Make Your Own Travel Journal

Make Your Own Travel Journal
This cute little travel journal is made from blank greeting cards and the World Traveler Scrap Pack from My Porch Prints on Etsy.

Get the World Traveler Scrap Pack from My Porch Prints on Etsy

To Begin
To begin, you'll need to make a journal from blank cards. You can learn how to do that here.

Cut Out Pieces
Once your journal is complete, print out your World Traveler Scrap Pack and cut out the elements & envelopes. I cut each 8.5x11 map paper into 4 equal pieces and used those 1/4 page pieces as my backgrounds for each page of my journal.

Darken Page Edges
To give the journal pages depth, I highlighted the edges with marker. (You can also use Distressing Ink.) Begin by rubbing your marker onto a make-up sponge. Then, lightly run the sponge along the edges of both your blank card journal pages AND your cut-out map pages as shown. I also darkened the center fold of each page of my journal (photo 3).

Map Paper Backgrounds
Glue your map backgrounds to each page of your journal as desired. I used craft glue and a craft paint brush to smooth it out so my pages weren't wrinkled. Simply apply the glue to the back of your pages and smooth with the brush. You can also use a credit card to smooth the pages, working from the center out toward the edges and corners.

Time To Decorate!
Next, is the fun part. Add the elements from the Scrap Pack to decorate your pages! You can tuck cards & tags into the smaller envelopes. Also, apply tabs to select pages. Get creative. Use pieces of elements or papers to create bands or pockets for holding other elements. I also like to use mounting tape to add dimension. You can use your make-up sponge to darken the edges of any elements you like!

For the larger envelopes, I like to seal them and cut the edge off, then glue them to a page. This creates a pocket.

For the finishing touch, create a cover & add a cute charm. I used a mini key. Now you're ready for an adventure! Fill your pages with stories, photos and ephemera (like tickets, wrappers, etc.). Enjoy!