Free Printable Recipe Binder. Use these free printables to set up your recipe binder with page protectors and dividers.
Even in this digital age, I still prefer to have some things on paper. I use a paper planner, and when cooking in the kitchen, I like to have my recipes printed out rather than look at them on my phone.
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How to Assemble a Recipe Binder
Today, I am sharing my free printables so you can set up a DIY recipe binder for all your printed recipes.
Supplies:
- 3-Ring Binder (1-2″ size*)
- Plastic Page Dividers
- Plastic Page Protectors
- Label Maker and Labels (optional)
- Free Recipe Printables (see below)
*I don’t recommend getting a binder over 2″, as it becomes very bulky and heavy. If you have a lot of recipes, you can create multiple 1″ binders for different categories.
Add Cover and Spine to Binder
Print out the free recipe binder printables (find them at the bottom of this post). I created a recipe cover and spine to add to your blank binder. I like to add a cover page to both the front and back of the binder.
Depending on the size of your binder, I have included three size spines for you.
- 1″
- 1 1/2″
- 2″
Use a paper trimmer or scissors to cut the binder spine out and then add it to the binder.
It helps to lay the binder flat to get the spine in.
Gather and sort All Your Printed Recipes
Over the years, I have collected many recipes. Some I have printed out from online recipes, and some I have torn out of magazines.
You can also make copies of favorites from cookbooks to have all your most beloved recipes in one place.
Go through all your recipes and keep only the ones you love or want to try. Be ruthless.
Note: If I find a recipe online, I typically try it once before printing it out. That way, if my family doesn’t like it or it doesn’t turn out as delicious as I expected, I can avoid printing it. I also delete it from Pinterest if I have it saved there.
Once you know how many recipes you have, you can choose which size binder fits them best.
Recipe Binder Categories
Sort the recipes into categories. Choose categories that make sense for you and your family.
Helpful tip: I use Post-It notes to sort categories to know where to put each item as I sort.
Below are some recipe binder category ideas to help you get started. The ones in bold are included in the free printable below.
- Appetizers
- Breakfast
- Soups & Salads
- Sides
- Vegetables
- Main Dishes
- Chicken or Poultry
- Beef
- Pork
- Seafood or Fish & Shellfish
- Vegetarian/Meatless
- Desserts
- Cookies
- Cakes
- Pies
- Candy
- Beverages
- Bread
- Pasta
- Rice, Grains, & Beans
- Sauces
- Lunch
- Holiday
- Snacks
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Grilling
Add one category label to each page protector divider.
You will know how many dividers you need based on how many categories you sorted your recipes into.
To make it easier, dividers are easily found in packs of 5, 8, or 12. So keep that in mind while deciding what categories to use.
RELATED: More Meal Planning Tips
Create Labels for DIVIDERS
You can write the labels on or use a label maker. I always prefer a label maker or printable labels because it looks neater than my handwriting, but you can do whatever works best for you.
I purchased the plastic dividers from Avery, so I could go to avery.com/print to find the label and print them on my home computer.
If you don’t want to use the page protector dividers, you can also use folder dividers. Folder dividers are an excellent option for storing recipes until you can put them in page protectors.
Make sure that whatever divider option you choose, the tabs extend beyond a page protector.
How to Assemble the Recipe Binder
Once you have your dividers in place, start adding the recipes to the category to which they belong.
Place each recipe into a page protector. If your recipe page is single-sided, you can place two recipes per page protector, one facing the front and the other facing the back.
Helpful tip: if you have a recipe smaller than the page protector, slip a blank piece of paper behind it to make it easier to see.
Now, enjoy your organized recipes and have fun cooking!
Printer Recommendation
My favorite printer for printing my free printables is the HP Envy Photo All-In-One with HP Instant Ink. I have used these printers for years and always get great results.
Amazon: White Cardstock
Walmart: Regular Printer Paper
Download Free Printable Recipe Binder
Download: Recipe Binder
This download is for personal use only. Do not share the direct link to the .pdf/.jpg file. When sharing, please link back to the original post.
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