Vintage Journals

This post is similar to another post I wrote about decoupaging composition books (you can read that HERE). But these journals are made with inexpensive hard cover journals that you can find a number of places: dollar stores, dollar bins at Target and craft stores. 

I found these journals clearanced at Michael's. They were already cute, but giving someone a journal with the letter 'C' on it doesn't make sense unless their name starts with a 'C.' And I think decoupaging them with vintage book pages turns them from cute to unique.

I started by decoupaging a page on the spine of the book and letting it dry thoroughly. (For those who've never decoupaged: Decoupage is like a thin glue. I applied it to the surface of the book and carefully smoothed the page onto it. After the surface had dried completely, I put several coats of decoupage on top of the page so it was well covered/coated, letting it dry well between coats. Decoupage is supposed to seal the product, but I recommend you use a spray sealer afterward if it's a craft that will get a lot of use or be displayed in your home because decoupage can get tacky in these situations. But I didn't put an additional sealer on these journals.) 

 

Then I put a page on front and back...this photo shows the journals in various stages, all drying. The size of these journals was perfect for the page size of my Castellian dictionary that I've used for a number of my decoupage projects (word bookmarks). 

 I bought this dictionary very cheaply because it was falling apart, but it has been wonderful for decoupaging. If you don't care about a vintage look, a modern dictionary would also serve this purpose.

These journals were a perfect gift for writer friends at a mini-retreat I held at my house. 

I hope this will give you some inspiration for making decoupage journals, and I'd love to hear your comments. I'd also love to have you check out my home page which features 1-Minute devotions. If you'd like "an espresso shot of Scripture in your morning coffee," please sign up for a free subscription. Thanks!