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How to Make Art Journals for Kids

by Jean Van't Hul
August 2, 2024
art journal featured

You can make these DIY art journals for kids with recycled and upcycled materials you have around the house. And be sure to include drawing prompts to inspire your kids’ creativity!

Updated September 2024

If you’re getting ready for a road trip or are looking for a fun after-school art invitation, try a DIY art journal! They are a place for your kids to doodle and draw, or a place for them to store their artwork.

The best part of this project is that it uses recycled materials! And you can make these with your kids or make them for them as a surprise.

art journal materials
Photo by Andrea Martelle

DIY Art Journals for Kids

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MATERIALS

  • Thin cardboard (from cereal boxes, cracker boxes, etc.)
  • Recycle bin paper like grocery bags, magazines, notecards, etc.
  • A variety of papers including colored construction paper, patterned paper, origami paper, and white printer paper
  • Artwork (either art that you make specifically for these art journals or artwork that might have been headed for the recycle bin)
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Glue stick
  • Stapler

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make the journal cover

    Fold your cereal box cardboard and cut it into the size you want your art journal to be. You can make your art journal as big as a box of cereal or as small as a notepad.

    You can either leave the plain brown cardboard on the outside or glue colored paper onto the cardboard.

    art journal cover

  2. Cut your pages to size

    Cut and fold a variety of papers to fit inside the cardboard journal cover.

    Arrange the pages in any order desired. We like to provide variety, putting brown paper bag pages next to white drawing paper next to colored construction paper, etc.

    We also like to glue envelopes to the inside of the cover, to store pieces of artwork.

    art journal with envelope

  3. Attach the paper to the cover

    Then, we stapled the pages to the cover, but you can also sew through the pages and the cardboard cover with a straight basting stitch on the sewing machine. Or hand sew with needle and thread. Or punch holes and sew with embroidery floss or yarn.

    And don’t forget to decorate the cover with a small artwork or the words ART JOURNAL!

    homemade art journal

Optional: Add drawing prompts! You can use your new art journal as is or you can alter the pages with drawing prompts and challenges, such as…

And don’t forget that DIY art journals make great gifts for kids or adults!

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