Art journaling is one of my recent passions. I just love the simple act of creating every day. Think of it like a diary, a place where you can pour out your heart and soul. Where you can put onto a page some of the things you simply can’t form into words.
I’ve created pages that are simply blue with white splotches all over them, representing tears or a particularly sad day. Then I’ve added in pictures, prayers, intentions for change, and even trinkets of remembrance. My journal pages give insight to my feelings and how I am coping with them. They are sometimes carefree and colorful, and other times intensely personal.
On these pages is a place to simply be me
But soon the paper runs out and I am in need of another book. What better way to replace those journals and be green at the same time than to create your own from all of those boxes that would normally go into the recycling bin!
Taking care of our world is important to God. Recycling, Reducing and reusing when possible. This is one of those times.
The only supplies you will need for this project are boxes from your favorite brands (cereal, poptarts, oatmeal etc) ductape, a cutting mat, metal ruler and a sharp utility knife.
- Assemble the boxes you would like to use.
2. Cut down the folds of your boxes so that they lay flat. Do this on a cutting mat to protect the surfaces in your home. Then cut the panels apart and stack.
You want all of your pages to be the same height, but they don’t necessarily have to be the same width. Check out which ones are the shortest in your stack – that will be the height of your book. Cut the remaining panels to that height and stack again.
3. Choose the two widest pieces and use those as the front and back cover. Leave them in a stack as this will be the easiest way to work your way through and keep them all in the right order.
4. Ductape the pages together. Open up the first page and keep the ends close to each other. This is probably the hardest part. You want them to be touching. Once the ductape is on – it’s on! You may need to place a magazine or book under the cover to lift it to the same level as the rest of your stack depending on how many pages you are doing, and also their thickness. I chose pretty thick cardboard, this was a necessary step for the front and back covers for me.
Tape the ends of the book to create your binding. After the pages are all put together, fold all of the pages back into a stack. On the outside end, place a piece of tape along the binding. You may need two depending on the thickness of your stack, but more often than not, one will do it!
5. Your book is now ready for paint, paper, or whatever else you would like to do to it. I like to gesso my pages to prime them, and then paint backgrounds, collage with paper, or even just start journaling on the cardboard sides of the pages.
This is a unique way to use up the recycling bin fodder, and would even be a great gift for a child to explore with paint on. The ductape is especially durable and there are some really beautiful designs beyond the original silver. I visit the dollar store whenever possible, and have made a few books from that $1 roll.
Happy Creating!
Creative Soul-Journs 