I’m super excited today to announce the newest course coming soon to Mixed Media Art Journey– one that will walk you through the process of creating your own DIY journal!
I’ll be starting with the Travelers Notebook style, also called a “TN” (for short) or a “fauxdori” because it’s based on the Midori brand of travelers notebooks. To be honest, I am amazed that this binding style isn’t already a bigger deal in the art & junk journaling community, but it is a secret hidden in the planner-addict community.
Of all the bookbinding methods I’ve learned, this is my favorite because you can include a variety of paper types for your signatures, you can do this with no sewing or stapling required, and you can let go of that “I don’t want to mess this book up” feat of commitment.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here!
Here are the supplies you’ll need to get started, with (affiliate, of course) links on Amazon:
- A measuring tool. A ruler will work. A 12″x12″ or larger cutting mat is best!
- A cutting tool. An Exacto knife, scalpel, or box cutter will work. A 12″ or larger paper cutter is best!
- Paper. Choose what you want to use!
-
- Plain copy paper & graph paper are versatile and can be used in a number of ways!
- Mixed Media paper, manilla (file folders & tags), and watercolor paper are recommended for art journaling.
- “Whatever you can find laying around” is the way of junk journaling!
- Cover material (Recommended: a vinyl placemat from your local dollar store! You can also use leather, faux leather/vinyl, or laminated scrapbook paper.
- Something to punch holes with. An awl will work, and a thumb tack might even do the job. The optional tool I use is this Japanese screw punch— doesn’t that sound like a fancy cocktail?!
- Elastic cord. I recommend getting at least 2mm, because you want durable elastic, but you can also try this with “flimsier” elastic. (Such as what you’ll find in the local dollar store.)
Or click to download a PDF of the: DIY Journal Supplies Checklist
Also, here is a video where I walk through the supplies I’ll be using and explain in a little greater detail:
Stay tuned over the next few weeks for more on this course!