Step by Step Journaling Project: Vintage Watercolor Journal
If you keep up with this blog, you may recall that I commemorated National Crafting Month with a quick and easy collage project that spruced up one of my journals. It was such a fun project– I wrote about it here.
Part of why I enjoy craft projects is that they remove me from my ping pong game of dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. Crafting is one of those activities that helps ground me in the here and now. In fact, one of my first blog posts was about how hobbies can ease the mind and soul.
Lately, I’ve been watching videos and following Instagram accounts of journalers adding artwork to their journals or making journals themselves. They all inspire me to break out my craft supplies and get creative.
In fact, I am going to give credit where it is due and link to this video by Helen Colebrook, whose junk journal tutorial inspired my idea to make this watercolor journal. I suggest subscribing to her channel, Journal with Purpose, if you want to watch relaxing and inspired creative journaling videos! Also, check her out on Instagram- @journalwithpurpose.
Luckily, as these videos prove, journaling provides an opportunity to be creative in short bursts. This means that I don’t have to spend hours, or even days, working on a project to see it through. And, that’s important to me because I basically work 2 jobs and I feel like I would never have the energy or the time to finish a long project like that.
So, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making a simple journal. I’ve watched enough tutorials and felt like I had the skills to pull off an easy journal project. But, I didn’t just want to make any kind of journal.
When my plantar fasciitis stopped me from running, I thought I had lost all ability to unplug from the world and just be in the present moment. It wasn’t until I found watercolor artwork that I realized I could lose myself in art as much as I did running.
Watercolor was the medium that introduced me to other forms of art media, including acrylic painting, oil pastels, and sketching. I now have a standing appointment with my art supplies every Saturday night do something creative. And, it has been a godsend.
So, I thought it would be fitting to create a journal that takes me back to the activity that started it all. I made a watercolor journal! And, it was so much easier than I thought it would be.
If you are interested in seeing some of this process on video, please check out my Instagram account- @planonthesunrise. Otherwise, below are the materials, tools, and steps I used to create this simple little, vintage watercolor journal.
Table of Contents
How to Make a Simple, Vintage Watercolor Journal
This is truly one of the easiest book binding projects I can imagine. With 5 sheets of vintage watercolor paper, the little journal it makes has 10 single-sided pages to paint. It’s perfect for small journaling projects or themes.
This watercolor journal requires only a few materials, and a number of them are optional. And, of course, you can use the same method to create a paper journal or junk journal.
Materials
Watercolor paper. I used a vintage, handmade watercolor paper that I found on Amazon. It is A4 size, so it measures 8-1/4 x 11-3/4”. As with all specialty items on Amazon, I cannot find it anymore, but it looks similar to this (#AD)
12 x 12” Double-sided Cardstock. It should be a hefty piece of paper, so if you don’t have double-sided paper, feel free to glue two together so you have a neat design in the inside covers. This set has beautiful paper (two of each) and some of them have gold foiling. (#AD)
Book Binding Thread. This could be any sort of thread or twine, but since it’s stringing together some heavy pieces of paper, I went with the official book binding thread, which is thick and waxed. The kind I used came in this inexpensive book binding set I found (#AD)
Book Binding Tape. This is totally optional, and I think it’s fine to leave your stitched spine exposed. Again, since I was working with heavy papers, with the watercolor paper’s being really textured, I wanted the added stability that comes with a cloth tape. I used another color of tape for my March project, but they both came in this set (#AD)
Distress Ink/Oxide Pad. This is another optional material, but one I recommend if you want your journal to have a vintage look. For this project, I used the Ranger Distress Ink in Vintage Photo (#AD)
Tools
In addition to the materials you need to create the journal, there are a few tools that will make the job easier. Here are the ones I used (along with suggestions for substitutes if you don’t have these around).
Awl. This is a tool that has a sharp, needle-like end, which you use to pierce the paper and create the holes for the thread. If you don’t have an awl, be sure to use a pin or large needle. The awl I used came in the book-binding set above.
Large-eye Needles. You’ll need a needle large enough to handle the thick thread used to bind the book. Again, the book-binding set has needles included. I used the medium size of the three sizes it contained, which was a 6.2 cm needle.
Bone Folder. This is optional but it is a nice tool to have. A bone folder is a tool that has flat edges and are used to make crisp edges on paper or to impress indentations in book spines. They’re often made of bone, but plastic ones are also common. The one I used came with the book binding set. If you don’t have a bone folder, a ruler should do.
Scissors. In order to cut thread or snip away any of the binding tape, you’ll need a good pair of precise scissors. This set from Fiskars is perfect for these jobs and will double as an awl if you don’t have one. (#AD)
Pencil. You’ll need a pencil to mark off where to start poking holes before stitching together your book. Any pencil will do, so long as it’s easily erasable.
Ruler. I used my ruler in two ways: 1) to measure out how to cut my paper and where to place the holes for my thread. And 2) to act as a cutting guide for my craft knife. If you’re going to use a ruler with a craft knife, I recommend using the one I have which is metal, has a rubber grip on the bottom, and has a raised side that protects your hand. Here’s the one I have (#AD)-
Craft or X-acto Knife. A craft knife makes it easy to cut paper as well as little, dangling bits of tape or other materials. The nice thing about it is that it has a blade with markings where you can snap off a dull part of the blade and have a nice, sharp blade ready to go. An x-acto knife will also work. Here are craft knives similar to the one I have. (#AD)-
Paper Trimmer. If you prefer to cut paper more precisely or just aren’t comfortable with handling a craft knife, I recommend a paper trimmer that can handle 12 x 12” paper, like this one by Fiskars. (#AD)
Self-Healing Cutting Mat. If you’re using a craft knife, you will need a self-healing mat so you are not destroying your desk. I am enjoying this one by Cricut, which is 18 x 24″, perfect for projects involving 12 x 12″. It also has a grid with 1” squares and dots inside each square to measure ¼” markings. As a bonus, the reverse side has a pretty design. (#AD)
Binder Clips. I didn’t realize until I started doing these kinds of projects that binder clips are pretty aptly named. They do a good job of holding papers together if you’re trying to bind a book. These are pretty standard, but they are the size I see in other book binding kits (1 ¼”). (#AD)
Blending Tool. This is an optional tool, but it’s pretty necessary if you wish to use distress inks or oxide pads to age or add a worn look to your cover. It has a wooden handle on one end, and on the other end there is Velcro circle where you attach a foam (not felt) applicator. This set has the blending tools and extra foams included. (#AD)
Step by Step Method
This may seem complicated, but it’s not. It just has a few steps, and the process is really simple and satisfying.
1. Fold your watercolor sheets in half along the shorter sides. Because they are so thick and bulky, be sure to fold each sheet separately and use a bone folder or ruler to make a crisp fold. Stack them up to make sure they are evenly folded and create an A5-sized set of paper (about 5-7/8 x 8-1/4”).
2. Make sure your cardstock paper is cut to 12 x 12” (mine was in a paper pad with a hole at the top, so it was longer than 12.” I used my craft knife to cut it down to size. After that, line up your watercolor paper and determine how much of your inner cover you want showing. You could make this a true A5 insert by cutting the paper to have a short edge measuring about 8-1/4”. I wanted to make sure the lovely, deckled edges of my vintage watercolor paper were protected, so I cut mine slightly larger to about 8-3/4”. Fold the cardstock in half and use the bone folder to make a crisp fold.
3. Measure the center hole in each piece of paper (this will depend on how large you cut your cardstock paper). If you’re sticking with an A5 size, you will find the center hold should be at 4-1/16” of the page. Draw a center mark on the innermost watercolor paper and on the inside cardstock cover. Measure four more holes with the first two being 1-1/4” on either side of the center mark and the second two space at 1-3/4” from the first set. You should have 5 marks total. (If you’re using patterned paper, be sure you can see your marking).
4.Stack all of the watercolor paper so the edges are evenly aligned, and hold together with four binder clips. I preferred having binderclips with one on each of the sides and along the top and bottom to make sure it all holds together as I poke the holes and stitch the papers together.
5. Poke holes with the awl to make holes in all 5 sheets of watercolor paper. Do the same for the cardstock. As long as you measured from the center circle for the inserts and the cover, they should line up exactly. Just be careful with the awl- feel free to poke down into your self-healing mat to avoid accidents. (Because, let’s face it, a severe injury is the opposite of a zen-like art experience).
6. Stitch your pages together. This part isn’t hard- it just reads like it’s complicated. After threading your needle, start at the inner fold of the watercolor paper stack and push the thread through the center hole and also through the center hole of the cardstock, leaving about 2-3” of thread inside the book. Take needle and from the outside of the book, thread it through one of the two closest holes. Go back through the center hole so you are back outside of the book again. Making sure the thread is nice and tight, go through the first of the closest holes that you’ve already threaded and from the inside of the book, go through the next hole (this would be the furthest away) on that side. Once on the outside of the book (still making sure to gently pull and tighten the thread), run the needle through the hole between the center and outer hole. If you worry about it not being strong enough, run another threading through the outermost hole and work your way back to the center. Repeat this with the holes on the other side of the center. Once you make it back to the center, be sure to end with the final stitch taking you back to the inside center hole. From there, you can tighten the thread and tie the few inches you left yourself at the beginning to the final piece of thread by making a double knot. Snip off any excess thread so you only have about 1/2” or so left in the inside of the book. Double-check the book to make sure everything looks even and secure.
7. Add a strip of book-binding tape to the spine of the book (optional). I used 1” tape, so it was easy to use my cutting mat to hold it down and center my book to create an even spine. Use your scissors or craft knife to cut any tape that’s left hanging over the edits. Smooth down the tape with your bone folder or ruler.
8. Distress the edges (optional). Using the blending tool, press it into the distress ink or oxide to collect some ink and gently wipe it onto just the edges of the cardstock cover– from one end of the taped spine to the other. Repeat this on all sides.
Enjoy your book! This whole project took me less than an hour to do, and I was really happy with the end results. Although it can take watercolor, I may end up using this a bit like an art junk journal as the paper colors vary and the texture is very rough.
I hope you give this one a try. And, of course, if you would prefer to use mixed media paper, sketch paper, or just notebook or other kinds of paper, that would work as well.
Have you ever made your own journal? Any tips on book binding you can share? Leave a comment below.
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** Images in the graphics of watercolor paintings found on Pixabay.
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