DIY Handmade Paper Journal
I love these DIY handmade paper journals. I go through a lot of journals. Seriously a lot.
Between all the things I'm planning, recording, doodling, and keeping track of...plus the fact that I need multiple journals around the house because I inevitably can't find that one I want at that moment....I can use about 20 of these.
You can whip up one of these DIY paper journals in just a few minutes, and you only need a few supplies.
As long as you have a sewing machine and the most very basic of sewing skills, you can make these journals in just a few minutes and for pennies a piece.
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How to Make a DIY Handmade Paper Journal
This is the super simplest way to make a handmade paper journal (or...you know...make 50 of them).
All you need is some paper, some pretty cardstock, and a sewing machine.
Materials Needed
- a sewing machine
- 8.5 x 11 inch paper
- card stock (you can get the most gorgeous card stock here)
Instructions for Making a DIY Paper Journal
Here the steps for making your handmade paper journal:
- Get yourself some paper. Regular 8.5 x 11 inch sheets are best.
- Find some card stock. You can buy the 8.5 x 11 inch pieces, or you can buy the gorgeous 12 x 12 sheets and cut them to meet your needs.
I bought the llama sheets and I am so in love with them. Like I want to make a hundred of these and give them to everyone I know kind of in love with them.
If you use the 12 x 12 sheets, you'll have a bit of a border on your journals. You'll have about 1 inch borders (where your cover is larger than your sheets inside). I like this layout best.
If you use the regular 8.5 x 11 cardstock sheets, your cover and your paper will be the same size. This also works well. It's really about finding the cardstock that you like best.
I got a pack of shiny gold cardstock for my kids (6 year old boys) and they each asked me to make them "as many books as you can".
- Take 10 sheets of paper and fold them in half. I've found that 10 sheets is that sweet spot between a journal that's too small and a journal so thick that I'm afraid it might break my sewing machine.
You can get away with 15 sheets of paper - though my sewing machine complained at that. Any more and you'll need a heavy duty sewing needle.
- Fold your cardstock in half.
- Line up the paper sheets with the cardstock.
- Sew all the way down the fold in the middle.
- Done. DIY handmade paper journal. Hooray! Now go make 49 more. (Or is that just me?)
Rebecca is a chaplain at a girls’ school, a mom to boys, and a crafter of all things. She crochets in every free moment she has, and she spends much of her time gluing cotton balls to toilet paper rolls and mopping up glitter.
