Sometimes the packaging is too pretty to throw away. That was definitely my thought when I opened Stampin’ Up!’s 12 Days of Creativity Advent Calendar. The supplies inside are fun (you can see an unboxing here), but I also found myself looking at the packaging and thinking, I could make something with this! So, rather than sending that pretty packaging to the recycling bin, I turned it into a journal – well actually two journals!
And in true paper-crafting fashion, I didn’t have a completely finished plan when I started. I simply started taking the packaging apart, looking at what I had to work with and figuring out how I could turn those pieces into the foundation for a journal.
A Journal With a Story Already Built In
There’s something fun about using packaging like this because it already has a little bit of a story. Instead of starting with a blank piece of cardstock, you’re beginning with something that was designed to hold and present something else. The graphics, colours and little details from the original packaging become part of the journal’s character. And once you start adding pages, pockets, tuck spots and embellishments, it becomes something completely different. That’s the part of upcycling that I enjoy most. You’re not simply reusing something—you are giving it a second life.
Part 1: Creating the Journal
In the first video in this two-part series, I’m focusing on the journal itself. I’ll show you how I took the advent calendar packaging and transformed it into the basic journal structure, including how I worked with the existing pieces and added the pages. You don’t necessarily need the exact same packaging to recreate this project. Instead, I hope the video gives you ideas for looking at other packaging and materials in a different way. Maybe you have a beautiful box sitting in your craft room. Or some sturdy packaging you’ve saved because you knew you could use it someday.
This is your reminder that it might be time to pull it out of the stash!
What Could You Put Inside?
Once the structure is finished, the possibilities are pretty much endless. You could use a journal like this for:
- A seasonal journal
- A reading journal
- A December Daily-style project
- Memory keeping
- A gratitude journal
- A holiday season planner
- Photos and memories
And because the journal is made from upcycled packaging, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Add to it. Change it. Cover something up. Add a pocket where you didn’t originally plan one. That’s all part of the fun.
Part 2 Is Coming
This video focuses on creating the journal structure. In part 2, I’ll move on to the part that many of us probably enjoy most—decorating and filling it. I’ll share how I approach decorating a journal while still leaving room for the person using it to make it their own. I tend to like my journals to have plenty of personality without every single inch being covered. Leaving some space allows you to add photos, journaling, tickets, tags, notes and other bits and pieces as you use the journal.
So if you have some pretty packaging in your stash, don’t throw it away just yet. Take another look at it. You might just have the beginnings of your next journal sitting right in front of you.
Until next time,
Leave a Reply