DIY Journals

I love pretty journals but buying journals can get expensive quickly (especially if you have children who also love journals!)  Recently I was looking for Prayer Journals on Pinterest for my Moms & Tweens group.  While looking at the different journals, I decided to try a project of my own using supplies I already had on hand.

Supplies Needed:

• Composition Notebook (I bought about 20 of these when they went on clearance at Target after school started this fall.  My girls love to draw, write, and create so it was a cheap method of paper to keep them busy in the car and when they had the urge to be artistic!)
• Modge Podge (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby using a 40% of coupon for a different DIY project and had a lot left over)
• Paint Brush
• Scrapbook Paper (I cut mine in squares and rectangles, you could do any shape, or design you would like!)
• Scissors or Straight-Line Paper Cutter

Directions:

• Get your supplies out, cut some of your paper (mine were squares and rectangles) into the pieces you want to use for your journal.

• Apply Modge Podge with a paintbrush to the back of the scrapbook paper and place  it on the back of the journal.  I started with the back to get a feel of how I wanted to complete the journal before doing the front.  That worked well for me and I suggest you try that as well.
• I aligned my scrapbook paper with the composition notebook’s spine.  (I originally had planned on painting the spine but after searching didn’t have any paint that matched my paper.  Because I had decided to use items that I already had, I left it white.  I do think that paint would be a nice touch when you are finished decorating with the paper!) Continue applying paper pieces until the side is complete.  When you are finished, paint Modge Podge on top of decorated scrapbook paper to seal it all down and give it a nice glossy look.  Allow to dry completely before turning the notebook over to complete the front. 
  
• After the back side is dry, repeat the process on the front of the notebook.