Journaling is something with which most scrapbookers have a love/hate relationship. We all see the importance and need for journaling; and we cherish the fact that it helps preserve our most precious of memories. However, many scrapbookers are heavily intimidated by the idea of writing. Sometimes it is their dislike of their handwriting. Sometimes it is the inability to put emotions and feelings into words. Sometimes we feel what we have to say isn’t poetic, or not interesting to others. There are a plethora of reasons that some people are uncomfortable with the art of journaling on our layouts.

Hopefully some of these ideas will make journaling a tad less troublesome the next time you put together a layout. This list addresses everything from unique ways to write your journaling to interesting ideas for presenting everyday facts.

Hidden Journaling: Hiding your journaling block can be the solution to a variety of problems. This is a perfect way to fit journaling when you are short on space. It’s ideal for hiding private journaling or handwriting that you may not like. Sometimes it is simply fun to make your pages a bit more interactive. Use the ideas below to include hidden journaling on your pages.

·         Page Flippers by Paper Adventures

·         File folders that flip open (now available in a variety of sizes specifically for scrapbooking)

·         Pockets and envelopes

·         A mini book with several small pages

·         A simple flap that lifts up or opens to the side (add hinges for a creative flair)

Shaped Journaling: Carry out a theme or design by having your journaling in a shape. If you have various circular elements on your page, have your journaling in a circle as well. The words could fill the inside of a circle or the words themselves could create the circle, or even be written around the outline of a circle. This could be applied to any shape. Try these ideas to help in the creation of shaped journaling.

·         Journaling Genies by Chatterbox

·         Computer software (if you are not very computer savvy, some programs are designed specifically for scrapbookers and are very easy to learn and use)

·         Die-cuts

·         Templates

Easy Poetry: A creative way to write journaling without having to be an experienced poet is to choose a focus word and expand from there. Write the word vertically and come up with a word or phrase that starts with each letter. This can be done with a person’s name, with each line describing the personality, or it could be the name of a place or event with lists and statements of activities. The possibilities are endless and you will create a totally unique poem each time you try it.

Highlight Words: Write your journaling in regular paragraph form, as you normally would. Re-read what you have written and choose several words that are highly reflective of the theme, feel, or idea you are trying to portray to the reader. Highlight those words in some form or fashion. If you are using a computer, you can change the font style, size or color. You can also use a different color marker when writing, or color over it with some chalk. Trace over the word again for a bold look.

Invitation Style: If there is a page where you want to report the facts but do not have much additional journaling to contribute, try this easy idea: Write out the information like you would a party invitation. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How

Recipe Journaling: You have probably seen layouts that contain recipes, but have you ever thought to write everyday journaling in the style of a recipe? This makes for a very fun and lighthearted page and is interesting to the reader as well. Here is an example: Recipe for the perfect summer day: Start with two rambunctious children and a very hot sun. Mix in plenty of pool water. Combine with floats and brightly colored bathing suits. Let bake for a day of fun and finish off with delicious dripping popsicles. It is very easy to customize this style of writing to your own set of photographs.

Step-by-Step: Take a look at your photos and see if there is a process taking place (think outside the box). Journal by writing the steps of this process. It could be anything from ‘how to carve a pumpkin’ to ‘how to show your older brother you love him’.

Lists, Lists, Lists: Lists are a super easy way of journaling that is also very clean, organized and fun for the reader. Lists can fit any theme or mood. They can be sentimental (10 reasons I love you) or they can be fun (8 ways to have fun on a rainy day). List attributes of someone’s personality or your favorite things about a certain place. List the different places you went on your vacation or all of the CDs you own. Lists are great for recording everyone that was present at an event, especially if you do not have photos of everyone. It’s also a good way to list gifts received at a party, shower, or holiday.

Calendars: If you are a scrapping an event that took a while (such as building a home, planning a wedding, a pregnancy, etc) try using a calendar to record day-to-day events that took place. You can create your own on the computer or with a ruler and pen. You can also purchase templates and rubber stamps that assist in the process.

In Other’s Words: If you just simply can not find the right words to get your meaning across, try using the words of someone else. Song lyrics, quotes, and phrases (even clichés) are wonderful page additions and can often put into words what we can not. You can print or write these yourself, or purchase pre-printed ones that are readily available for scrapbookers now.