The Gratitude Project | A DIY Minibook/Journal Documenting Thankfulness in November
I love the concept of documenting a daily gratitude during the month of November. There are so many things to be thankful for each day... I thought about this a lot when my friend Elise from Feed Your Craft announced her #mythankful30 project last year. She shared a list of prompts and I tried to document something each day that I was thankful for. However, the project quickly became too big for me to keep up with and I fell off the bandwagon after only 14 days. Of course, I was still able to find something I was thankful for each day as the month went on, but I just couldn't find the time to document it with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season plus December Daily taking over.
So this year, when I began to consider how I wanted to document my gratitude, I really wanted to create as much of my project ahead of time to allow myself space to finish the project this time around.
I decided first to document the things that popped into my mind immediately. I began a Google doc and just started typing. Before long, I had a list of sixteen things I was grateful for, each with their own little paragraph. I smiled. That was a start!
Instead of documenting something each day, I decided to take the pressure off myself and use what I had already typed as a basis for my project. That way, when I wanted to fill gaps, I could refer to Elise's prompt list as inspiration.
I began printing my list of gratitudes on my home printer on heavy weight card stock. I then folded them in half and scored down the center. I layered my pages and used a kraft paper card stock for the cover. I used my brand new Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut a leaf in the bottom corner.
Products shown include the Cozy collection from Paislee Press
Already, I loved how the project was taking shape.
Next, I began looking through my stash to select various washi tapes, stickers and embellishments that had an autumnal feel. After that, I selected some of my favorite digital collections from One Little Bird, Paislee Press and Sahlin Studio to print and cut from.
So far, I've found three evenings after work to create simple little pages in my mini book. I'm enjoying the project immensely this time around and I don't feel bad if I've skipped a day (or three!). I'm using my Instax Printer to print photos here and there, like this one, from Nov. 8th when my husband and I went to vote.
4x6 quote card from We R Memory Keepers and tiny acrylic stars from Color Cast Designs
Products shown include the Turning Leaves collection from One Little Bird
Products show include the Friendsgiving collection from Paislee Press, wood veneer from Felicity Jane.
I can't wait to find more time to work on this little book. For the first time ever, I'm actually loving the feel of a book that isn't page protected. (see my failed DIY #LittleSummerJoy traveler's notebook).
What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear from you and feel free to include a link to your own November projects in the comments!
Products Used: White Heavyweight Cardstock from Hobby Lobby | Kraft Cardstock from Hobby Lobby | Various journal cards from Project Life and We R Memory Keepers | Digital elements from Paislee Press and One Little Bird.
