I love to write. It doesn’t matter what I’m writing on–it could be on the computer, in a tattered notepad, or carving words onto a stone tablet. (I have never done this, but it would be interesting to try).
The words are most important, not the devices used. But I know some people who can only write in a journal, or who can’t focus unless they’re using Microsoft Word on the computer. For myself, I do have preferences depending on what I’m writing. Certain words, I think, desire beauty as much as we desire to make words beautiful. This is why writers will spend $30 on an engraved or embossed notebook; it feels right to put the words inside of it, as if they deserve to be in there. I often feel that way when looking at a certain notebook…but like many writers, I don’t have that kind of money to spend on a nice leather journal.
So one day, I decided to make my own.
Decoupaging is an easy, cheap way to turn a $3 journal into a one-of-a-kind piece of art. All you need are some magazines you’re willing to cut up, some decoupage finish (I use Plaid Royal Coat), a paintbrush, and a simple journal. Just a composition notebook will do.
Cut the pictures or words out of the magazines and put the finish on the back of each piece to glue them onto the notebook. I like to lay the pieces out first to decide where I want everything to go, and I do the front and back of the notebook separately: cover first, back second. After the pictures are stuck down well, use the paintbrush to put a coat of the finish over the WHOLE thing. Let that dry, and then do another coat.
I find that you really only need two coats of finish to make it nice and sturdy. I remember years ago when I first started making collage journals, I used scotch tape to put over the pictures…my mom was the one who introduced me to decoupage, which is much more beautiful and classy.
These two journals, “There is a Place Far, Far Away” and “The Evening Globe,” are my favorites I have made. I mainly use them for poetry, as I tend to use my computer for stories and a fake leather (but still pretty) journal for thoughts and ideas.
So if you’re a writer, what do you use most for getting your words out into the world? And do you use different ways depending on what you’re writing?
The Junk Drawer 