Last Updated on April 16, 2023 by Ellen Christian
I decided to learn how to make a gratitude journal to help remind myself to act with kindness. Find out how to make an easy paper bag journal.
Posts may be sponsored. This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to Make a Gratitude Journal
I know we all know that’s how we should act but sometimes we get busy, we get stressed, we get overtired or we just don’t think about what we’re saying before we say it. Have you ever had something happen and the first thing that pops into your head is what’s wrong with or why it bothers you?
Can you turn it around and make it something you’re grateful for instead? Maybe you have a deadline at work and your child has interrupted you for the one-hundredth time that morning? Don’t think about the interruption. Think about how grateful you are to have a child to interrupt you.
When I was trying to figure out how to make a gratitude journal, I wanted to find something easy. I don’t have a lot of special bookmaking tools and supplies. This isn’t something I do all the time so I didn’t want to invest a lot of money into it. Thankfully, I remembered that you can make journals from paper bags and decided to try it that way.
Materials:
- 6 to 10 paper lunch bags
- Hole punch
- Ribbon to bind
- Things to embellish your book (stickers, brads, eyelets, scrapbook items, bows, paper)
Directions:
- Take your paper lunch bags and set them on top of each other, alternating directions.
- Fold them in half to create the pages in the book & press firmly on the fold which will be the spine.
- Punch 3 holes in the spine. This is where you will bind them.
- Cut scrapbook paper or book board if you have it to the size of your book and place one on the front and one on the back. Punch matching holes. This is the cover.
- Tie each hole tightly with ribbon. You can use an eyelet in each if you have them but it’s not required.
- Decorate the cover in whatever theme you like
Now that you know how to make a gratitude journal, you can begin doodling, writing or decorating the pages inside. Each time you find yourself thinking about something or someone in an unkind way, remember to use your gratitude journal to turn those thoughts around. I hope these gratitude journal ideas have inspired you.
Related Reading
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
17 thoughts on “Make a Gratitude Journal from a Paper Lunch Bag”