Hello, December.

Wow, I cannot believe it's December. The last month of the year! So many wonderful things happening this month - so excited to document it all in my December Art Journal. Want your own December Art Journal? I have a few left in the shop here.

Or, want to make your own December Art Journal? Rummage around your home for scrap paper and envelopes. A few ideas of papers you probably have around:
- Envelopes for mailing
- Envelopes that come in bills to return the bill (you could use these if you pay your bills online)
- Calendar Planner pages
- Pages from Christmas catalogs (!! These are fabulous backgrounds for pasting on mementos)
- Construction paper
- Christmas cards/envelopes (snag one from your stack of cards you'll be sending out to friends and family)
- Security envelopes from junk mail (cut these up and use these as pages- you'd be amazed at how many different patterns and colors there are for security envelopes once you start paying attention!)
- Find a pattern here to make fun handmade envelopes and inserts

A couple ideas of things you could purchase very inexpensively:
- $1 bin Christmas cards/envelopes at Target or Michael's
- $1 bin Christmas paper / lists/ Christmas stickers/embellishments at Target or Michael's
- Items from a dollar store - envelopes, paper, graph paper, any sort of fun paper you can find! Spools of ribbon, wrapping paper, writing paper, stationery

You can purchase binder rings at WalMart, Michael's, or AC Moore for less than $2 for 6 rings. Use a 40% off coupon at the craft stores and save even more (these usually come in the newspaper or you can sign up online to receive their emails and receive the coupon in your inbox) Or, use ribbon to bind your book.

Decide what size you would like your journal to be - I find that 5"x7" is a nice size and holds items and 4"x6" photos very well. Cut your papers to approximately that size (or smaller if your found papers are smaller than that - it's fun to have all different sizes!) For sturdy covers, cut the chipboard from the back of the construction paper pad, or a large legal pad into two 5"x7" pieces (yay for recycling!).
Next, punch holes in one chipboard cover - one about 2.5" from the top and one about 2.5" from the bottom and each 3/8" in from the left edge (see picture below). Use this as your guide to punch the rest of your items to make sure all your holes line up correctly.
Once you have put together the album, you can embellish it with ribbons (if you have some), staples, cut out items/pictures from catalogs, punching holes in a decorative pattern, etc. Have fun, make it your own!

Now, keep your journal handy to write down happenings and thoughts each day - the idea is to record each day in December. When you're out and about, collect receipts (I went to McDonald's this morning and kept the receipt!:)), ticket stubs, menus from restaurants that you eat at, shopping lists, business cards/brochures from places visited, fun packaging for items, wrapping paper scraps from presents unwrapped, Christmas cards received, whatever will spark your memories for years to come. Below are some things from my journal last year. It was SO fun looking back through this and remembering things I had forgotten about!
Journal in it each day even if it seems like not much happened. Journal your thoughts or ideas about upcoming plans and excursions. Journal each day something you are thankful for. Look online for journaling prompts. Have family members or friends write a note to tuck into the journal. Use your imagination! :) Once you develop or print your pictures taken throughout the month, add them in to the appropriate day (use the chipboard cover as a guide to punch holes if you are putting it directly into the album - or you can adhere them to a blank page already in the journal).

Label each day's date - you could use different color pens, pencils or markers for this. Or, cut out numbers from magazines! Yay for recycling again!

Most of all, have fun with it! Then keep it around to look at throughout the year, or pack it away with the Christmas decorations to be surprised each year with your memories. :)