Decorating Personal Journals with Scrap Supplies

Scrapbookers are a pretty sentimental bunch. Since we all put an emphasis on preserving memories, I wouldn't be surprised if many of you keep a personal journal as well as a scrapbook. Journaling can seem much more routine than scrapbooking -- perhaps you write a journal entry every night before you go to bed, or at least on a regular basis. But journaling really offers just as many creative opportunities as scrapbooking does, and you can use many of the same supplies and techniques you use for your scrapbooks in your personal journal.

Simple Ways to Start

If you've never done anything but write in your journal, an easy way to start becoming creative with your journaling is by adding photos to your journal entries. If you're a scrapbooker, chances are you take a lot of photos already, so why not try finding a few to illustrate what you've written about your day?

The easiest way to do this, if you have a computer and photo printer, is to print out small versions of your photos on not-too-heavy photo paper, cut them out, and adhere them to your journal page with your choice of adhesive.

Decorate your photos by using your scrapbooking supplies to mat your photo or create a frame around it. You could do this with your favorite patterned paper, your favorite pens, or even paint. Try using embellishments such as photo corners to accentuate your photo.

Adjusting for Limitations

There are a few limitations that you'll encounter when working within a journal instead of in a scrapbook. One of these is that, unlike in a scrapbook, there isn't room to expand for bulk. Another is that most journals have thinner pages than the cardstock you normally work with.

The best solution for the second problem, of course, is to pick a journal that has stiffer paper, or even use a small sketchbook. If you regularly embellish your journaling, you might decide to start a special journal for your embellished entries and keep your normal journal for simple pen-and-paper entries.

You can also create new, stronger pages within your journal. This can be done by first removing two consecutive pages with scissors, leaving about an inch margin near the binding. Cut a piece of cardstock to the size of your journal, and either staple or glue between the two pieces left of the original papers.

Removing pages from your journal might seem scary at first, but it can allow you to become more creative with your journal, and can be a very freeing experience. If you don't like what you've started on your journal page, allow yourself to remove it and start over again.

Removing pages is also a way to allow for bulk. If you're going to add bulky embellishments on a page, first remove a couple pages before it to give the embellishments room. Leave about an inch of each page as described above, in case you later decide you'd like to attach another page in this place. You can also decorate the slivers of paper to add a unique accent.

Adding to Your Journal

In the same way that you added a cardstock page before, you can add a variety of different pages to your journal. For instance, insert a page of patterned paper, or use this method to include a piece of ephemera like a ticket stub. What you attach into your journal doesn't have to be shaped like your journal and doesn't have to be as big as it, either. Feel free to experiment.

Experimenting with Penmanship

You probably already have quite a collection of different pens and markers, and there's no reason why you shouldn't try using them in your journal. The first step is to move away from using boring blue or black pens and try using a rainbow of colors. Here's a list of ways to spice up your writing:

• Highlight certain words in your journaling that you want to emphasize.
  
  
• Start your journal entry with a colorful title. Use subheadings in different colors to break up different parts to your entry, the way they do in magazines (or in articles like this one).
  
  
• Take another tip from magazines and start your entry with a large, decorated capital letter. You could also break out your rubber stamps to do this.
  
  
• Try writing in a different font. Print out what you'd like to write on your computer in a unique font, and then trace it into your journal using a window or a light box. There are also entire books on hand-lettering, if you decide this is something you really enjoy.

Breaking the Rules

If you're very careful about using only archival and acid-free materials in your scrapbook, look at your personal journal as an opportunity to "break the rules" and try things you'd worry about doing in your scrapbook. Try using pens and inks that aren't archival, or papers and adhesives that you're worried about including in your scrapbook.

Another way to look at your journal is as your place to practice and make mistakes. If you can allow yourself less pressure when you journal, you'll find it feels very freeing in terms of your creativity, and you'll have the guts to try things you've been worried about. Your journal is probably a more private place than your scrapbook, so you don't have to worry about people seeing your mistakes.

Your personal journal is a place waiting to be discovered by your creative side. Remember this: there really isn't anything that you do in your scrapbook that you can't also try in your personal journal. Your journal is also a great place to try out new techniques or supplies that you're worried about using in your scrapbook. Try decorating a few of your journal pages, and soon it might be just as beautiful as your scrapbooks.

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