Hey There,

It’s time to get crafty. Do you keep an art journal? If you do, grab it, and let’s get to work. You can do a little upcycled art journaling with me if you like upcycling and repurposing. But of course, you can use new supplies as well.

Don’t be afraid to start

Maybe you are intimated to start an art or junk journal because you think you need all the correct papers and punches and inks and stamps. Perhaps like me, you are worried that you can’t draw or paint well enough. Well, I am here to tell you that you don’t need that stuff to create pages that you will enjoy making and looking at in the years to come.

I don’t work on my art journal all that often. In fact, it has been a couple of years since I finished a page. So clearly, I am not an expert in art journals, but you don’t have to be an expert to love art journaling. You just have to give it a try, and you could get hooked.

When I work on a page, I try to get out all the stuff I might need. But, as you can see, I don’t have a lot of formal scrapbooking supplies.

Advertising Disclosure: Upcycle Design Lab may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services or your clicking on links posted on this website.

Need some inspiration?

Maybe you are reluctant to start an art journal because you don’t have the right “idea.” So if you need some inspiration, start with anything, and I mean anything you love. It can be a memory, a scrap of beautiful fabric, a quote, a person, an activity, or even a craft tool or supply that you haven’t used in a while. Then take that thing and start representing it on the page.

Or you can work on backgrounds for your journal. Watch some YouTube videos and try to copy some techniques.

If all else fails, just do some preliminary work. Cut out some images that you like from magazines research quotes from people you admire. If you are using a recycled book like I am, you can remove and glue pages together to be ready when inspiration strikes.

It’s great if you have a plan, but you don’t have to have one. You can just start and see where the page takes you.

Still need a dose of courage?

I will show you my most recent scrapbook/art journal page in a minute, and I assure you that it does not look like the beautiful art journals you find in a typical google search. Don’t get me wrong. I want to make more professional, beautiful pages, but you have to start where you are with the skills you have.

My drawing skills are abysmal, page layout skills non-existent, and my sense of proportion is quite anemic. But I love to create, and I do have an overactive imagination. My page is too cluttered, too colorful, too much. But it is cheerful. It has secured a place for some sentimental photographs, and I will look back at it and smile.

And while I am not encouraging you to compare your work to others, I am offering my pages as an example of non-award-winning work that I still had the pleasure of making and will enjoy looking at in the future.

So get the craft supplies available to you and get to play.

Rules of the road

Here is the only rule you need to know about art Journaling. There are no rules. The experience and the results are for you. Of course you can share what you make, but it is entirely up to you to share them or not. Remember, it is the experience of making the pages, the creativity spilling out of you. That is what matters.

I encourage you to watch and learn from other, more talented artists and hone your skills, but don’t compare yourself to them, and remember that no matter what you make, you will see flaws. Don’t be overly critical. Just learn, experiment, and enjoy.

I don’t do a lot of art Journaling, and I certainly can’t draw my way out of a paper bag. However, some of my pages turn out better than others. And from time to time, I thoroughly enjoy creating a new page or part of a page and also revisiting the pages I have completed.

If you would like to tour the pages I have completed, you can watch the video at the top of this post.

My newest art journal page

My most recent page started with some house paint and some melted crayons. I loved the bright colors, and it was fun to experiment with the crayons.

I had some photos from an old calendar that I made several years ago that I wanted to save. But perhaps I should have known better. I like a lot of colors. However…..Well….. Yikes!

Anyway, I started gluing and experimenting.

I can tell already that this will not be my best page, but I like the bright colors, and the photos have sentimental value. So I keep going.

And then, because I am stubborn, I went and made it even more crazy! It kind of assaults you with color. Sorry about that.

Hey but it is cheerful. Right?

Anyhow, you don’t have to like my art journal. You just have to get to work on your own. 🙂🙃🙂

I know you will enjoy it if you let go and just create! Mess up some pages. Get some paint on your fingers. Experiment with some of your craft supplies.

I am thinking of nameing it “Dance of the seasick unicorns.” What do you think?

Happy Upcycling,

Cindy

Here are some other posts you might enjoy.

Mod Podge vs. Homemade

How to make custom decoupage on napkins

How to make tin can earrings

Advertising Disclosure: Upcycle Design Lab may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services or your clicking on links posted on this website.

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