I made almost 200 handmade books. Here’s the whole story.

Back in June 2025, I took on the most epic challenge of my entire paper crafting journey so far: making 175 handmade notebooks within two months.

They were gifts for two business events: 

• 15 books for Liz from On the Eastside. 
• 160 books for Ellen from Cubicle to CEO, who would give them to attendees of her event, the Bloom Together Soiree

I was also lucky enough to join this beautiful soiree in Albany, Oregon, in September.

I learned about this gift donation opportunity from Isabelle. We’re both part of the same community, the CEO Society, and she connected me with Ellen.

We discussed the number of gifts and the deadline.

Ideally, 160 handmade notebooks—and I had about two months to deliver.

I was fidgeting.

You know when you’re excited for the opportunity but also scared? You want to prove to yourself you can do this big thing, yet you’re not entirely sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.

At that point, I was still so new to paper crafting. I hadn’t made enough books or gained enough experience to know what to expect. 

Making 160 handmade books sounded wild. I could have asked to do fewer since it was a donation, and Ellen was kind and flexible about the numbers. 

But 160 sounded so thrilling.

I did some calculations. 

It was doable—but my schedule would be brutal. It meant blending and papermaking day after day, binding and gluing 15–30 books at a time, making covers, assembling them, and repeating until I hit the goal.

You know what? I needed that extremity.

My paper crafting journey had been moving slow, like a calm river. I needed a big wave that would bring out something big in me, force me to think differently, get more creative, and work more efficiently.

So I said yes to Ellen.

And I freaking did it! It took a little over two months, but I made it happen.

The final numbers changed a bit.

• 10 books for Liz, 
• 160 books for Ellen. 
• Plus 6 bonus books for the soiree panelists. 

That made 176 books in total.

I’ll leave you with some pictures of the handmade books.

The most important lesson I learned?

Growth and self-confidence come from doing something that scares you. It won’t be easy, but saying yes—even to something that scares you just a little—is already a powerful start.

If you’re hosting an event and looking for meaningful gifts for your attendees, send your inquiry here.