My Mom does that too...Scrappy bindings are very attractive!

I usually cut an extra strip, I use them to border my labels I sew onto the back.

Yes, I have used the phone books paper and you tear it off after you are done piecing. I didn't have any trouble with ink transferring. You can also use newspaper but it needs to be several weeks old to give time for the ink to set. I also use copy paper that has misprinted from my computer. I like to let it age a while too.

I would sew them together and make a scrap binding

Got this idea from a friend. She sewed the pieces together to make a long strip and then used it on other quilts. All the different colors around the edge is pretty.

Thank you for the wonderful idea, The phone book one is totally awesome. What a neat idea. The woven Rug, is beautiful, hmmm by a dooe way. ha. maybe kitchen sink. (smile) Thank you both for the idea.

I use an "anchor cloth" or "safety blanket" when I sew. This is a small folded piece of fabric which you sew off of when you start a seam and sew on to when you end a seam. It saves a LOT of thread. And you do not get those annoying "birds nests" on the back of your pieced block. A 2" wide piece of binding cut about 1 1/2" long makes a perfect anchor cloth.

save them all and make a binding quilt...that's what i'm doing

I press them out flat and use them to make 4 patches for use in charity quilts.

If you are using two and a half inch strips for binding you could press them and combine them with your jelly roll strips.