How do you fix a spiral bound notebook?

Answer 1

Tape it, or get a new one .

When the cover and or pages have ripped from a spiral bound book, the best way to repair it is to take a length of paper tape (MADE of paper) the same length as the book. Fold the tape length-wise, moisten, and apply the tape over the ragged spiral edge of the page or cover, so that the tape covers all the old holes, and is stuck to both the front and the back of the page, with the fold forming the new back-edge of the page. Do this with front and back covers that are ripped off, as well as any pages ripped out. Then using a page as a guide, or by holding it up to the light, use a small hole punch to punch out all the new holes on each cover and page. Don't use a 3-ring size hole punch. The holes are too big.

Now, there are a couple of different ways to re-bind it. You can either cut out the old spiral with wire cutters, and get a new spring of similar size from the hardware store, or some pliable insulated wire that you can use to sew it round and round to rebind it. Or you can work the old spiral around in a cork-screw fashion to get it out, and then twist it back through the stack of pages one hole at a time to get it back in again. But be careful with that bent wire end. They are notorious for ripping out little holes.

Once the wire is out, you could also go down to your local copy shop and have them throw a plastic spiral into it for two or three bucks. But do the paper tape repair thing to each page first, so the new binding has something to grab onto.

Or you can get a new one.