Sweet November: an Autumn Journal

I love the idea of a field journal and a messy-layered art journal combined. A place to collect things and take notes, with layers of papers to paint & sew, and room for special photos. Designing your own Autumn inspired journal, is as easy as rummaging around your craft space and finding a new use from old-ish things!

Since my love of old books often inspires me to use them as new mini-scrapbooks, I headed to our local thrift store to look for a fall-colored vintage hard bound book. Hard-bound books make perfect minis- the size is great and you can use the inside pages as part of your book!

Let's go into your craft room or work space and look for things you can use. Here's my favorites list; envelopes, small favor bags, flash-cards, postcards,bingo cards, flash cards, extra or left-over chipboard album pages, shipping tags, transparencies, file folders cut to size and the inside book pages sewn together.







I've decided, for this post, to focus on some ideas for Autumn journaling prompts, rather that just the construction of your own book... because really, the journal is super easy to put together and doesn't require any in-depth directions. (As long as you have a good hole-punch, anything can be turned into a page & ready to use in a mini.)




Journaling Prompts
Journaling is always easier when you have an idea of what you'd like to write about! Keep these journaling ideas in mind to help create little Autumn stories throughout your book.

- a favorite Fall memory
- What are you thankful for this season?
- favorite Fall colors
- favorite Fall smells (cinnamon, pumpkin, wood burning in a fire place)
- What is your ideal Autumn afternoon?
- What is your favorite Fall event?
- Fall recipes (I used a mailing envelope to collect recipes written on little index cards)



Autumn Quotes
I love including a few quotes throughout my book! These are some of my favorite Autumn quotes:

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. - Albert Camus

Autumn... the year's last loveliest smile. - William C. Bryant

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. - Elizabeth Lawence




This might be my favorite page. I made a list of fall-inspired words and then imagined colors that would best match each word. It's a fun project page to work on, especially if your creativity needs to boost for the day.



Fall word list:
crisp - cranberry - apple - acorn - harvest - cinnamon - cider - frost - berries
leaves - rain - nest - pumpkin - orchard - oak - persimmon - forest - maple
pinecone - branches - pear - squash - sunflower - cedar



Hopefully the Autumn season will inspire you to create an art journal for all of your special Fall memories! If you have an extra journal prompt, please feel free to share!! I always love hearing new ideas!

**a very special thankyou to Jessica
for providing all of the Fall photos for my book!!**