Writing is at the heart of nearly all my journal pages, as this is how I try to make sense of the world around me.
However, I also like to keep my journals looking interesting, with plenty of variety in them. I believe this has helped to keep me consistent with my journaling routine, as the pleasure of decorating my written journal pages keeps me coming back for more. There are plenty of ways you can create eye-catching journal pages and I will share some of my my favourite ways in this blog post.
My Hobonichi journal is used for planning out all of my tasks and is how I keep on top of appointments, deadlines and projects. However, I always like to make these pages feel inviting, especially if I have lots that needs doing.
I love using washi tape, stickers, stamping and even something as simple as different coloured inks. My task lists are simple, but they become a treasured part of my journal collection once they are decorated, along with some quick reflective writing at the end of each day.
My daily journal is the place where I enjoy documenting a few thoughts about each day. The decorating can come in lots of forms and I really enjoy using variety here. I write around stickers, add photos, stencilling and washi tape, along with adding some writing at a different angle. All of these different elements give your eyes plenty to look at when flipping back through your journal pages.
Whilst not a journal page, I enjoy using my sketchbook to come up with creative ideas that I can hopefully bring into my journal at a later date. This painting is of Frittiscombe Flower Farm that I mentioned in my last blog post. I've been continuing to follow along with Katie Moody for inspiration and guidance on painting techniques. All those layers of paint and pastels help to bring a real sense of life to your pages.
I recently held my first ever journaling livestream on Patreon, which will now be a monthly occurrence. I created these collage journal pages and tags during the session. I really enjoy the look of collaged papers, images and quotes as no two will ever be quite the same. It's a really simple way of creating some lovely looking journal pages in a short period of time. I also added some subtle stencilling underneath my journal writing. The collaged tags will all be added to my journals at a later date, which is a really great way of adding extra interest.
For a completely different feel, in my art journal I decided to go for a bold image, accompanied by equally bold acrylic paint colours. I've used black text and lines for contrast and it's definitely a page that is hard to be ignored. Expressing yourself through different colour palettes is a really good way of bringing variety to your pages.
In my junk journal, I often use more natural colours, with plenty of patterned papers for the background. The soft green leaves on both pages are actually tissue paper which I used for some gentle decoration. I felt they complimented my photos perfectly. I wanted to create some journal pages that would draw you in and act as a perfect reminder of a beautiful Sunday morning walk.
As the seasons change, I love to reflect this in my journals. For these pages, I used the printables that I have just released on Patreon. As soon as you look at these pages, you instantly know that Autumn is in the air. Using patterned papers and strong imagery is another great way of creating eye-catching journal pages.
I recently shared a new video on YouTube, which is a flip through of my completed junk journal. In this video I talk through the different elements I add, which all help to bring lots of interest to your journal pages.
I do hope this blog post has given you lots of ideas for how you can create beautiful eye-catching journal pages, whilst still leaving plenty of space for your writing. There is so much pleasure to be had in looking back through these type of pages over the years, Helen x
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