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Decoupage Papers Three Ways: A Trio of Journals for Mom
I’ve always loved making gifts for my mom. It’s probably because she’s always been overjoyed to receive them — whether the gift was a crayon-scribbled family portrait or a knitted scarf — no one appreciates handmade presents quite like her. Like many of us, she’s always looking for a place to jot down a quick phone number and make her shopping list, so I thought I’d make a trio of journals to give her this Mother’s Day.
Journals are one of my favorite things to give — they’re just so quick to alter and personalize! My favorite journals to work with are by Moleskine, but even a simple composition notebook will do. I have a nice collection of decorative gift-wrap, which is perfect for altering journals with. When planning out this project, I was instantly drawn to my Cavallini & Company papers. Though they are gift-wrap, I consider them to also be good for decoupage papers because of how lightweight they are. Their designs are perfect for just about anyone, and I know my mom will love the romantic butterflies and flowers. I first considered using a different paper for each journal but decided to use just one sheet to make the set look more cohesive.
For the first journal, I cut the decoupage paper to size and adhered it with gel medium. To remove any bubbles I gently rolled over the paper with a brayer. When dry, I used a craft knife to remove any excess paper. I then used my fingers to apply a light coat of white acrylic paint to the middle of the cover. When dry, I stamped “journal” on it.
For the second journal, I cut butterflies out from the decoupage paper and adhered them randomly to the cover with gel medium. I wanted to keep it simple, so I only did a few.
For the last journal, I applied a wash of white acrylic paint, and then followed it with green acrylic paint. This was applied with a dry paintbrush. When dry, I cut a section of the decoupage paper and adhered it to the cover. To complete the look, I added a couple strips of washi tape.
Once all journals were done, I wrapped them with a length of ribbon and tucked in a nice pen that my mom can write with. You could also add some colored pencils or markers.
I’ve always loved making gifts for my mom. It’s probably because she’s always been overjoyed to receive them — whether the gift was a crayon-scribbled family portrait or a knitted scarf — no one appreciates handmade presents quite like her. Like many of us, she’s always looking for a place to jot down a quick phone number and make her shopping list, so I thought I’d make a trio of journals to give her this Mother’s Day.
Journals are one of my favorite things to give — they’re just so quick to alter and personalize! My favorite journals to work with are by Moleskine, but even a simple composition notebook will do. I have a nice collection of decorative gift-wrap, which is perfect for altering journals with. When planning out this project, I was instantly drawn to my Cavallini & Company papers. Though they are gift-wrap, I consider them to also be good for decoupage papers because of how lightweight they are. Their designs are perfect for just about anyone, and I know my mom will love the romantic butterflies and flowers. I first considered using a different paper for each journal but decided to use just one sheet to make the set look more cohesive.
For the first journal, I cut the decoupage paper to size and adhered it with gel medium. To remove any bubbles I gently rolled over the paper with a brayer. When dry, I used a craft knife to remove any excess paper. I then used my fingers to apply a light coat of white acrylic paint to the middle of the cover. When dry, I stamped “journal” on it.
For the second journal, I cut butterflies out from the decoupage paper and adhered them randomly to the cover with gel medium. I wanted to keep it simple, so I only did a few.
For the last journal, I applied a wash of white acrylic paint, and then followed it with green acrylic paint. This was applied with a dry paintbrush. When dry, I cut a section of the decoupage paper and adhered it to the cover. To complete the look, I added a couple strips of washi tape.
Once all journals were done, I wrapped them with a length of ribbon and tucked in a nice pen that my mom can write with. You could also add some colored pencils or markers.
