Kid’s Journal Album – An Easy DIY & Free Printables

If you have summer vacation or travelling with the kids coming up, this kid’s journal album is an amazing tool for your child to record their vacation memories!

I wanted to get my kids their own journals for summer vacation. I looked for the little school journals with a blank top half and lined bottom half, so they could draw or write a journal entry each day. Well where I live, there are basically no school supplies to be found in May — they arrive in late July or August.

So I worked my hamster wheel to come up with a similar journal I could make myself, in the easiest way possible. Here’s what I came up with.

I took a photo album for 100 4×6 photos (2 per page) and added 4×6 index cards that are ruled on one side and blank on the other.

I painted the photo album cover with acrylic craft paint and added the cover title card “My Summer Memories.” I also made monthly title cards for June, July, August and September.

And voila! A summer journal album that’s even better than the original journal I had in mind.

The cover is more durable, the pages are better protected, and it’s more versatile because any slot could be a drawing card, a writing card, or a photo!

When I realized how perfect this is for a kid’s memory journal, and also how affordable and easy it is for anyone to do, I knew I had to share this with you all!

Your child can draw pictures, write notes or stories, and include photos, for each day of their vacation (or more or less often as they want).

Plus, you can make this very easily for under five dollars!

Let’s go through how to make it yourself.

DIY Kid’s Journal Album Tutorial

A quick note — painting the album cover is totally optional, but it’s a great way to personalize it for your child and make it special to them. I painted mine in each of my girls’ favorite colors. You could even get your kid to do the cover makeover, to really make it their own.

Materials:

• 4×6 photo album
• 4×6 ruled index cards
• Cardstock (for cover card and/or monthly cards, if using)
• Acrylic paint, your choice of color
• Craft sponge brush
• Painter’s tape
• Craft sealer (Mod Podge, Decou-Page, etc)
• Washi tape
• Scissors
• New pen

Instructions:

1. Print and trim out the album title card and monthly title cards.

2. Tape over the album spine with painter’s tape. (I didn’t paint the spine because I thought the paint would crack with bending.) If you want you can also tape off the inside edge to paint as well.

3. Use the sponge brush to first paint the inside edge (optional). Then prop some jars or whatever you have under the album to give you space to paint the outside cover. Make a good solid coat to cover so you won’t need two coats. Let dry a couple of hours.

4. With a wet sponge brush for a thinner and smoother application, cover the painted area with craft sealer. Let dry a few hours.

5. Remove the painter’s tape. Add the printable cover title card and frame with Washi tape.

6. Attach a new pen to the front cover with a strip of Washi tape.

7. Finally, fill the album pockets with the index cards and the monthly title cards (these can be moved around as needed).

This kid’s journal album would be a really special gift. You could include a disposable camera or kid’s camera, or a pack of crayons, colored pencils or felts.

Depending on your child’s age and interests, they may have more drawings, or more photos, or more writing, and that’s the best part! This album is so flexible — it works for many ages and stages, and they choose how they want to record their memories.

Why A Kid’s Journal Album Is Awesome

Journaling is a great way for kids to enjoy some quiet time during a busy vacation, and to reflect on their exciting experiences that will become precious childhood memories.

As they record their daily activities and thoughts at the end of each day, they’re able to retain the fresh details for more vivid memories. And they may even become more aware of their experiences as they happen, as they try to notice details and appreciate the life that they’ll journal about.

Alright, it’s time for me to stop talking about it and you to start making it!

First up, grab the free printable cover title card and monthly cards! These free printables are for my blog followers, so if you’d like to download them just follow my blog here and I’ll hook you up 🙂

Before you go, tell me how you’ll be using your kid’s journal album – for summer break, a family vacation, as a gift? Please leave a comment I would love to hear from you!

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