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101 art journal prompts with free tutorials, inspiration & product recommendations
11:56 PM
Hey there sweet friend,
Are you interested in art journaling and not sure where to begin? Not new,
but in need of some creative inspiration?
These 101+ art journal prompts are just the thing to help you get your
creative juices flowing!
Included in this list are links to tutorials, and product recommendations to
help you get started. Keep in mind, though, you do not need to spend a lot
of money to start this journey. As a beginner, I encourage you to be as
thrifty as possible as you learn, and then, later on after you have built up a
bit of confidence, feel free to purchase supplies you are interested in using.
Links to product recommendations are products that I love and
recommend to my own family and friends.
Here are some guidelines to remember as you begin {or continue!} your art
journaling journey:
1. Perfectionism is not permitted.
2. Comparison of others is not permitted.
3. Respecting where you are in your own personal journey is required.
4. Courage to step out of your comfort zone is required.
5. Finding joy in the process is encouraged.
6. Supporting one another with love & friendship is mandatory.
7. Using simple supplies and household items you have on hand are all you need to get started.
8. Expensive supplies are not required, thriftiness is encouraged.
9. FINISH WHAT YOU START! <--- the most difficult, but most beneficial step!
Here’s to making beautiful messes, sweet friend! Be sure to check out our
art journaling inspiration.
101+ art journal prompts including links to tutorials & product recommendations:
These do include affiliate links, and I will receive a small commission from any purchase made through these links, at no additional cost to you. If you choose to make a purchase via these links my family and I offer a heartfelt THANK YOU!
1. Use letters and numbers. {magazine clippings, stamps, stencils, hand lettering}
2. Add washi tape. {What is Washi Tape? Find out how to make your own here or here, inspiration}
3. Add handmade stamp designs. {Use these foam sheets with adhesive to attach to cardboard or wood block, DIY Fast & Easy Stamps, DIY Foam Printing Plate Stamps, Printmaking for Kids, How to Make Your Own Foam Stamps}
4. Color and make marks with crayons. Nothing beats Crayola, here is the ultimate set! {Crayon Resist, Gelli Printing with Crayon Resist, Watercolor & Crayon Resist Painting, Creativity with Crayons}
5. Add collage scraps of old book pages. {old books at home, thrift stores, yard/garage sales, old hymnals, music sheets, inspiration}
6. Include a bird {draw, stencil, or stamp - or do an internet search for ideas, use magazine or book clipping}.
7. Experiment with pan pastels, these are fabulous for soft beautiful backgrounds. {PanPastel and Soft Tools Tips and Techniques, Using Pan Pastels in an Art Journal with Carolyn Dube, Ins and Outs of Pan Pastels, How to use PanPastels}
8. Add personal childhood photo (age 3 or older).
9. Accent, write or draw using a white pen. {adds a dash of POP!}
10. Use thread and hand-stitch.
11. Hand-stitch or glue fabric scraps.
12. Try out a new resist technique. {for various techniques click here}
13. Add index cards (if you purchase index cards that are flimsy, just glue a few together).
14. Create some monograms. {Zenspirations A-Z Monograms Printable}
15. Tear and glue down map scraps.
16. Make a simple mini-accordian book.
17. Add some glitter or handmade confetti.
18. Make marks with markers {sharpies, Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pen Set}
19. Use primary colors only. {color wheel}
20. Add strips of music paper (visit your local thrift store for great deals on music books & hymnals, or find some by searching for vintage public domain images).
21. Make your own paper flowers. {vintage flowers out of book pages, sunflowers, easy paper flowers with jewel ornament}
22. Experiment with oil pastels. {oil pastel techniques}
23. Collage with napkins -great deals at your local thrift store, discount store, dollar store, garage/yard sales.
24. Watercolor with salt resist. {Wet on Wet with Crayon Resist and Salt, Using Salt, Art Journal - Salt Technique}
25. Make and add paper dolls. {DIY Posable Origami Dolls -with FREE Printable, DIY Paper Doll Chain}
26. Enjoy the fun and freedom of finger painting.
27. Make marks or draw with charcoal. {4 tips drawing with charcoal}
28. Add a current or vintage postage stamp.
29. Use party streamers. {Paper flowers made of party streamers}
30. Doodle! {Doodle inspiration}
31. Stamp it! {Using a rubber stamp to make a 3D embellishment example, Stamping Tissue Paper Technique}
33. Use or add cardboard. {Cardboard Printing, DIY Cardboard Bird Embellishments, Cardboard Flowers}
34. Sew.
35. Personal baby photo.
37. Create and add leaf rubbings. {Leaf Rubbing Collage, Make Leaf Rubbing Plates, Leaf Relief}
38. Use various shades of red & pinks.
39. Add buttons. {Button Art, Button Bracelets- cute embellishment idea! Button & Ribbon Bookmark, Simple Paper Clip Bookmark ideas}
40. Staple 3 things into your journal or onto your page/canvas.
41. Use coffee filters. {creative coffee filter ideas, Rainbow Marker Coffee Filters, How to Dye Coffee Filters with Acrylic Paint, How to Dye Coffee Filters with Food Coloring}
42. Make a red, white and blue collage. {or your country's colors}
43. Make ink &/or paint splatters. {inspiration, Straw Blow Ink technique, Splattered Paint Flowers}
44. Use copper metallic paint.
45. Make a digital collage. {How to Make a Digital Collage Using PicMonkey -my favorite tool for making digital collages, and I also like Canva.}
46. Design a family history collage using originals or photocopies of letters/photos/cards. {Family History Collage, Family Tree Collage}
47. Use metal stamping on cardboard. {Metal Letter Stamping on Cardboard Ideas & Inspiration}
48. Add a vintage children's book image. {Viintage images}
49. Use silver metallic paint.
50. Design and add your own trees. {beautiful examples of mixed media trees}
51. Experiment with rubber cement resist. {Watercolor Resist with Rubber Cement}
52. Use Gelatos or Gell Sticks. {Watercoloring Outside the Lines | Top 10 Gelatos Techniques - free class}
53. Incorporate various shades of blues & greens.
54. Get creative with deli paper. {Deli Paper Ideas for Art Journaling, Create a paper stash, Deli Paper Flower Tutorial,
55. Add designs with toilet paper roll stamping. {inspiration}
56. Add a few whimsical houses. {inspiration, Mixed Media Art Collage: Houses}
57. Add doodle patterning & borders. {Patterning Techniques, Patterning Techniques Printable, Doodle Border Handouts, Borders & Frames, Shape & Edge Patterning}
59. Make a pocket, or two, or three.
60. Add some color with colored pencils, watercolor pencils, or water soluble crayons. {Colored Pencils 101, How to use Watercolor Pencils for Beginners, Water Soluble Crayons Tutorial}
61. Add a doily. {Easy Doily Watercolor, inspiration}
62. Try your hand at zentagles. {inspiration}
63. Add, draw or create a paper bunting. {Doodle with Me: Buntings & Banners, Mini Bunting Paper Tutorial}
64. Practice hand lettering by adding a quote, poem or favorite phrases. {The Art of Whimsical Lettering, Artful Lettering tutorials, Simple Hand Lettering for Beginners, Simple Hand Lettering - One Trick, Many Fonts}
65. Use baby wipes in a creative way. {Painting with Baby Wipes and Blending Tools with Dyan Reaveley tutorial}
66. Use and/or design a vintage collage. {Free to use: Simple Childhood Passing Quickly Collage, Creative Chaos Collage, Flowers and Little Girls Collage, Pretty with Pink Collage}
67. Use post-it notes. {Post-It Book example}
68. Use only the colors black and white. {Black & White Art Journal page, Design Memory Craft Black & White Art Journal Page, Art Journal Every Day Black & White Page}
69. Use white, black, clear or heavy Gesso. {What is Gesso? All About Gesso, 10 ways to use Gesso, Jane Davenport: Gesso}
70. Explore and create texture using the plastic wrap technique. {The One Minute Muse, How to Create Painted Texture Using Plastic Wrap, Plastic Wrap Technique ATC}
71. Blow paint and/or ink through straw. {Beautiful Example, The One Minute Muse Straw Blow, Paint Blowing Trees, Cherry Blossom Tree, Blowing Alcohol Inks}
72. Use various shades of purple.
73. Experiment with embossing powder. {Intro Into Embossing Powders, Embossing - The Basics and More, How to Emboss with Stamps}
74. Incorporate a clock into your piece or page.
75. Stamp with your veggies - permission granted to play with your food! {Food Stamping, Printing with Onions, Painting with Fruits & Vegetables, Flowers & Vegetable Printing, How to Make Stamps Using a Potato}
76. Let's do the polka...dots! {inspiration}
77. Add a bit of lace. {inspiration}
78. Add a bit of yarn. {Yarn Weaving on Your Art Journal, How to Make a Tassel, French Knitting Tutorial, French Knitting Inspiration}
79. Paint baby oil over watercolor pencils or colored pencils. {Colored Pencil Baby Oil Blending Tutorial, Intro to Blending Colored Pencils with Baby Oil, Blending with Baby Oil}
80. Add some gold metallic paint.
81. Use various shades of greens and yellows.
82. Add bits and pieces of costume jewelry, beads or ribbon. {How to Make Beads from Aluminum Foil, inspiration, & more inspiration}
83. Add some flowers. {Draw and Doodle Flowers, Watercolor Flowers on Book Pages, inspiration}
84. Spray the page! {Homemade Sprays-Art Journaling, Stenciling FUNdamental using spray inks, Scribble Sprays Technique with Dyan Reaveley, How-to : Sealing Dylusions Ink Sprays (tests and conclusions)}
85. Use tissue paper. {Tissue Paper Stamping, Tissue Paper Decoupage, Tissue Paper Stamping, Tissue Paper Technique and Video Tutorial, Tissue Paper in Mixed Media play list}
86. Add some color with india inks. {Mixed Media Fun with Bombay India Ink, Mixed media fun: Pouring Paint & Stamping Gear tips!}
87. Make and use your own glue gun stencils. {How To Make Stencils With Hot Glue, DIY Stencils with a Hot Glue Gun, Masking Stencil for Mixed Media}
88. Mark your page with bubble wrap. {Art Journal Tutorial & Inspiration - New Beginnings, Art Journal; Mixed Media; "Yes I'm Angry!" Easy bubble wrap background}
89. Use Gelli Plate prints. {Gelli Arts Printing Plate Review and Demo, Using your paper stash, Creative Play: Intro to Gelli Printing, More Gelli® Printing Fun, Gelli Arts Videos}
90. Add layers with stencils. {Balzer Designs Stencils playlist, DIY Playing Card Stencils, DIY Stencil Out of a Plastic Folder, Make Your Own Stencils from Rubbish, Mixed-Media Stencil Techniques by Traci Bautista}
91. Try your hand at ghosting. {Art Journal Technique, Sharpie Ghosting}
92. Add a quote using magazine letters. {quote inspiration}
93. Add a hand-lettered favorite quote. {quote inspiration}
94. Add some hearts. {Mixed Media HEARTS Art Journaling by Traci Bautista, Art Journaling Mixed Media: Neon Heart, Mixed Media Tag, inspiration}
95. Add some bronze metallic paint.
96. Make a splash with watercolor. {Toolbox: 8 Watercolor Techniques for Beginners, Watercolor Techniques for Beginners Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.}
97. Use baby wipes. {Using a Baby Wipe with a Stencil in an Art Journal, Painting with Baby Wipes and Blending Tools with Dyan Reaveley, Stencils Watersoluble Paint & Baby Wipes}
98. Add texture with modeling paste. {How to use Modeling Paste for Texture in Art Journal play list}
99. Design and add an artist trading card (ATC). {Artist Trading Cards for Beginners, Easiest ATC Cards Ever, ATC- Artist Trading Cards playlist}
100. Use masking tape in a creative way. {Masking Tape Magic, Faux Spanish Leather, Claude Monet inspired project, Masking Tape and Art Journaling, Decorating Masking Tape for Art Journals, Masking Tape Art}
101. Use a paper bag in a creative way. {Paper Bag Faux Leather Technique, Painting on brown paper (bag), Paper Bag Crafts (you could adapt some of the ideas to art journaling!), Pocket Letter using Brown Paper Bag}
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