Guide to Faux Doris: The Inserts

Guide to Faux Doris: The Inserts

• Apr 10, 2015

Are you ready to put stuff inside your faux dori? Today's post is for you! Yesterday I shared the basics of faux doris - what it is, how you can customize it, and how you put stuff in it. But I've been most looking forward to today's post because I get to share ways you could use a faux dori, where to buy inserts and how you can decorate them. I've got a ton of resources to share, but this is still won't cover all the options available.

I have one more post planned for next week. In the process of decorating my inserts, I bought some fun extras that you don't need but might want. It's for people who are ready to go from interest in a faux dori to full-on obsession mode. Don't say I didn't warn you!

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

In my original post, I showed you the Foxy Dori that I use for blogging. But there are SO many other ways you could use one! What's so nice about the idea of multiple notebooks is that you can bring together lots of different things - your daily schedule, blog planning, expense tracking, etc. - into one place! If you want a faux dori but aren't sure how you'd use it, here are some ideas to get you started:

BLOG / Brainstorming, planning, to do

CALENDAR / Daily, weekly, monthly for work, blogging, family

FAMILY / Letters to kids, memories (quotes and/or milestones), pregnancy journal, gift ideas, medical care

FOOD / Recipes, grocery lists, meal planning

HEALTH / Calorie tracking, fitness tracking

HOME / Chores, cleaning lists, maintenance, important contacts, decorating

INTERESTS / Sketchbook, writing ideas, quotes, craft projects

LISTS / To buy, to watch, to read, to do, to listen, to visit

MONEY / Budget, expenses, bill/loan payment schedule, account info and passwords

NOTES / Brain dump, address book, password log, journal

PLANNING / Wedding planning, home remodel, projects

REVIEWS / Books, movies, plays, music, restaurants

SCHOOL / Agenda, class notes

SPIRITUAL / Bible study notes, prayer journal, church notes

TRAVEL / Research, planning, itinerary, where you've been, where you want to go

WORK / Meeting notes, project planning, business ideas, job hunt

I've found it's helpful to think about how you want to use your faux dori before you spend a lot of time looking at the different insert options. While browsing may introduce you to an insert that you hadn't considered but would totally use (expenses, in my case), I think it can be overwhelming if you haven't already thought about what purpose you want your inserts to serve. You don't want to order something that you won't end up using! But you can't go wrong with a basic notebook (lined, blank, grid, dot grid) since it works for anything.

WHAT CAN YOU PUT INSIDE?

Now, it's time for the most anticipated portion of this post: inserts and accessories! As I said yesterday, you can put as little or as much inside as you want. Whether you want two books or five books and a folder, the great thing about a faux dori is that the inside is completely up to you! The five most common inserts are: dashboard, folder, business card holder, zip pouch and notebooks. I'll explain each below!

DASHBOARD / A dashboard is basically laminated scrapbook paper. A standard size dashboard is two pieces of paper cut to 8.25 x 4.3 and wide is cut to 8.25 x 5.  It's a lot like a folder - without pockets - that's been laminated! You can wrap one around a notebook that has a plain cover or wrap it around loose, unbound paper so that it becomes the cover. You can attach a pen loop to it, instead of attaching the pen loop to the leather. You can tape photos to it, write on it with a wet erase marker and more. I bought the one with the typewriter and the word "Hello" on the back, but I made the mint one with white words that has black stripes on the back. I'll cover DIY-ing it at the end of this post. Here are some places you can buy them:

• Hobby Lane Designs
• Laurie Claire
• Martha Plans (Doesn't currently have any in stock but usually does)
• Planning To Be Happy
• Robyn's Little Nest

FOLDER / Having a folder can really come in handy! I stick receipts, bookmarks, stickers, photos, and more in mine. I've purchased two folders, but I also recently learned how to make my own. The one with horses is one that I purchased, but I made the one with hearts. I'll share the DIY tutorial at the end of this post, but here are some shops to explore if you want to purchase one:

• Bliss Bag Boutique
• Onica Hanby
• Petal's Print Shop
• Planners and Lace
• The Lovely Habitat

BUSINESS CARD HOLDER / I highlighted the Midori business card holder in my first post, and this is probably one of my favorite accessories! It's a cute way to store smaller items (washi tape, stickers, sticky notes, bookmarks, business cards, etc.), especially if you put scrapbook paper in each of the twelve pockets.

ZIP POUCH / The Midori zip pouch is worth checking out. There's a zip pocket on one side, and an open pocket on the other side. I've found that stuff doesn't stay in the open pocket as well as I hoped, but this is the best option if you want to store larger items in your faux dori.

NOTEBOOKS / The only thing you really need: notebooks! There are a lot of places to buy basic notebooks with blank, lined, grid or dot grid paper. But there are also a number of options if you want the notebooks to serve a specific purpose. Make sure you pay attention to whether you're buying a printable or the actual product. Some shops just sell printables, so you'll have to do some of the work! I've only purchased printed and bound notebooks because I don't want to DIY that aspect. Here are some shops I suggest once you're ready:

• Boho Cottage
• Buteo Bunker
• DIYfish
• Frasizzle Made
• Homemade Kraft
• Made by Elissa
• May Designs
• Moleskine
• Papier My Day
• Pembroke Papers
• Sketchbook Collection
• Yellow Paper House

HOW DO YOU DECORATE INSERTS?

If you order May Books, you won't need to decorate the cover. But if you order an insert with a plain or kraft paper cover, you have the option to make them unique and personal to you. I had way too much fun with this aspect - and I don't even consider myself that crafty! Here's the insert decorating video I watched:

Here are some things you need for this project:

• Scrapbook paper 
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Washi Tape 
• Packing Tape
• Journal cards (optional)
• Stamps and embellishments (optional)

Watch the video for a tutorial, but the books above are my end result! I used a different paper for the front and back of each of my notebooks - though I tried to make sure they all coordinated. I'm not a big embellishment person, so I stuck with a journaling card on one notebook and a single sticker on the other. But I've seen some really eye-catching notebooks on Instagram!

CAN YOU DO IT YOURSELF?

Yes! There are tutorials that explain how to make pretty much everything I've highlighted in this post. As I mentioned, I've started making my own dashboards and folders. I'm not even that crafty, but I've found it's easy to make a lot of this yourself if you have the right supplies. In fact, some people even make their own faux dori cover! I prefer to leave that to the experts, but it is possible. Here's just a handful of tutorials:

• Dashboard: The video I originally linked to has been removed, and I can't find another tutorial that's quite as helpful! I'll update this if one is posted in the future.
• Doris: How to Make a Traveler's Notebook / How to Make Your Own Midori-Style Traveler's Notebook
• Folder: How to Make a Folder for Your Midori
• Notebooks: Making Your Insert Booklets

Want to buy a few more fun things?

I've got you covered in next week's post.