photo by Adactio

By the time you read this I’ll be in Madrid. Hopefully enjoying a nice cafe con leche and a tortilla.

I’m trying out a new journaling technique on this trip. Two, actually.

The first one is a postcard journal. I’m going to buy postcards and make my journaling notes on them. When I get back home I’ll bind them together.

The second one is a photo journal of all of the food I eat and the cafe con leche I drink. I’m going to take a photo of everything I eat on this trip.

I’ll show you the finished products when I’m get home. Until then, I’m going to enjoy Madrid and Granada!

We’re going to kick off 2008 with a new series: DIY Journals in 30 minutes or Less!

These tutorials demonstrate how to construct a basic, yet creative, journal — in less than a half an hour*.

We’re going to start with a nifty little Photo Journal. The journal you see below took me about 15 minutes to make, not including drying time.

Supply List

• two photos (for the front/back cover)
• paper (thinner seems to work better with this one)
• ruler
• wax paper
• glue (craft glue, Elmer’s glue, whatever)
• cheap paint brush
• heavy books (e.g. German dictionaries)
• wide ribbon

optional: paper cutter or scissors

Instructions
Cut pages. Glue covers and pages together. Attach ribbon to cover spine. Start writing!

For better instructions watch this great video tutorial on Photojojo. You can also check out how I created my little 18-page journal.

Assessment
Pros:

• Quick and easy to make
• Inexpensive — I already possessed the necessary materials he paper around the house (I bought the paper from Michael’s for $1).
• Great way to use old photos
• You can make it any size you want

Cons:

• More than 18 pages would take much longer to make
• Paper edges aren’t uniform/smooth
• Not as sturdy as I’d like – I worry that the pages will fall out

Final Word
My journal turned out well for a first try, and I had fun making it. I always carry a small journal in my purse so when I fill the one I currently have, I’ll give my flower photo journal a try.

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