30 Ingenious Ways to Breathe New Life into Your Old Journal

Hey there, fellow upcyclers and creative souls! Your beloved journal is now full, and you can’t quite let go…. (Sigh)...

Wondering what to do with it? Maybe it’s filled with half-written thoughts, doodles, or even just blank pages waiting for a new spell of inspiration. Well, you’re in luck! Today, we’re diving into the wonderful world of repurposing and upcycling old journals. Not only will you give new life to something that might otherwise gather dust, but you’ll also unleash your inner artist and eco-warrior. So grab that old journal, a cup of your favourite beverage, and let’s get crafty!

Gift and Labels

1. Personalized Journal Gift: Surprise a friend or loved one with a journal, adding your own personal message or artwork inside. This makes for an especially meaningful gift as a relationship journal, a diary from a parent to a grown-up child, or as a cherished memento of someone’s life to a trusted custodian.

2. Creative Gift Wrap: Use the journal cover as a unique gift wrap for a special occasion. This adds a personal and thoughtful touch to your present.

3. Tag Holder: Create a unique gift tag holder by attaching small tags to the journal cover. Simply glue the sides of two pages together to form a pocket and keep your tags organized. Remember to cut away some pages to prevent bulging.

4. Tags: Use the cut pages to craft unique gift tags and greeting cards. The existing text, meaningful words, or beautiful penmanship will add a sentimental touch to any gift you give. Add a paper flower for added glamour!

Junk Journaling

5. Canvas: Use the journal cover as a canvas for your next painting, collage, or mixed media project.

6. Alternative Support: Use the filled journal as a base for an art journal. You can paint, sketch, or collage over the written pages, using them as an underlayer for your creative expressions. The written texture peeking through will add depth to your artwork. By adding layers of mixed media—paint, fabric, paper cutouts—and  your original handwriting over the old pages, it will turn into the new artwork, an evolving piece of creative expression.

7. Go wild and decorate with embroidery stitches or patchwork pieces for a personalized touch. Transform it into a junk journal by adding ephemera like ticket stubs, postcards, sweet wrappers and other memorabilia. 

Home décor accessories

8. Adorn your walls: Hang the journal on the wall as a decorative piece, use it as wallpaper for a small area, turn it into a framed art, or make a mixed media picture frame or mount. Or still, make decorative garlands. This will not only add a touch of vintage charm to your home, but it will also be packed with memories.

9. Brighten your day: If the journal is sturdy enough, you can use it as the base for a small lamp, or use the paper for a lampshade, make cut-outs for a light pendant, or a mobile dancing in the wind.

10. Create a focus point: Create a sculptural piece using the journal as a base, adding paper, fabric, or other materials. Or, turn your journal into a book sculpture. Bend, fold, and cut the pages into intricate shapes, turning your writing into a three-dimensional piece of art. These sculptures can be displayed as unique decor.

11. Dress the table with a table runner: Use the journal cover as a table runner for a unique and stylish centerpiece.

12. ...And the chair with a chair pad: Create a custom chair pad by attaching the journal cover to a foam base.

13. Organize Small Items: Use the journal as a decorative storage container for small items like jewelry, office supplies, or trinkets.

14. Pamper the plant with a plant holder: If the journal is sturdy enough, you can use it as a planter for small succulents or herbs.

15. Add mystery with a shadow box: Create a shadow box display using the journal cover as a frame, adding photos, pressed flowers, or other small objects.

16. Keep safe with a safe box by gluing the pages, then neatly cutting a rectangle at the centre. Voila! Keep what nobody needs to see there.

17. Be Bold with hanging art: Hang the journal on the wall as a piece of abstract art, emphasizing its unique texture and history.

Upcycled Stationery

18. Travel Journal: Organize your travel memories by adding pockets, maps, and photos to the journal.

19. Paste in your favorite recipes over the used pages. The old text can add a vintage feel to your recipe collection.

20. Make envelopes out of the pages. They can be used for letters, gift cards, or as unique packaging for small items.

21. Unique stationery: Use sections of the journal to create unique stationery. Tear out pages and attach them to blank sheets, creating a layered effect that incorporates your writing. These can be used for handwritten notes or letters with extra meaning.

Memory book

22. Collage: Use the journal as the base for a memory collage. Add photos, captions, dates, notes, ticket stubs, pressed flowers, or other mementos over the written pages. This can turn the journal into a layered scrapbook filled with both words and visuals, creating a rich keepsake.

23. Wall art: Cut out phrases, quotes, or particularly meaningful entries, and arrange them into a collage or framed wall art. It’s a creative way to preserve the spirit of your journal while turning it into a visual piece of storytelling to hang on your wall.

24. Vision board: Use the journal to create a vision board. Paste in images, quotes, and goals that inspire you.

Crafty Crafter

25. DIY Notebook: Remove the old pages and rebind the journal with new paper or fabric to create a unique notebook.

26. DIY Paper: Recycle the pages of the journal by pulping them down and creating your own handmade paper. You can use this paper for new crafts or cards, blending the essence of the original journal into something completely new and beautiful.

27. DIY Decorative paper: Rip out pages and use them for decoupage. Cover boxes, trays, or old furniture with sections of your handwritten journal to give items a unique, personal touch. The imperfect lines of handwriting give a vintage charm to any object.

28. DIY press: keep those lovely autumn leaves and flowers between the pages without fear of stains and add then to your junk journal (that's the repurposed previous journal 😉)

Mindfulness

29. Origami: Repurpose the filled pages by tearing them out and folding them into origami shapes—think hearts, stars, or cranes. These can be used as ornaments, gift decorations, or keepsakes that carry the essence of your written memories.

30. Move on: There is something oddly satisfying about tearing, folding or crumpling pages of unwanted memories. With them start a fire, stuff shoes as a shape keeper, use for cushioning in oversize packages, use for cleaning windows and stove doors, lay out in the garden to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

And there you have it, folks! Who knew an old journal could have so many new lives? From personalized gifts to unique home decor, the possibilities are endless. AND, you’ve just scored major eco-friendly points by upcycling instead of adding to the local dump. So next time you find an old journal, see it as a canvas for your creativity, not garbage material. Happy crafting, and keep journaling (it’s time for a new journal btw 😊!)

 So what do you do with your old journal?