How to Make Your Own Perforated Pages

Co-authored by Lois Wade

Last Updated: April 6, 2020

Do you need a custom perforated line for your scrapbook? Is your notebook's perforation line not ripping properly? Don't waste money on over-priced specialty paper - you can make perforated pages with most types of ordinary paper!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:
Hand Method

1
Place your sheet of paper on a Cutting Mat.
2
Place a ruler along the line you wish to perforate. (if the line is curved, you can cut a cardstock or plastic "guide" to use.)
3
Press the point of a large-headed Quilting Pin through the paper every 1/16th of an inch or less along your line.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:
Make a Tool - Method #1

1
Obtain a rotary pizza cutter.
2
Mark 5 degree increments along the outer edge with permanent marker.
3
File or grind away the edge between the marks using a Dremel bit or a hand file.
4
Leave small, sharp edges/points every 5 degrees.
5
Roll your tool along the line to be perforated.^{[2]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:
Make a Tool - Method #2

1
Obtain a rotary Pizza or Pastry cutter.
2
Mark 5 degree increments along the outer edge with Permanent Marker.
3
Place sewing pins in a radial pattern so that their points overlap the edge by approximately ¹⁄₄ inch (0.6 cm).
4
Attach the pins to the rotary cutter by one of the following methods:
- Superglue (will break of used on anything thicker than a single layer of construction paper)
- Spot Welding (Can last a very long time)
- Duct tape (can use only a few times on thin paper)
5
Roll your tool along the line to be perforated.^{[3]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:
Easy Method

1
Get a pattern tracing wheel and use it to draw a line across your paper.^{[4]
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2
The tracing wheel has small spikes on it, so it will make tiny holes on the line, making it easy to tear paper.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can this be purchased in Victoria, Australia?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

The rotary cutter and the tracing wheel are both items that can be purchased in a fabric store. The rotary cutters can vary in price, with brand names being more expensive. Most stores will carry a generic, less-expensive brand that will do the job. The tracing wheel is a dressmaking tool, and is the most efficient for making perforations. Scrapbooking sections of craft stores also carry a tool specifically for this task. It can be described as a "piercing tool" on the packaging.
Question

Couldn't we just use a protractor with a sewing needle stuck into a soft pencil or even a thumb tack? Just lift and poke as the angle gets smaller?

Kim G

Top Answerer

Yes. You can use any sharp, piercing instrument to perforate the page. And anything that helps you get the pattern you want.