How to Make Art Journals out of Envelopes

Last month I did a fun workshop with a wonderful group of daycare workers. They were a dedicated and creative group and a real pleasure to work with. In a previous blog post, I showed pictures of an art journal I made from envelopes. This seemed like a perfect project for a group that had just finished a long day with a bunch of lively children. They could modify the project and do it with the kids at a later date and their adult journals could be sophisticated enough to satisfy the daycare workers. The journals are also simple enough that they could be finished in a 2 hour workshop.

Begin by gluing the flap of one envelope to the bottom of another envelope, using glue stick rather than licking them, which just tastes nasty. Make sure the envelopes line up together perfectly. The maximum number of envelopes that you want to use are six. This is because you will be adding collage paper and folding the envelopes and they will become too bulky if you have any more. Fold the envelopes accordion style, so that when completely folded, the journal looks like a single envelope. Once you have worked out this configuration, you can begin collaging both sides of the journal. You can also make little collages and treasures to put inside the envelope pockets, or use them to store letters, stamps and secret notes!