Thai leaves

The world has changed a lot since Lord Dodo first wrote, on the covers of the 1966 Dodo Pad, ‘If you too are nearly extinct from the pressures of life today, then try the Dodo Pad. After using your Dodo Pad for a year, you may find you’re not as extinct as all that.’ Today, not only do many face challenges to keep well physically and mentally, our world is also under immense pressure.

At Dodo Pad we believe in sustainability in all we do - we don’t want to go the way of the Dodo! We have eliminated plastic from the Dodo Pad and our latest 2023 Dodo Pad is carbon balanced printed on recycled coffee cup paper. All our paper products are vegan friendly. We offset the energy we use in our office and where we can we source and manufacture in the UK to give us control over the manufacturing process and keep our ‘diary miles’ as low as possible. 

We searched for a vegan leather cover, but all we found were plastic imitation leather, often made in mega-factories in China. When we discovered the small scale sustainably produced leaf leather notebooks of British based Jungley we were delighted.


Sustainability is as important to Jungely as it is to Dodo Pad

It is over a year since we first starting exploring with Jungley our own bespoke Dodo Pad leaf leather covers and the wait has been well worth it.

Teak leaves

The teak leaves used for leaf leather are durable and each has its own distinct pattern, meaning that every single cover is unique, is very tactile and gets better with wear and age.

The leaves are sustainably harvested in a rural region of Thailand. This provides a highly valued source of additional income for local villages. Gathering dry leaves from the forest floor also helps to prevent forest fires.

Local villagers gathering fallen teak leaves

Teak leaves have been used in Thailand for centuries as a sustainable source of material, in particular for roofing.

A typical rural teak leaf roof in Thailand. A bit like thatch in the UK!

Manufacture

The harvested teak leaves are dyed using natural dyes, rolled flat and dried. The leaves are then attached to sheets of thin cotton to create large pieces of material. This is then coated with a micro layer of eco-friendly latex film for added durability. Once dried, the material is ready to be made into objects.

Leaves being dampened prior to dyeing

Attached to a cotton backing and coated with eco-friendly latex, the leaf leather is ready to be worked

The material is then made into purses, wallets, make-up bags, passport holders and, very importantly, Dodo Pad covers. Cutting and stitching is done in small Thai workshops where all the workers are fairly paid.

Our covers are all made by hand 

Dodo Pad Covers

We have three colours of Leaf Leather Dodo Pad Covers - Purple, Pink and Sea Green. They are available in the same sizes as the Dodo Pad and Dodo Pad Notebooks - Desk, A5 and Mini.

Mini notebook in Sea Green Leaf Leather Cover sitting on an A5 and Desk cover

A Desk sized 2023 Dodo Pad already in it's Pink Leaf Leather Cover

Each cover is designed so that Dodo Pad covers can slot in easily

Which colour will you choose? Purple, Sea Green or Pink?

Each cover is waterproof, tear proof and very durable. The design is unique to Dodo Pad and is the same as our leather covers, the prefect fit for your diary or notebook. 

Tactile and beautiful, whether used year after year to keep your Dodo Pad diary or as a refillable notebook, these sustainable and fairly produced covers demonstrate that we can live well with our planet.  

Browse our range of Leaf Leather Covers