Make a Tissue Box Pocket Journal - Paint on the Go

One minute you're dabbing away the tears from the season finale of Downton Abbey--and the next minute you're onto an adventure with your lovely pocket journal tucked in your bag--all made from the same tissue box that tended to your tears!!

Okay, that was dramatic, but seriously, who doesn't want to upcycle a tissue box into something so fantastic? I started buying Hyvee brand tissues (my grocery store), mainly because I liked the design of their nice, fat and tall tissue boxes. I mean, someone went to a lot of trouble to make them pretty enough to sit on our vanities!
When all the tissues are gone, I snip up the pretty cardboard and make these fun little watercolor journals, ready to tuck in your bag, and paint your thoughts! Here's how it goes.

STEP 1: Cut your cardboard to a nice vertical size. It will be folded in half.

STEP 2: Use a paint pen to create the spine in the center, and let dry.

STEP 3: Score down the center and make a nice, clean fold.
STEP 4: Use markers, scrapbook paper, and even tags and stickers to decorate the outside and inside of the cover.
STEP 5: Prepare some craft wire and beads for the handle.

  STEP 6: Cut a strip of watercolor paper and measure it to fit inside your cover, scoring and folding for an accordian fold-out. Or, you can fold in half and place inside. You can fit in anywhere from 4 to 10 little pages. You can cut it to size, or use a ruler and tear it for a fun rough edge.

   STEP 7: Use a heavy duty hole punch and punch two small holes in the spine, going through the watercolor paper and the cover. Poke the craft wire through the holes, add beads, and twist and trim it closed.

Each little pocket journal can be decorated differently--then it's time to paint your first page!

This will fit into any bag.

Eat, Write, Dream, and Stitch Happy.