The $3 Storage Find I’m Hunting for at the Thrift Store

I enjoy writing in a paper journal, be it a weekly planner or just a diary, but the really nice looking ones, like a leather-bound one, tend to be expensive. A more ordinary journal gets the job done, sure, but I’ll admit there’s something about a visually-pleasing notebook cover that legitimately increases my motivation to journal on a regular basis.

That’s why I was so excited to learn that you can easily create a beautiful journal cover with just an old wallet from a thrift store.

In an Instagram video, Kaitlyn Mini of @its.mini.made turned a leather tri-fold wallet from the thrift store into a sophisticated journal case. The creator takes a large black rubber band and places it along the center of the open wallet. The journal then gets slipped between the rubber band and the wallet, with the rubber band going where the spine in a book would go. 

To keep things balanced, Mini opens the journal at its halfway point before sliding it in. Then, they stick some papers and instant film photos in the wallet’s side pockets (fun, but not required), and add two binder clips to the wallet: one small one on the top of the journal to keep the pages together, and a larger one where the wallet opens.

The journal and the wallet are about the same size, but this isn’t a requirement. In another Instagram video, the creator makes a journal cover from a brown leather wallet with an autumnal red gingham pattern. The journal they use here is a bit smaller than the wallet, but the same rubber band spine technique keeps it in place, and the wallet’s double snap closure ensures it stays put when you’re not actively using it.

Part of why this hack is so great is the affordability; the thrifted wallets in the videos cost $2.99 and $3.99 each. It’s important to note that because this is a thrift hack, it might take a while to find the perfect wallet: “I’ve been looking and looking but either find wallets too small or just not my style. But I’m dedicated to the thrift game and know it takes patience,” Instagram user @laureldidthis commented. It’s true that thrifting can be both cheap and quite satisfying, but if you find you lack this kind of patience, there’s nothing wrong with turning a new tri-fold wallet into your journal’s new home.