Brown Paper Bag Junk Journal

Hey, hey, let's make a junk journal today!

Junk journals are handmade notebooks made from paper remnants, found sheets like old book pages, as well as cardboard and packaging material. They are commonly used as scrapbooks or art journals where each page can be decorated with mixed media to yield unique patterns.

I've made a few junk journals in the past like this one using scrapbook and notebook paper with a cover reminiscent of childhood.

Here's another one made from bill envelopes and was even featured on Strawberry Moon Magazine!

We'll be using brown paper bags. You may have some around from take-out meals or shopping trips. This is just a regular sized brown paper lunch bag.

Fold the paper bag in thirds and cut them at the fold.

 

I secured the open edges together with glue.

Then I folded each page in half. Now they resemble small journals...TADA! They are a blank canvas ready to be embellished. 

Determine what kind of journal this wants to be. I'll use this as a multi-page greeting card, decorated simply with watercolor paint. 

There's a secret inner flap created from the brown paper bag's side gusset. 

I continue the floral and brush lettering theme from the first page.

This is the centerfold. I just painted on more flowers and left the top part empty to write a letter. 

Here's the other secret flap/side gusset painted with a sweet sentiment.

This is what the back of the junk journal looks like.

And that is how I transformed brown paper bags from blah to TADA!

*****

You may subscribe here if you'd like my future blog posts delivered straight to your inbox and you can follow me on Instagram for more crafty ideas.