Hybrid Project ~ Gratitude Journals

Friday, November 16, 2012

Hi everyone!  This is Lindsay here with my very first Shabby Shoppe blog post ever!  And not only is it my very first Shoppe blog post, it is my first blogging experience too!  And if that wasn’t pressure enough – wait for it – this is also my very first attempt at a hybrid project!  Whoa!  But good news – this little project was so quick and easy, even a first timer like me had no problems with it!  So here’s today’s project – the Gratitude Journal!

Before I had kids I used to love journaling.  Now if I have a spare moment, there are more productive things I can be doing.  But I do miss spending that time writing and processing my thoughts, and I always enjoyed going back and rereading the things I wrote and remembering the things that had happened.  Now, I love Pinterest, and recently, during one of my spare moments I was (productively) perusing the site for some scrapbook inspiration.  I stumbled upon a cute little gratitude journal and I loved the idea behind it – every night before you go to bed, write down one thing you are thankful for or one good thing that happened during that day.  I thought it was awesome – and perfect for people who don’t have much time for journaling!  I decided I could surely make one for myself, and I did!  (Actually, they were so fast and fun, I made three!)

So, here are the quick and easy steps to make a gratitude journal (or three) of your very own!

First, gather your supplies.  I found these cute little journals at Michael’s craft store for a dollar a piece!  You also need some spray adhesive, your fabulous stash of digital scrapbook supplies from the Shabby Shoppe, scissors, and if you want, some cute stickers or other embellishments to add some 3-D flair to your journal!

Second, measure your journals.  Mine were 5×7, and one was 5×5.  In your scrapbboking software, create layouts for the front and the back of your journal.  Since my journal covers were very thin, I didn’t need to cover the edges, so the image size I created was exactly the size of the journal covers.  If you have edges that you need to cover by wrapping paper around, account for those measurements when creating your layouts.  The other thing I did was to make a thin strip for the spine of my journals.  This way I could cover the edges of my new paper covers, and add some extra pattern to my design.  I made my spine strip 1.5 inches wide - but yours obviously will depend on the size of journal you are working on!

Third, print out your designs and carefully cut them out.  Spray a thin layer of spray adhesive to the back cover of your journal first, and position your printed layout over it.  Do the same for the front, and finally, spray the strip of paper for along the journal’s spine and position it along the spine, pressing to seal.

Finally, add any fun 3-D embellishments you want!

There you have it!  With Thanksgiving right around the corner, what a perfect time to get in the habit of practicing an attitude of gratitude!  These would be so fun to put at everyone’s place at the Thanksgiving table as a little gift, or a quick, (cheap!) and easy handmade Christmas present to begin working on for the holiday season!  I hope you give these little journals a try, and if you do, I’d LOVE to see your creations in the Shoppe Gallery!

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my little project today – I’m so grateful that you did!!!  I hope you all have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday, when Casharina will announce the next LOTW!

LindsayHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 13 Comments