Hybrid Tutorial – Trip Journal

Whenever I go to Disney World I like to make a trip journal to hold all of my pertinent information in one place. Today I thought I would share with you how I go about making one. For this particular journal I used Keystone Scraps’ Remember the Magic kit. I often like to use just one digital kit for each journal I make because then everything matches well. I start out by designing covers in PSE. I make a front, back and two inside covers. My journals tend to be about 5.5” x 7.5” in size. It is just small enough to fit in my bag, but not so small that the type is too small to read. Once I have made the covers I print them out on 32lb weight paper. I like to use paper that is a little thicker than copy paper but not as heavy as cardstock. It holds the ink well and is not as easy to tear as copy paper. You can find it at most office supply stores. I got mine at Staples. After printing and trimming the covers so no white paper shows, I glue them to fairly thin chipboard cut to 5.5” x 7.5”.

Once I have my covers done, I prepare the inside pages. I make the inside pages in Microsoft Publisher. Publisher allows me to make a mini booklet of sorts with my pages and I can keep the same page format from page to page with it. I found it to be the easiest program to use for this purpose.  When I design my pages I include a half-inch margin on the left-hand edge to account for the binding. Some of the pages I include are my travel itinerary with flight and hotel confirmation numbers, park hours, dining reservations, and Disney phone numbers. I also like to include a daily highlights page for each day of my trip, so I can write down what we did everyday. This definitely makes it a great reference tool for my journaling when I get around to scrapping each trip. I also like to put in the scavenger hunt challenge list, so I can check off items as I take photos of them.  Once I am finished with all of my pages I print them out.

The last item I make for my journal is a couple of folder pages. I use these to hold items like tickets to special events, post card stamps and photopass cards. They can also be used to hold souvenirs and ephemera on the trip home. I take some cardstock, cut it to 5.5 inches wide and make a fold in it at 7.5 inches, and then cut the flap above the fold at an angle so that when I fold it up an angled pocket is left. I also sometimes just cut the flap straight across, so that I have a straight pocket. I use tacky tape to adhere the right side of the pocket, and the left side is just hole punched and bound with the binding.

Once I have all of the pieces completed I begin the assembly of my journal. First I use my Xyron to laminate the covers of the book. This helps to give the covers just a little more stability. Then using a scrap piece of 5.5’”x 7.5” chipboard I use a Zutter bind-it all to punch holes in my scrap piece, so I can get an idea of where my hole punches are going to go and adjust my alignment if necessary. I then punch holes in the covers and each folder.  I also punch about 5 pages at a time. Once all of the holes are punched, I assemble the journal. Once assembled, I take the front cover and flip it to the back cover, so that my binding teeth end up on the inside of the book. This way they don’t snag on things or pull apart so easily. I slip the bindings into the punched holes and use the Zutter again to pinch closed the binding. Once that is done, I flip my front cover back around and end up with my finished journal. If you do not have a binder like the Zutter then you can also bring your covers and pages to any office supply store, like Staples, and they will laminate and bind a book for you.

I hope you have enjoyed my hybrid tutorial today. If you try to make one for yourself I would love to see it!

Julie