Tired of rummaging through overflowing recipe boxes or losing cherished family recipes? It’s time to ditch the chaos and create a beautiful and organized recipe binder that’s a joy to use. This DIY project will not only help you declutter your kitchen but also provide a stylish and functional way to store and access your favorite recipes.

 Organizing recipes into simple, easy-to-use binders has been a game changer in my kitchen. Now, my favorite recipes are always within reach, and no more mess from spilled soy sauce on my keyboard! If this sounds like the perfect system for you, here’s how to do it:

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MAKING A RECIPE BINDER

• Sort Through Your Existing Recipes:
  • Be honest with yourself. If you know you won’t make a recipe (like that fancy four-tiered coconut cake), remove it. Keep sentimental recipes in a separate place.
• Print Online Favorites:
  • Do you frequently visit the same recipe websites? Print your favorites. I even print out recipes from my own blog.
• Copy Cookbook Recipes:
  • Want to declutter your cookbook collection? Copy the recipes you love and pass the books along to others.
• Use Protective Sleeves:
  • Store your recipes in plastic sheet protectors to prevent spills and stains. Full-sized sleeves work great for printed recipes, while divided sleeves are perfect for recipe cards.
• Create Logical Categories:
  • Organize your recipes in a way that makes sense for your family. Categories could include “meatless,” “fish,” “pasta,” or “appetizers,” “soups,” and “main dishes.” Don’t forget a “recipes to try” category for new dishes you want to test.
• Choose Your Binders:
  • You’ll need at least one 2-inch binder for cooking, and another for baking. If you prefer, use smaller binders for narrower categories, such as one for “beef recipes” and another for “pasta dishes.”
• Use Wider Dividers:
  • Standard dividers may be too narrow to see the tabs clearly. I recommend wider dividers for better organization.
• Maintain Your Binder:
  • Periodically edit your binder by removing recipes you no longer use. Keep only those that you actually love and make often. As you discover new favorites, add them to the binder, but make sure you’ve tried them at least twice to be sure they’re keepers.

SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED

• Heavy-Duty Binder: A 2-inch binder works well.
• Sheet Protectors (Full Sheet Size & Recipe Card Size): For protecting recipes.
• Wide Dividers with Tabs: To easily find your categories.

BONUS TIP: PLAN YOUR MEALS

• If you want to take it a step further, try using a meal planning system. It helps you plan meals for the week and create a shopping list in one go.

By following these steps, you’ll have a binder full of recipes you love, organized and protected, making meal prep a breeze!