i always thought flattend out tin cans would make a cool cover for a notebook - shiny and bumpy!

This one is attractive:

http://cindy50.blogspot.com/2008/02/crafty-farmgirlaltered-book.html

Or here is a tutorial about how to use those flattened tin cans for this purpose, too:

http://wisearts.com/2008/06/03/recycled-tin-covered-book-tutorial/

in the forums of threadbanger.com, i read that someone saved all her notes and papers from class and at the end of the year she bound them all and pasted things in, etc…

http://www.instructables.com/id/Totally-Recycled-NOTEBOOK/?ALLSTEPS this has a good basic recipe. I made one of two giant brown paper bags, and used only the bag, and bit of glue to make it (about a5 size, and the paper handle keeps it together).

I used to work in an internet computer book store/warehouse, and nearly every shipment of books that came into the warehouse from the computer book publisher was topped off with 2 uncovered, perfectly beautiful book covers- the nice square inside boards. Of course, my co-workers were throwing them in the trash, but I saved a hundred of them with the idea that I will make my own book covers or something else with them.
If there is a similar discount book warehouse, they may be willing to save some for you if you ask them.

Use old greeting cards for covers.
I use an old Christmas card every year to make a notebook of reminders for Christmas pressies, preparation, shopping, guest lists etc:

this is cool! i made a bag that is out of a hard covered book!!!! its sooo easy!!! you just take all of the pages of a book and sew some fabric on the sides, and make/buy a handle and hot glue it on!!! it was fun