DIY Recipe Book: Easy + Cost Effective!

Last year, I tried to find all the ways I could eliminate extra and unnecessary screen time from my day-to-day life. I found that I used my phone or computer for SO many things during the day, even while I was cooking or baking. I often use recipes from Pinterest or food blogs, which means I was using my phone to read said recipes while in the kitchen. This was one of those things I knew I could eliminate, but not without a little bit of work.

I wanted to start exclusively using hand-written or printed recipes, but I didn't want all of them to just be floating about my kitchen in various places. I knew that if I wasn't organized with this, I'd never be able to find anything I needed. And the absolute last thing I want to do before starting dinner on a Tuesday night is spend 20 minutes hunting around for a recipe.

There are tons of cute recipe books and holders out there, but it was hard for me to find something I loved in a price I was willing to spend. So, why not just make one myself?

I can't take full credit for this idea. I work at a bakery and we use a three ring binder to keep all of our recipes in. It finally dawned on me to do the same thing with all my recipes at home!

Here's what I came up with and how you can do it too!

Supplies you need:

+ three ring binder

+ page protectors

+ paper

+ pens

Here's what's so wonderful about this project -- you can make it as simple or as fancy as you want! I opted for a more simple route, but you can totally get creative and make this a full on craft project!

I was able to complete this project for under $10! I found a white binder at Goodwill for 99 cents, picked up a pack of 100 clear page protectors at target for about $7 and used paper that I already had to write down recipes! I also gathered all the recipes I already had written or printed out to add to the book as well.

I especially like having the page protectors because it keeps the actual paper from getting spills and stains on them. Although I will say, there is something awfully charming about an old and stained hand-written recipe!

Recipe above is from Half Baked Harvest. The original recipe uses scallops but I am intimated by scallops so I use shrimp instead LOL. This recipe is in our weekly meal menu quite often!

Now I have the sweetest little book full of all my most loved recipes. Adding new recipes to it is honestly one of my favorite things! I also don't have to worry about unlocking my phone with garlic all over my hands to find the next step in the recipe. I love that it's one less thing I use my phone for.

It makes my heart swell to think of how long these books will stay in our family. I dream of our future children helping me cook in the kitchen using this very book I started before they were even born. What a gift!