Hole punchers are commonly used to punch holes in paper for storing in three-ring binders and other types of folders. You can make a hole puncher able to accommodate one or three holes from plywood and roofing nails. Many home improvement stores will cut wood to your measurements for free if you purchase the piece of wood in their store. This is an inexpensive project that you can make in under an hour with minimal woodworking skills.
Place your plywood rectangle onto a table. Turn the rectangle, vertically, so the top and bottom measure 9 inches wide. The rectangle is slightly larger than a standard piece of paper measuring 8 ½ inches wide by 11 inches long.
Put your ruler on top of the left edge of the rectangle. Measure ½ inch up from the bottom edge of the rectangle. Draw a 1-inch horizontal line with a black marker. This will be a page guide.
Measure 1 inch up from the black horizontal line and 1 inch over from the left edge of the plywood. Make a mark with a marker. This is the bottom of three nail positions for the bottom hole on your homemade hole puncher.
Measure, from the black mark in Step 3, up toward the center 4 ¼ inches, and 1 inch from the left edge of the board. Make a mark with a black marker. This is the middle nail position for the middle hole.
Measure, from the black mark in Step 4, up toward the top left corner 4 ¼ inches and 1 inch from the left edge of the plywood board. Mark with a black marker. This is the top nail position for the top hole on your homemade hole puncher.
Hammer a roofing nail through each of the black marks on the plywood rectangle. Roofing nails, according to Sizes website, are diamond-pointed steel and have a flat head. This type of a nail is a very strong nail with a sharp, sturdy point.
Turn the rectangle over so the nails are pointing toward you. To punch three holes in your paper, align the bottom left corner of the paper on the black horizontal line. Align the left edge of your paper with the left edge of the plywood rectangle. Push the paper down on top of the nail, one nail at a time. To punch a single hole, hold your paper over one nail wherever you wish the hole to be on your paper and press down onto the sharp point of the nail.