How to start a travel journal
A travel journal is more than a collection of notes—it’s a portal back to the spice-laden breeze of a market in Marrakech, the stillness of dawn over the Grand Canyon, the animated conversations of strangers who became friends in a Tokyo izakaya. The best ones capture not just where you’ve been, but how those places made you feel.
Choose Your Medium
Are you a purist who loves the scratch of pen on paper, or do you prefer a sleek digital notebook? A classic Moleskine is a timeless companion, while apps like Day One let you add photos and geotags. Find what suits your style and commit to it.
Write Beyond the Itinerary
Dates and destinations are easy to track, but the magic is in the details. Sunlight glinting off whitewashed terraces in Santorini, steam curling from a bowl of Vietnamese pho, lanterns swaying in the evening breeze—these are the moments that make a journey unforgettable. Let your senses take the lead.
Collect Mementos
Ticket stubs, pressed flowers, café napkins scribbled with directions—these small souvenirs turn your journal into a living scrapbook. Paste them in, sketch a quick scene, or describe them in a way that sparks memory.
Be Consistent, Not Rigid
You don’t need to write every day, but make it a habit. Jot down thoughts while waiting for a train or after a long day of exploring. A few sentences can be just as evocative as a long entry.
Let It Evolve
Your journal should grow with you. Over time, it might become a mix of reflections, packing lists, or even poems inspired by new landscapes. However you shape it, make it a place where your travels are always preserved.
Elevate Your Travel Journal into an Art Journal
A travel journal captures moments, but an art journal transforms them. By layering sketches, textures, and mixed media, you can turn your journal into a visual diary that breathes with the energy of your journey. Here’s how to add depth and personality to your pages.
Sketch the World Around You
Even if you’re not an artist, quick sketches bring a journal to life. Capture the curve of a Parisian balcony, the silhouette of a camel against the Moroccan dunes, or the intricate tiles of a Lisbon café. Use pencil for soft lines, ink for drama, or watercolors for dreamy landscapes.
Play with Layers
Think beyond words—incorporate materials that add texture and depth. Paste in museum tickets, restaurant coasters, dried flowers, or even fabric swatches from a local market. Use washi tape or vintage stamps to frame moments like tiny works of art.
Experiment with Typography
Your handwriting is part of the story. Mix styles—bold block letters for city names, delicate cursive for poetic thoughts. Try hand-lettering quotes you overheard or phrases from a new language you picked up along the way.
Use Color to Set the Mood
A splash of watercolor can evoke a golden Santorini sunset or the moody blues of a monsoon in India. Smudge charcoal for city shadows, blend pastels for soft memories, or create vibrant backgrounds to mirror the energy of a bustling market.
Collage and Mixed Media
Layer in newspaper clippings, doodles, or polaroids. Experiment with transparency by writing on vellum or layering translucent washi paper. Let your journal evolve into a piece of art, a sensory scrapbook that captures not just places, but the emotions they stirred.
Mixed Media and Collage in Travel Journaling
Mixed media and collage bring an immersive, tactile quality to your travel journal, turning it into a sensory experience rather than just a record of events. By layering materials, you can evoke the textures, colors, and emotions of your journey in a way that words alone cannot.
Start by collecting ephemera—maps, postcards, food wrappers, ticket stubs, even pressed flowers from a walk in Tuscany. These fragments of your travels add authenticity and nostalgia. Use glue sticks or matte gel medium to affix them to your pages, overlapping pieces for a layered effect.
Experiment with different textures. Acrylic paints add bold color, while watercolor creates soft, atmospheric washes. Try using coffee stains or tea washes for an aged, vintage feel. Fabric swatches, lace, or sandpaper can add unexpected dimensions.
To create contrast, incorporate transparencies—write on tracing paper, layer vellum sheets, or use washi tape for semi-translucent effects. Stamping, ink transfers, and stencils add visual interest, while bold magazine cutouts and newspaper headlines can give your pages a graphic, editorial feel.
There are no rules in mixed media journaling—let intuition guide you. Each page becomes a small canvas, capturing not just where you went, but how it felt to be there.
Enhance Your Travel Journal with Tim Holtz Products
Tim Holtz’s vintage-inspired products add depth and character to any travel journal, making it feel like a beautifully curated keepsake. Whether you love layering textures, creating distressed effects, or adding interactive elements, his collections provide endless possibilities.
Start with Idea-ology, a treasure trove of vintage ephemera, metal embellishments, and distressed paper elements. Use ephemera packs filled with antique tickets, old maps, and typewritten snippets to bring a nostalgic touch to your pages. Tiny metal charms and bookplates add dimension and a tactile feel.
For color and texture, turn to Ranger Ink. The Distress Inks and Oxide Inks are perfect for aging pages, creating watercolor effects, and adding depth with blending techniques. Try stamping with Stampers Anonymous rubber stamps—whether it’s old-world script, postal marks, or travel motifs, these stamps add authentic vintage details.
To create die cuts and embossed elements, use Sizzix. Their steel-rule dies and embossing folders let you cut intricate designs from paper, leather, or fabric, adding extra layers to your journal.
Lastly, Tonic Studios offers precision tools like crafting scissors, trimmers, and mixed-media adhesives to help assemble your pages seamlessly. With these products, your travel journal transforms into a rich, layered work of art.
