Record family memories in this beautiful DIY Mom and Dad Journal! It’s two journals in one! Using a blank composition book and decorative papers, you can make this keepsake gift today!

Our Xyron Design Team has partnered with Paper House Productions this week, sharing family-themed papercrafts!

I was in a gift shop recently and saw some very pretty journals for Moms and Dads to record their family stories — the special moments, the funny episodes, the eye-rolling scenes, and the grab-your-tissues memories that make up a family history.

I thought it was such a neat idea, but the price seemed a bit much.

When I received the One Big Happy Family collection from Paper House Productions, I knew I would make my own Mom and Dad Journal!

As you’ll see below, all of the papers coordinate so well with the stickers and mixed cards. There are so many good quotes and phrases to cut out as well, to personalize this journal in the perfect way for your own parents.

FTC Disclaimer: I’ve received products/compensation as part of the Xyron Design Team. This Mom and Dad Journal, however, is 100% my own project! Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. I explain more here.

Supplies:

• Xyron® Creative Station
• Xyron® Mega Runner
• Xyron® 1.5″ Sticker Maker
• One Big Happy Family Papercrafting Kit (Paper House)
• One Big Happy Family Mixed Card Pack (Paper House)
• One Big Happy Family Cardstock Stickers (Paper House)
• Scissors
• 1″ circle hole punch
• Blank composition book or journal

Record family memories in this beautiful DIY Mom and Dad Journal!

It all starts with a blank composition book, which is easy to find at the local dollar store. You could also use any type of blank book or journal for this purpose too.

Cover the covers!

The first thing to do is — once you decide on which pretty papers you want to use from this amazing One Big Happy Family paper collection — is to cover the front and the back covers of the composition book.

Adhere the floral paper to the front cover using the Xyron Mega Runner. Trim the floral paper edges to match up with edge of composition book, by slowly cutting along the edge of the book with scissors. (above left)

Repeat the same process using patterned paper for the back cover. (above right)

For the front cover of the journal . . .

Add a faux wood strip along the spine with the Xyron Mega Runner.

Run the “Mom” paper scrap through the Xyron Creative Station and adhere to the cover.

Every time I use my Creative Station I laugh a little bit, because it is amazingly easy to turn paper into stickers! Above left, you can see the “Mom” and “Dad” paper scraps being run through the machine at the same time. Peel off the cover, and you’ve got stickers ready to stick! (above right)

Cut out the “Family is forever” sentiment from the One Big Happy Family Mixed Card pack and adhere it to the bottom of Mom scrap with the Xyron Mega Runner.

Use a 1″ inch circle hole punch for the Home Sweet Home, then run it through the Xyron Sticker Maker and attach to cover.

Add a floral sticker to overlap the paper elements, then add “our story” stickers to the bottom of the cover.

For the back cover of the journal . . . 

Add a faux wood strip along the spine with the Xyron Mega Runner.

Run the “Dad” paper scrap through the Xyron Creative Station and adhere to the cover.

Take the adorable house frame from the One Big Happy Family Mixed Card pack and run it through the Xyron Creative Station.

You know what’s great? The Creative Station will only apply adhesive where it should. In other words, if you look at the paper “sticker” below — there is no Xyron adhesive anywhere in the middle of the open house shape! So cool!

Attach the house shape just below the “Dad” scrap and to the right a bit.

Add floral stickers from the One Big Happy Family Cardstock Stickers, as well as the Home Sweet Home sticker.

Cut out “family is everything” phrase and run it through the Xyron 1.5″ Sticker Maker, then adhere it inside the house shape.

For the inside front cover . . . 

Cut out and attach patterned paper for the background, exactly the same as for the outside front and back covers.

Adhere decorative quotes using the Xyron Creative Station.

Attach the bird stickers from the One Big Happy Family Cardstock Stickers sheet.

Use the circle punch to cut out floral circles, then run the circles through the Xyron Sticker Maker and attach as shown.

Helpful tip: I found that my 1″ circle hole punch worked well for the paper circle shapes. In some cases, the edges of words were cut off, and in those instances, using scissors is a much better option!

Another helpful tip: I don’t like to waste anything, so those circles that are cut off, above? No problem! I cut those out and used them as well.

Once you run them through the Xyron Sticker Maker, just line up the straight edge with the edge of your cover, and it looks like they belong there! (See what I mean in the next image, below!)

For the inside back cover . . .

I used another of the One Big Happy Family decorative papers for the inside back cover, and then added this awesome quote from the Mixed Cards pack. Below that quote is a typewriter cardstock sticker. I cut out the various words and phrases you see on the page, as well as the cork-looking circles that I referenced above.

For the blank journal pages . . .

Above you can see the inside cover and first page of the journal. Why not motivate Mom to start writing by giving her a wonderful definition of herself? She will love it!

Below, I used the half-way point in the composition book to begin the Dad section. Again, giving him a great quote will soften him up to begin writing!

A better option? If you truly wanted to do a blank journal that you could “flip” over, I’d suggest using a blank book rather than one with lined pages. If I had used a book without lines, then the “Dad” portion of the book could start at the back of the book and work toward the middle. Make sense?

Every four or five pages, add a decorative sticker from the One Big Happy Family Cardstock Sticker sheet . . .

Then, go back through the book and on different pages from above, add meaningful phrases and quotes to the bottom . . .

Here’s a few more examples, because there are so many wonderful sentiments in this Paper House collection . . .

And now you’ve got the perfect journal for your Mom . . .

And just by flipping it over, you’ve got one for your Dad as well!

This Mom and Dad Journal makes a sweet keepsake gift! And it’s such a great way to have your parents record family stories — especially the little moments that we sometimes forget, yet which can be so meaningful!

Paper House and Xyron Prize Pack Giveaway!

We are giving away a special Paper House/Xyron prize pack over on the Xyron Facebook page for one lucky person! Head over there for all of the details!

And for even more fun?

Visit the Paper House Productions blog, to enter their special giveaway too!

Happy crafting!

~Laura