DIY Easy Handmade Journal

Are you eager to get into the habit of journaling but don’t want to spend money on costly journals available at stores? We have a solution for you. A DIY journal is just what you need to begin your writing endeavors! In this article, we will show you how you can make a journal and give yourself a tool to support your personal growth and creativity. Though you will need a few supplies to make a journal by yourself, it is most likely that you will already have them at home. So, let’s get started!

Here are some reasons why making a DIY journal is better than buying a store-bought one:

  • A DIY journal allows you to personalize and customize the pages. 
  • It is a cost-effective way to start journal writing.
  • It gives you a creative outlet where you can put your thoughts and ideas on paper. 
  • It supports self-expression and gives you a chance for self-reflection. 
  • It allows you to repurpose old, unused paper and other materials lying around at home. 

Things you’ll need:

  • Thick cardstock
  • Blank white paper
  • Acrylic paints
  • Paintbrushes
  • Black marker
  • Craft jewels
  • Binder clip
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Glue

Steps to follow:

First things first! Get yourself all the supplies mentioned in the list provided. If you have a set of acrylic colors, well and good. If not, buy the colors used in this project or a few of your choice. However, make sure you don’t miss out on buying the white acrylic paint. You’ll need it, for sure!

Take around 15-20 A4-sized sheets of blank white paper. These will form the pages of your journal. Now, pick one of those sheets and fold it in half.  

Fold the other sheets of paper in the same way. You will now have a bunch of pages that you can turn into a journal. 

Gather the folded sheets of paper and hold them in place using a binder clip. Make sure all sheets align accurately. The same way you would find in a notebook!

Use another sheet of white paper, fold it, and cut it in half. Keep the two pieces aside so you can use them in the following steps. 

Next, pick up the bundle of paper held by the binder clip and apply a generous amount of glue to the spine area. 

Use an old paintbrush to evenly spread glue on the spine area so that the pages bind together properly. 

To hold all the sheets together, pick one half of the white sheet we cut out earlier and spread glue all over it. Again, use a paintbrush for spreading and save your fingers from the mess. 

Place the spine of the glued paper booklet right in the middle of the white sheet and wrap it over on both sides—front and back. 

Keep the booklet aside. Now, use the second half of white paper to cut thick cardstock or an old book cover.

Place the white sheet on top of the thick cardstock and use a marker and a ruler to mark its size. 

Use a scissor to cut it out. 

Take the cutout and mark another thick sheet to obtain a second cutout. These two pieces of thick cardstock will be used to form the cover of your journal. 

To assemble the cover, start by applying glue to the front of the booklet. 

Spread it all over and paste one piece of cardstock on it. See that all edges are in proper alignment. 

Repeat the same with the second piece of cardstock. Apply glue to the back of the booklet and fix the cardstock to it securely. 

Once the front and back covers dry out, move on to the next step. 

Take a fresh paintbrush, not the one you have been using for gluing purposes, and start painting the cover with white acrylic paint. 

After you have finished coloring the front and back covers in white, allow the paint to dry. 

Repeat the same binding trick using a half-white A4 sheet as you did earlier. 

Apply glue to the sheet and spread it lightly to form a thin layer of glue all over. 

Take the white booklet and wrap the glued paper around its spine. 

While doing so, check that you place the booklet right in the middle of the glued sheet so you have equal sized paper wrapped around the front and back of the booklet.  

Now it’s time to decorate and personalize your journal! Use your favorite colors to make colorful cloud-like shapes on the outer side of the front cover. 

Cover the entire area with cloud-like shapes. Now use a black marker to form flowers on all these shapes. See the above image for reference. 

Also, add a few green leaves here and there to complete the beautiful design. 

When the design is dry, give a title to your journal. We have written “Handmade Journal” on ours. You can write anything of your choice. Try experimenting with different fonts on a separate piece of paper and use the one that you like the most.

Lastly, add some fancy craft jewels to the cover to elevate the overall look of your journal. 

That’s it! See how beautiful this journal has turned out to be! We’re sure yours, too, is nothing less than fantastic!

You can now use this journal to write your ideas, share your thoughts, and pen anything and everything that comes to your mind.

All you need to do is create interesting backgrounds and designs on every page, or keep it simple if you want, and write away!

Here we have created a page highlighting the goals of the month and things to remember in the month of March. By merely using some colored pens, markers, and washi tape, you can create something similar in your journal too!

Journaling is fun. So use your creativity and design beautiful pages in your journal that highlight all about YOU!

1. Bullet Journaling

This is all about using elements and symbols to create a monthly, weekly, and daily plan layout. You don’t need any artistic skills to try bullet journaling. Just jot down your points, and you’re good to go. Bullet journaling is also great for tracking your goals and habits. 

2. Art Journaling

This type of journaling is more about self-expression and can be a great creative expression activity. You can draw, paint, or make a collage and combine it with writing about your experiences, thoughts, and emotions. You don’t need to be an expert artist for art journaling. Just set yourself free, as there are no rules to it, and enjoy the space to express yourself. 

3. Written Journaling

This style of journaling requires you to write your heart out. You can either pen your thoughts straight away or use self-reflection journal prompts on days when you don’t know what to write. Written journaling is a safe outlet where you can express yourself without guilt or pressure. Practicing journal writing improves your mental well-being, provides you with a creative outlet, and allows you to document your daily life. 

Journaling is a wonderful practice for kids as well as adults. If you’re new to journaling, it is best to make a personalized DIY journal for yourself so that it inspires you to stay consistent with journaling. You can later make a DIY notebook planner too! 

The best way to maintain consistency is to allot a specific time for it in your daily schedule and stick to it every day. Once you get into the habit of journaling, you will for sure enjoy its benefits in the long run. So, don’t wait until January to start this routine, and make yourself a cool journal today!

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