Creating a DIY Scrapbook for Trash: A Guide on Beginning a Trash Journal
Creating altered scrapbooks and junk journals has become a popular and highly personal craft, allowing individuals to breathe new life into outdated atlases, watercolor notebooks, and even digital editing tools like PicMonkey. Here are some expert tips and techniques to help you get started:
### Tips for Creating Altered Scrapbooks and Junk Journals
1. **Utilize a Variety of Paper Materials for Texture and Interest** - Incorporate pages from outdated atlases to add vintage maps, intriguing visuals, and a thematic element to your pages. - Utilize watercolor notebooks' textured paper for hand-painted backgrounds or to add original artwork inside your journal. - Mix in scraps of brown paper, glassine envelopes, packaging, stamps, washi tapes, and collage clusters to build layers and depth.
2. **Create Functional and Decorative Elements** - Make pockets, tuck spots, and ruffle tabs using scrap paper or kraft/brown paper bags for interactive elements in your junk journal. These provide space for additional ephemera or hidden notes. - Try folding paper strips into ruffles or pleats and secure them with glue or hand stitching to add tactile and visual interest.
3. **Stitching and Hand Sewing** - If you don’t have a sewing machine, hand stitch details onto your paper elements. Use colorful threads like pale pink or contrasting colors to create attractive embellishments and a handmade feel.
4. **Image Editing and Printing with PicMonkey** - Edit photos or scanned images of ephemera and artwork digitally before printing them to fit your journal’s color scheme and style. PicMonkey allows you to adjust colors, add filters, crop, and overlay text or patterns, helping unify diverse materials into a cohesive aesthetic. - Use PicMonkey to create custom journal elements like journal cards, tags, or backgrounds that can be printed and incorporated physically.
5. **Collaging and Layering** - Use collage clusters made from scraps, stamps, washi tapes, and paper offcuts to decorate pages. Collage adds eclectic charm and enriches the journal’s visual texture. - Balance translucent elements like glassine envelopes with opaque papers for a mixed-media effect.
6. **Upcycling and Personalization** - Alter old books, empty notebooks, or composition books by adding your own pages, pockets, and embellishments to construct unique junk journals. - Each altered book can be themed (travel, nature, memories) with your choice of paper and embellishments.
### Materials and Techniques Summary
| Material/Tool | Tips for Use | Effect/Benefit | |------------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------| | Outdated Atlases | Use map pages as backgrounds or accents | Vintage, travel vibe | | Watercolor Notebooks | Paint backgrounds or create painted inserts | Unique texture and original art | | Brown Paper/Kraft Bags | Make pockets, folded ruffle tabs, tuck spots | Adds rustic charm and functionality| | PicMonkey | Edit and customize images before printing | Cohesive design and personalized elements | | Sewing/Hand Stitching | Add hand-stitched tabs or details | Handmade, detailed embellishment | | Scrap Papers/Washi Tape| Layer and collage for depth | Eclectic, artistic appeal |
By experimenting with layering, different materials, and digital editing, you can personalize your creations fully and transform ordinary books and paper scraps into richly textured, meaningful altered scrapbooks and junk journals. Happy crafting!
Incorporate home-and-garden items, like outdated atlases and watercolor notebooks, into your creativity endeavors to breathe new life into altered scrapbooks and junk journals, enhancing their vintage aesthetics. Employ digital editing tools like PicMonkey to further customize and unify your handmade creations with personalized elements, making your lifestyle statement through home-and-garden crafts.
