Simply follow this link, click Sign Up, then add your information.
If you already have a Canva account, simply log in.
Step 2: Open A Blank Canvas
Once you are logged in, you will need to open a blank canvas. To do so, click on the button in the upper right corner of your screen that says “Create A Design”. Then select “Document (US Letter Portrait)”. This is just a regular 8.5×11 inch paper. You can also type in those measurements in the Custom Size section at the bottom of the drop-down.
Step 3: Give Your Design A Title
Before we start getting too creative I recommend giving your design a tittle, so when you download it you will be able to find it easier among your files.
How To Make A Notepad In Canva– Creation And Design
For the sake of this tutorial I am going to show you how to make a notepad in Canva using the smallI (2.8″ wide x 5.5″ high) dimensions. However, you can easily use these steps with any notepad size!
Step 1: How To Make A Notepad In Canva Using A Grid
Firstly, you will need to click on Elements in the tool bar at the left of your screen. Then scroll down to Grids. Next, select the single Grid.
The single Grid will automatically fill up your canvas so will will need to resize the Grid to 2.8″x5.5″. To do that simply Click and Drag the edges until you reach the correct size.
Note: You may need to move the entire Grid around the page away from Canva’s automatic center lines and margins. To move the Grid simply Click and Drag.
Step 2: Find Your Background
Secondly, you will need to find the background for your notepads. This is usually where I get stuck, because there are so many cute options that I never know what to pick! So, word of advice, have an idea of what style or colors you want to use ahead of time, to keep you from wasting time.
Once you decide what you want, go back to Elements and type it into the Search Bar. Next click on the Filters button and select Free. You will then select the Photos tab.
*I like to choose from the Photos because not all of the Graphic backgrounds will work in a Grid.
Note: If you don’t click “Free” in the Filters you will see small crowns to the right of some of the images. This means that these are only included with a Pro account and can’t be used for Free. However, you can purchase the Pro elements before downloading.
FREE Backgrounds!!! Try Creative Fabrica For Free!
Can’t Find What You Are Looking For On Canva?
While Canva has a lot of amazing backgrounds, graphics and fonts, one of my favorite places to get “all of the above” from is Creative Fabrica! They have millions of options to choose from! I use their graphics and fonts for at least 95% of my printables (both personal and business). I actually created these notepads shown in the photo, using a beautiful background that I downloaded from Creative Fabrica.
You can purchase their merchandise as needed. Or you can join their All Access Subscription Plan to gain access to not only graphics and fonts, but to video classes, crafts, and so much more! But the best part is you can sign up for FREE today and get your first 10 designs or fonts for FREE!
Creative Fabrica makes the downloading process super easy. And if you are like me (someone who sells their designs) they also make their licensing terms incredibly easy to understand! Plus, you can cancel your subscription at any time…but I don’t think you will want to 🙂
For more information (or to sign up now) click the button below!
DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS AMAZING OFFER!
How To Upload Graphics To Canva
If you decided to give Creative Fabrica a try (YAAY) then you might be wondering how to get graphics from there to Canva…it’s super easy!
Step 1:
In Creative Fabrica you will click the green “Download” button.
Step 2:
Go back into Canva, click “Uploads” in the tool bar at the left of your screen. Then click “Upload File” and select the Creative Fabrica download from your computer’s files.
Step 3:
Once the file uploads simply click on it to add it to your design!
How To Add Photo To Canvas
To add a Photo to the canvas, simply click on it. To add it to the Grid, click on it then drag over the Grid until it pops into place.
How To Adjust The Photo Within The Grid
To adjust the photo double click on it. Then simply Click and Drag to adjust it. Click Done when you are finished.
Step 3: Add A Headline
*If you don’t want to add a headline to your notepad you can skip to Step 4.
The third thing we are going to do is add a headline to our notepad. This is a great way to keep your notes organized, that way you aren’t thumbing through 10 pages of to-do’s to find an appointment date.
To add a headline go back to the left sidebar and click on Text. Then click Add A Heading. Now type in whatever you want to designate your notepad to be. (examples- To-Do List, Grocery List, Notes, Dates To Remember, etc.)
How To Change The Font
To change the Font click on the first drop-down in the top menu bar. Then type “Free” in the Search Bar. Chose your favorite font by clicking on it.
Note: If you don’t type in “Free” you will see small crowns to the right of some of the fonts. This means that these are only included with a Pro account and can’t be used for Free. However, you can purchase the Pro fonts before downloading.
How To Add A Background
Canva offers some really cool design tools and effects. You can easily change the color of the text or even add a background to it, which is what I did!
To do so, click on Effects in the top menu bar. Choose Background, then adjust the size of the spread, change the color, and adjust the transparency.
If you just simply want to change the color of the text click on the bold A in the top menu bar. Then choose a color from the default list or type in a particular color code.
Step 4: Add Space To Write
Fourthly, we are going to add a blank space to write on. You will start by going back to Elements (clear your search bar if you haven’t done so already). Then scroll down to Shapes and click on the square. You can easily change the color by clicking on the colored square in the top menu bar.
Next, you will need to click on the edges of the square and drag to adjust the width and height to 2.3″ wide x 4.6″ high. Then click the center of the square/now rectangle and drag on top of the image and center it.
Note: You may need to resize your text so it’s not overlapping. You can also change the transparency of the shape by clicking on the Waffle in the top menu bar and moving the toggle.
Step 5: Add Lines
For the fifth step you are going to click on Elements, then click Line, which is under the Search Bar. Next click Filter and select Free.
There are a ton of options for lines so feel free to choose a fun one if you’d like! But I generally use the basic line under Shapes. (Click to add to canvas.)
Once you choose a line you will need to adjust the length and thickness.
How To Adjust The Length
To adjust the length simply click on the end and drag. I make my lines go the full width of the blank writing space. In this case it’s 2.3 inches.
How To Adjust The Thickness
To adjust the thickness click on the 3 lines in the top menu bar. Then move the toggle to preferred thickness (I generally use a line weight of 1).
Next, add the line to the writing space. Be sure to place it far enough down from the top to have space to write. Then Copy/Paste another line (use your computers shortcut, OR right click and click copy, then right click again and click paste) and add it to the bottom of the writing space. You will need to add 16 more lines in between those two lines.
How To Align The Lines
To get all of the lines evenly spaced and positioned properly, click on Position in the top menu bar. Then click Layers. In order to select all of the lines you will need to hold down your computers shortcut key (I have a Mac so it’s the Shift key) then click on all of the lines.
Once all of the lines are selected click Arrange then click Tidy Up. This will evenly space all of the lines between the top and bottom. However, you may need to move the entire group of lines and line them back up in the writing space.
Note: If you want to add or remove lines simply repeat this step!
Step 6: How To Duplicate Your Notepad In Canva
Lastly, I am going to show you an incredibly easy way to duplicate your design versus starting from scratch!
Simply click in the white space of the canvas, then hold and drag the cursor over the entire notepad to select. Then Copy/Paste the notepad, being sure to line them up evenly. Repeat this to fill the entire page (6 notepads total).
Note: If you don’t want all of the backgrounds the same you can Copy/Paste your current notepad then add a new background. You can also create an entire page of your current design then Duplicate the page to swap out backgrounds and change colors to create a brand new or cohesive design!
How To Make A Notepad In Canva– Download And Print
Now that you have learned how to make a notepad in Canva it’s time to learn how to download your design! You will first click on Share in the upper right corner of your screen. Then click Download.
Next, click on the first drop-down and select PDF Print.
Then click Flatten PDF (this takes all of your elements, lines, etc. and glues them together to ensure they print properly and in place).
In the next drop-down select which pages you want to print.
In the last drop-down you will have to select RGB if you do not have a Pro account. With a Pro account you have the option for CMYK, which offers a better print quality. However, RGB works nicely as well!
Once you have all of your selections made you can click the Download button!
Then go to your computers files, open the downloaded file, and print!
How To Make A Notepad In Canva– Tips For Cutting Your Notepad
My top recommendation for cutting out your new notepads (especially if you are printing multiple pages) would be to use a paper cutter! Depending on your cutter you could cut multiple sheets at once, which would save you time!
However, if you don’t have a paper cutter you can use scissors, an Exacto knife, utility knife, or a rotary cutter.
How To Make A Notepad In Canva– Ways To Bind And Use
So, now that your notepads are created, printed, and cut you need to bind the sheets together in order to use them. I have seen that a common way is to bind the tops of the pages together with glue so you can peel off each sheet, like the notepads that you buy from a store. However, I don’t always have chip board lying around for the backing. So, I have a solution where I can reuse the backing and refill my notepad anytime (without waiting for glue to dry)!
First, you will need to cut a piece of chip board, heavy duty Kraft paper, or even a thin piece of cardboard to use as a backing. *Cut the backing the same size as the notepad, then add it to the bottom of the notepad.
Next, you will need to decide where you want to place your notepad.
Here are a few of my suggestions:
The Refrigerator
- Clamp notepad pages together with a large clothes pin. Glue a magnet on the back of the clothes pin, then hang.
- Use a premade Magnetic Paper Clip/Clamp
- Depending on the size of your notepad you could glue a heavy duty magnet to the back of a Mini Clipboard to use as your backing and binder
Desktop Or Table
I am currently using a small clothes pin style paperclip to hold my small stack of “To-Do’s” notepad pages together. There’s only a handful of sheets and it doesn’t get moved around much so the tiny clip works well!
You could also use:
- Decorative Jumbo Paper Clips
- Metal or Plastic Multi Purpose Clips
- Fasteners (add one to each side of the notepad, at the top)
In A Drawer
My best suggestion for binding a notepad, if it’s going to be stored in a drawer, is to put it in a small binder. This will protect the pages and keep the notepad secure.
My second best suggestion would be to use 1 or more binder clips to keep all of the pages snug so pages aren’t falling out every time it slides around in the drawer.
Thank you so much for taking time to learn how to make a notepad in Canva with me! I hope you found this tutorial to be interesting, as well as, a confidence booster! We are capable of way more than we think we are.
For more Canva learning tutorials, check out the links below.
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