How to Make an Address Book Out of an Old Checkbook Cover

Many times people end up with more checkbook covers than they can use for their checkbook register--often these are very nice leather or cloth covers. Rather than throwing those covers away, recycle them into nifty looking address books. Keep one for yourself and give the others as gifts to friends and family.

First, measure your checkbook cover. The one used for this example is 6w x 4h. So, in order to have a fold at the top to tuck into the checkbook register holder, the page format is set larger. Open Microsoft Publisher. Format your page to be 7.25w x 8h landscape orientation.

Make two text boxes. The first text box will be just big enough to enter the letters ABC. In the second text box, enter the information for your address book (see picture for entries in this example). Shade the text box with the letters "ABC" in whatever color you wish by clicking on the text box with your left mouse. Select the "paint can" to fill the text box with a color of your choice. Both text boxes together should not be larger than 5 7/8" inches wide.

Duplicate this information twice on one page by selecting your text boxes by clicking on them with the left mouse, then copying and pasting. Once your second text box has been pasted, select it by clicking on it with the left mouse and move it down, so that there are a couple of blank lines between it and the first text box. Click on the text box that has the letters ABC in it and copy and paste this. Move the ABC text box you just pasted to right below the first ABC text box, then change the letters in the text box you just pasted to DEF.

Continue duplicating pages and changing the letters and moving till the whole alphabet is represented as follows--GHI, JKL, MNO, PQR, STU, VWX, YZ.

Alternate the fill color for the letters text box from yellow to gray to make this easier to read. Make as many pages as needed for each letter set. For instance, if you have 12 friends whose names begin with A, B, or C, you will want six pages (12 divided by 2 blank addresses per page=6)

Select the text boxes and go to the Format menu. From the Format menu, choose "Text Box." Once this window is open, select "Colors and Lines." Uncheck the "Draw Border Inside Frame," then select the box border to draw a border around your text boxes. This will aid in cutting straight lines when you print the pages.In Microsoft Publisher, you can select "Duplicate Page," which will then give you a duplicate page exactly like above.

Print the pages. To print on the back of the pages flip them over (your printer's "Help" section should give instructions on which way to flip these to print on the back) and stick back in the paper feed slot for your printer; then, print the pages again. Once this is done, fold the printed pages inside one another so that there is a half inch of blank space above the printed information. Cut the right edge until the pages measure 5 7/8" Stick the blank half of these pages inside the slot in your checkbook cover where your checkbook register would normally go. If you would like the different levels of letters to show, simply cut the paper away from around each of the letter text boxes.

Personalize this by making a small label with the name of the address book owner and their contact information to place in the plastic cover inside the checkbook cover. This could be printed on decorative paper or just use Microsoft Word's Border Art, Clip Art, or Word Art to add decoration. Insert a picture of the recipient with Microsoft Word's "Insert Picture From File" for even more personalization.