Setting Up a Midori Traveler’s Notebook: A Guide (2021)

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE

I remember being fascinated by a Traveler’s Notebook many moons ago when I saw it on a mutual’s feed. She was doing a flip through of her completed journal and I was mesmerised by the combination of papers, stickers and holiday memorabilia to create something so beautiful that you could always look back on.

If you’ve had the chance to visit any Traveler’s Factory stores in Japan, you’ll know what I mean when I say it’s paradise. It was the first thing on my to-do list after getting off the shinkansen at Tokyo Station. I had gullibly told my partner that I would only spend half an hour browsing. I took 2.

Trust me when I say it’s hard to resist all the limited edition refills and trinkets. I spent much of the time stamping too! The essence of a Traveler’s Notebook is to enable you to pick what you love and turn it into one travel-friendly notebook. That is why the notebook has been so popular with all kinds of journaling: bullet, travel, food and more.

If you own your Traveler’s notebook but are unsure about how to use it, here’s a guide about the know-hows of setting up your own journal along with their signature products!

ABOUT TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK

The Traveler’s Notebook is a chock full of customisation so how do you set up a Traveler’s Notebook? Each notebook was designed to be unique to everyone and you can’t get more one-of-a-kind than that with every single leather cover aging differently from the other.

Leather Cover

This is the base of your Traveler’s Notebook and it comes in 4 standard colours, with Camel being one our most popular colours (It’s always sold out once replenished). Each cover is unique to a user due to the nature of the leather and comes with a band to secure your cover and refills. Available in Regular and Passport sizes.

Notebook Refill

This is where all your thoughts, memories and photos go! The refills comes in a variety of types ranging from dotted, blank and grid for those who like more freedom in their writing and sketching. For those who prefer a more organised notebook, choose from the monthly or weekly refills. Available in Regular and Passport sizes.

Rubber Band

This is a must have to me. It comes in very handy when you have multiple notebooks you want attached to your leather cover. I still have my pack of 8 spare bands with me and they certainly came very useful after I lugged a bunch of refills from my visit to the Tokyo Station Traveler’s Factory outlet. Plus! It comes in all sorts of colours so that you can mix it up.

Embellishments & More

Besides notebook refills, Traveler’s Company also offers a variety of novelties like sticker sheets, plastic sheets, sticky notes and more. There are also non-paper refills like zipper cases and card files. These additional options allow you to decorate and customise your notebook further. Your photos and keepsakes are all stored safely too!

Metal Trinkets

These little trinkets are not a must-have but they’re hard to resist. They come in mostly travel-themed motifs and the brass look matches the other brass made products in the Traveler’s Company collection. It’s a nice little touch to your notebooks and I like using mine as little representatives of the holiday I had. You can even use your own trinkets to make it special!

Brass Products

The brass range complements the earth tones of the main collection and make good solid and durable additions to your journal. In this brass range you can find the Traveler’s Company writing tools, clips and more. While most of the products from this range are heavy in weight, they make up for it by being pocket and travel friendly sized!

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SETTING UP A NOTEBOOK

How to start a Traveler’s Notebook is simple and setting up your Traveler’s can be done in these 3 steps.

STEP 1: ADDING REFILLS INTO THE LEATHER COVER

The notebook(s) are held together with the band in the centre. For a single notebook, simply slide it under the band. If you have more than 2 notebooks you’ll need additional bands to bind those together before sliding them under the main band.

STEP 2: ADDING IN EMBELLISHMENTS

The process follows step 1 where you slot it in under the centre band. If you have multiple notebooks, you may also add it between the 2. These additions allow you to better organise and store your smaller keepsakes like tickets and photos.

STEP 3: ADDING A TRINKET OR TWO OR THREE!

To add a trinket, you’ll need to untie the rubber band attached to the leather cover. After, you simply just thread the trinket through the band. Re-tie the band and you’re done!

For a visual guide, watch: Guide to Setting Up a Traveler’s Notebook

CONCLUSION

While we might not be able to travel now, you can still get a little bit of Heaven here in our Traveler’s Notebook corner in the Cityluxe Workroom. If you’re already a long-time user of Traveler’s Notebook, tell me what your first experience with it was! If you’ve just beginning to get into the hobby, what will you be using your notebook for?

Check out:

Traveler’s Factory Nakameguro (Flagship Store)

Traveler’s Factory Tokyo Station

Traveler’s Factory Kyoto

Traveler’s Factory Narita