Junk Journaling in a Travelers Notebook – A6 Layout Ideas

Hey friends! Tiffany here with another traveler’s notebook project using the February Hip Kits! For this one though, I decided to make these two “junk” journals for my A6 traveler’s notebook to use as personal journals and/or art journals. I just wanted a cute journal to document my everyday that wouldn’t involve too much work in order to document.

I figure having a sound base already done would be great, so I went with this “junk” journal style. The term “junk” here is just indicative of the style I’m trying to convey. Usually junk journals are created from scraps–bits and pieces left over from other projects–all put together into a usable journal. But here, I used my kits, but tried to mimic that “junk” feel.

I used a mixture of the pattern papers from the Main kit, a few plain white copy paper and ruled paper that I tea dyed subtly to make them look vintage, and a sheet of vellum from one of the past Hip Kits. I limited myself to just a few pattern papers so that I don’t overload my journals with too much pattern and color.

A few of the pattern papers I altered to suit my liking. I tea dyed a few of them and distressed another with gesso so that the navy color of the paper wasn’t too harsh. I added gold paint splatters to the vellum as well, just to give it a little sparkle. I tried to keep the color palette light and bright, with a touch of vintage.

The Crate Paper and Maggie Holmes papers that I used already had a touch of vintage, which helped keep the color theme I wanted throughout.

After I prepped all of my papers and let them dry, I cut them down to size. A6 dimensions is about 4×6: 4 inchs in width and 6 inches in height. So I had to cut my 12×12 papers down to 8×12, then cut that in half to 8×6, so when folded the pages will be 4×6. So I ended up with two of each of my papers.

For the copy and ruled paper, I simply cut them in half because even though they were a bit smaller than 8×6, they fit fine. I also like the different sized pages because they give the journals a bit more texture. Once everything was cut and folded, I assembled my journals.

I was able to create two different journals with all of the papers I used, which was a very nice surprise. I did a simple stitch with waxed thread to bind my journals and once they were done, I began my embellishing.

I also limited myself to a few embellishments. I picked out my favorite pieces from the Maggie Holmes Chasing Dreams ephemera pack that’s in the Main kit to use and put everything else away. I also used the Chasing Dreams phrase and label stickers from the Project Life kit and the Chasing Dreams 6×12 sticker sheet from the Embellishment kit.

I used only one of the fringed butterflies from the Embellishment kit and a few of the washi tape strips from the Pink Paislee Paige Evans Oh My Heart sticker book in the Project Life kit. With the left over paper and branding strips, I made a bunch of pockets, tags and banners that I used to embellish my pages.

I also used a few things from my stash, most notably, paper doilies and this beautiful lace trim I had.

I especially love the various tags I made from the leftover scrap pieces of pattern paper I had. Tags are just the perfect embellishment for these little journals. They’re cute decor pieces as well as great pieces to journal on and tuck into a pocket to make the journal a bit interactive.

I was inspired by all the lovely already made tags included in the Maggie Holmes Ephemera pack and the Pretty Little Studio tags from the Embellishment kit. I matched the papers with the white doilies and lace trim to give them a soft delicate look. I also embellished them lightly with the Chasing Dreams stickers and smaller die cuts.

I even made a little banner-tag from a piece of fabric trim and embellished it with a pink heart die cut. I tucked them into the pockets I made in my journals or paper clipped them to my pages. I just love how these turned out!

These journals are just so fun to make and use. You can use them to document your everyday or as travel journals. They make the cutest little gifts for someone as well. You can make them in any size you like, I just did A6 for myself to put into my traveler’s notebook. For a more in depth look into how I made these, check out the process video below.

And if you want a look into how these two journals turned out, check out the flip through video below!

Products used: Hip Kit Club February 2017 Main Kit, February 2017 Project Life Kit + February 2017 Embellishment Kit Add-on

 

A6 Layout Ideas for Your Travelers Notebook Junk Journal

If you want to make your own travelers notebook junk journal, here are the basics to get going.

Choose your notebook size. A6 is the most popular size for junk journals because it’s small enough to carry around but big enough to actually create in. Standard and passport sizes work too, depending on how much room you want per page.

Supplies you’ll need:

• A travelers notebook cover (leather, faux leather, or fabric)
• Paper for signatures – mixed weights add texture (cardstock, kraft, vellum, old book pages)
• Washi tape, stickers, and ephemera for decorating
• Adhesive – a good tape runner and some glue dots
• Pens for journaling – anything that won’t bleed through your paper

Build your signatures. A signature is just a group of pages folded and nested together. For an A6 travelers notebook, fold 3-4 sheets of paper in half and nest them. You can mix different paper types in one signature for variety – a cardstock page next to a vellum page next to a kraft page keeps things interesting.

Add pockets and tuck spots. Glue envelopes, folded paper pockets, or library card holders onto pages. These give you places to stash tickets, notes, photos, and other flat ephemera. They also add dimension and make the journal feel interactive.

Don’t plan too far ahead. One of the best things about junk journals is that they evolve as you use them. Start with a few decorated pages and leave some blank. You’ll figure out what you want as you go.

For more junk journal inspiration, check out our junk journal ideas guide and our step-by-step junk journal tutorial.

If you’re getting into junk journaling, you might also want to check out our guide to junk journal supplies to make sure you have everything you need. For more creative inspiration, browse our art journal ideas collection or grab some free junk journal printables to add to your next spread.