61 Ideas for Collage Fodder and Junk Journaling Materials + Prepping my Comp Notebook Art Journal!

[@rebeccaspalding6132]

This video is full of so many tips and tricks that are so useful for a newbie.

[@artsyerinlife]

Yay! 😁

[@missyb.623]

I had to smile. My children are 30-38. I am still using paper and notebooks from when we home schooled!

[@artsyerinlife]

Haha! Yup. Many a notebooks we did start....

[@miarenee6703]

You have given me an EXCELLENT IDEA for what I can do with a lot of my mom’s old shopping lists and pages that she doodled on that I found and haven’t been able to part with ❤ even though she’s been gone for 14 years I just cannot part with them 😢 so incorporating them in my journals is a great way to keep them in a useful way to honor her memory. I’m so happy to have found your channel today. New subscriber here 😊

[@artsyerinlife]

I love that! I love it when we can take a piece of our lives or the ones we love and incorporate it into our journals! Thanks for subscribing. Hope you find lots of inspiration.

[@littlecanvases]

Lamberts! (love those throwd rolls :-) )

[@dechinta]

7:59 I love using book pages in collage. Especially books in a foreign language which can be found in thrift stores, library bookstores, etc. 12:40 I also love children's books! I used to make those Badge-A-Minit pins and magnets and would get old children's books at the public library and oh my gosh, some of the pics are so colorful and fun! I sell books on Ebay and there are often many I can't sell for whatever reason and I have, at times, thrown out thousands of books at one time. Now I'm seeing myself making 1,000,000 collage journals! LOL 25:09 I have gotten the white coffee filters and used several Sharpie colors and then sprayed it with alcohol and it makes the best tie-dye circles. I also had some white fabric buttons and I did the same thing with those, put Sharpie colors on them and then sprayed them with alcohol, making tie-dyed buttons. I put the buttons on top of a coffee filter and once the buttons were done, the filter underneath had an interesting design on it too. I'm also collaging some of the walls in my house. I will never get it done because I'm disabled and older than when I started it 20 years ago, but it was fun and who knows what I might end up doing later on in my life. My bedroom, I started collaging pages from an Ernest Hemingway book translated into German. I have a border that I plan to put at the very top of the wall that has old, old books on it. In my kitchen, I've been using gold tissue paper, gold lace, just anything gold. Oh etc!

[@artsyerinlife]

Oh wow! Great ideas. I would love to see your walls! That sounds fun!

[@dechinta]

@@artsyerinlife I started working on them 20 years ago and only got in the beginning stage. And now I'm older and I am disabled, so I don't know if I will ever get it done, but I love looking at it and remembering the dream.

[@sandyvanderlinde237]

Very nice, I would never of thought of a composition book. Love the Fodder ideas, I have just started making a jar full as my extra Ephemera. Nice to use in Eclectic journals.

[@artsyerinlife]

I find the comp books just the right size for me and just the right price! 😆

[@bonitawilder5567]

You gave some excellent idea, thank you so much 👍🏻

[@artsyerinlife]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@kerry4987]

This is THE BEST junk journal demo I have ever seen! 😁 Thank you!

[@artsyerinlife]

Wow! That's quite a compliment. Thank you. I'm glad you found it useful!

[@miarenee6703]

I agree, and it’s doable for those of us who are beginners 😊

[@miarenee6703]

This makes me want to go thrift shopping for music books

[@creativebeanart]

Easily one of the better idea videos I've seen in awhile. Thank you 😊 Edit: my work colleague use a diary as a to-do list, I grab that at the end of the year and use that as collage and journal material.

[@artsyerinlife]

Thank you!!! That's a great idea!

[@jinifirsauer5459]

Great video! I’ve also just recently used pages from an art supply shop and some gorgeous looking wine labels I was able to remove from the bottle. I’ve also tried gluing down some interfacing ( from sewing supplies). It added nice texture. TFS!

[@artsyerinlife]

Those are some great ideas!

[@lesawilliams139]

Glad I found you, was getting bogged down by the typical junk journaling MB and Wawa’s just burned out and lost interest. Then enters you . Exciting to see more videos. So thank you very much!

[@sandracreatesstudio]

Thanks Erin

[@erinsummer2781]

Wonderful list, thank you. I will save it for later. One item I'd like to add is washi tape. I like to use the rolls I'm not that fond of since they will get covered up.

[@artsyerinlife]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@doriewheeler8040]

Wonderful ideas. I just threw away a shopping list. Everything gets put on a list, things to complete, books to read, books i have read. I need to start collecting my lists. Thank you for sharing your ideas. I appreciate your time and talent. 😊

[@artsyerinlife]

Thanks for watching! I hope you have fun making art with your lists. 😁

[@laurastanford5271]

Thank you very much for sharing all of these ideas. One of the most helpful videos I have watched.

[@artsyerinlife]

Great! Glad you found it helpful!

[@desertdweller8374]

Wonderful new ideas and reminders of ones I've forgotten about. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@artsyerinlife]

Thanks for watching 👀 🙂

[@RandallHarris142]

What a spectacular video with tons of ideas! Thanks so much for making this!

[@artsyerinlife]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@lisasremnant]

I’m so glad your channel popped up on my feed. I really appreciate your suggestions on what can be used.

[@artsyerinlife]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@lesawilliams139]

Those 2pages or spiral notebook paper would be a beautiful journal covers; with the pinks, yellows, etc . Had a lot of detailed work on them

[@artsyerinlife]

great idea

[@brendahuggins7994]

Thank you I have lots of those items & now I know where to put them!!

[@artsyerinlife]

Great!

[@ginacarnahan7448]

Collaging backgrounds is my favorite part of making art

[@artsyerinlife]

Right?! Every stage is fun. 🥰

[@bozomahoney]

I am going to start scanning my store receipts and also keep my grocery lists. Great idea; thanks !!

[@Duxdlwy]

Just use the originals.

[@artsyerinlife]

So, for years, I saved every receipt. Just threw it in an envelope labeled with the month. A few months ago, I realized that most of the receipts I would never need. Now I only keep receipts for returnable items or business expenses. But there's no reason to keep grocery, gas or events. Imight hang on to grocery receipts for a few days in case something was bad, but we definitely don't need to save them all. 🙂

[@bozomahoney]

@@Duxdlwy they fade to nothing

[@Around_the_253]

Thank you for such wonderful ideas!

[@DanielleBatog]

This was a great informative video. Thanks for the inspiration ❤

[@artsyerinlife]

Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful.

[@susanstemmet607]

Thank you for your wonderful ideas. Really looking forward to when you start working on this art journal. Taking this chance to hope you had a Blessed Christmas and wishing you a Peaceful and Joyful 2025.

[@artsyerinlife]

Thank you. Blessings to you!

[@denisegardner2373]

This is an awesome video. Your work is beautiful. I'm very inspired. TFS. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas 🎄

[@artsyerinlife]

I'm so glad you're inspired! 🥰

[@craftedbymaia-cg4jj]

Brilliant! ❤❤❤❤❤ thank you for sharing

[@artsyerinlife]

You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful!

[@gailoliver5676]

Very interesting and creative!

[@kayeganann5237]

I also lived in NWA. Glad I found you on you tube. I have also used a composition notebook, but you have given me some new ideas! Merry Christmas!

[@artsyerinlife]

Howdy Neighbor! 😁

[@VictoriaPaxton]

Wowwww....great ideas. Thank you

[@artsyerinlife]

You're welcome!

[@mommerang]

Thank you for such a comprehensive list of ideas. It’s inspiring. I like how you also mentioned some ideas about “how to” background collage with the different substrates. For example, you mentioned that the pieces could be glued down in different directions or more lined up in vertical/horizontal directions. You also tore most of your pieces, but I’m sure some were also cut with scissors. So, I want to add another “how to” idea by suggesting the papers be cut into geometric shapes, such as squares, circles, hexagons, and laid out in an overlapping pattern with no white space, or in a grid type pattern with white space around each shape. You can even cut a specific shape into different sizes and from different colors. For example, I’ve watched one collage artist cut squares from maps and glue them in a grid across her plain background, with white space around each square. Then she used the whole grid for collaging one work of art, which was different than the typical grid collage that I’ve seen.

[@artsyerinlife]

That’s a great idea about cutting the paper into geometric shapes! And the grid idea, I'm trying to visualize that. Is it like grid journaling, but instead of blocking off sections with tape and painting, you start with the collage pieces? Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. 🙂

[@shelleye9689]

Great video. Thanks for sharing all your ideas. It's all been very inspiring.

[@artsyerinlife]

So glad!

[@nevermorrowarts]

Thank you for so many great ideas!

[@artsyerinlife]

You're welcome!

[@bmoses1014]

Great ideas! Thanks!

[@artsyerinlife]

You're welcome!

[@valerieb8006]

awesome background ideas! especially the homework, receipts, shopping lists, old cookbooks! fabulous!...I Have coloring books I don't care for and they would be great for a background....in the past I have heard people complain of modpodge being sticky after it dries.. you apparently have not experienced this?? ....ooh, I like the computer misprint page!...I have used , USED coffee filters. It is fabulously dyed with all kinds of designs, looks very grungy. Thanks!..Merry Christmas!

[@artsyerinlife]

Thanks! 😁 I haven't had trouble with sticking for some reason. 🤷‍♀️

[@cherylmacedo5521]

Well hello. New Subscriber here Happy New Year !!

[@artsyerinlife]

Hello Cheryl. Thanks for subscribing. Happy New Year to you!

[@bonitawilder5567]

Love your work, I’m just learning to collage. So once I have all my pages covered with interesting stuff, how do you determine what to add for pictures or what ever, I don’t have a very creative imagination 😂

[@artsyerinlife]

I usually work one step at a time as opposed to trying to visualize the end goal. So next, smear some paint... then stencil, then stamp, maybe add more layers of collage, some writing or lettering (asemic is non-legible), doodles, marks... play... Take chances. Make mistakes... Have fun!

[@ancestorseekor9711]

Thanks for this wonderful list! I feel so inspired! How do you get such great junk mail?

[@artsyerinlife]

Idk 😆

[@christiconant9756]

I loved these ideas, Erin! Maybe you said and I missed it but how many pages do you take out of the composition book?

[@artsyerinlife]

Usually, about 15-20, I think. In the end, after gluing 2 pages back to back, I usually end up with about 40 spreads.

[@dawnd9222]

You must be close to my neck of the Ozark woods. I live near Joplin and have Daylight Donuts. When you were talking tornado were you referring to Joplins? This video popped up at a perfect time. I was going to start my comp notebook backgrounds #3. Its pretty time-consuming. Great video.

[@artsyerinlife]

I'm in Northwest Arkansas. We had a tornado hit Rogers last May. I've got friends in Joplin. 🙂 The KZbin wizards must've known you were starting your next comp book. 😆

[@Arkansascrazyquilter]

Hmm... I'm another Dawn from the Ozarks who journals in compo books. This video popped up in my feed yesterday too. I'm also ready to start a new compo book journal, but I do what I call rebound journals using the compo book covers, some of the paper and lots of other papers.

[@dawnd9222]

I saw the terrible damage in Rodgers. A lot of my co workers love shopping in Rodgers. We had a small tornado in Carrhage and it demolished so many of our trees. Well over a hundred in our popular park. It was a rough year on trees. I am so tickled to find you . I love your ideas.

[@rebeccaspalding6132]

Which glue do use to stick the pages together? I will definitely doing this so my pages are a lil more durable. 😊

[@artsyerinlife]

I use regular Elmer's school glue; both wet or glue stick. If the pages start to peel apart in the corners a little, I just re-glue them. It's not a big problem, though. Especially when you embrace all the wrinkles and imperfections of a cheap composition notebook.

[@sallycapotosto6927]

Very cool. Good to know. Typically I'm a throw-awayer and never keep anything. I probably should change my ways, huh? I follow a colorist whose channel is called Doodle Robot who is wanting to start collaging. I told her about your channel so I hope she checks you out. 💜

[@artsyerinlife]

As a declutter coach, my only caution is: limit the volume you keep, so you don't end up with too much clutter. But for sure play around and see what you might repurpose for art! 😊

[@sallycapotosto6927]

@@artsyerinlife "Declutter coach"?!? 🤯 Don't worry - I've long been a disciple of "if you don't love it; if it doesn't bring you joy - toss it! BUT, that also means I don't have a lot around to use in collage. Hence - I don't do a lot of collage. But I love it. I love what you've done with your collage pages. It is cool that you show all the different "things" that count as collage papers. I appreciate that.

[@juliebey8240]

Wonderful ideas! I made a list. 😊 The things that you were hesitant on using like your beautiful artwork that you did you can also scan it and use copies of it and keep your originals. Not sure if you’re familiar with Margarete Miller’s collage challenge. She has a lot of great videos with focal points and ticket prompts to help you when you’re stuck. It’s helped me amount immeasurably 😊

[@artsyerinlife]

Thanks! I will check out Margarete's challenge. I am thinking of doing Catherine Rain's 10 day collage challenge that starts Jan 1.

[@alicethomson6342]

lots of good ideas! Do you tear any pages out or glue any together before covering?

[@artsyerinlife]

Yes, I tear some out and glue 2 pages back to back. I usually end up with around 40 page spreads.

[@alicethomson6342]

@ Thank you!🎄🎄🎄

[@jenniferrux7722]

Erin, did you glue two pages together? I'm excited to see what you come up with for these pages.

[@artsyerinlife]

Yes I did glue 2 pages back to back. 👍

[@jenniferrux7722]

@@artsyerinlife I just got to that part of the video. :) Thank you.

[@TruthMonger101]

Happy holidays. You've probably answered this questiona million times, but how do you keep your pages from sticking.

[@artsyerinlife]

I haven't really had trouble with sticking. I know there are powders and waxes you can rub on top.

[@nicoleschmitt2579]

Do you glue pages together? First time on your channel. You have a video showing the process from scratch?

[@artsyerinlife]

Hi. Welcome. Yes. First, I remove several pages from the comp book so it won't be so thick. I use regular school glue - either wet or stick to glue two pages back to back. Sometimes they will peel apart a little, but that's the nature of cheap materials, and it's easy to fix with a little more glue. 😉 Also, if you are starting with collage, the pages will get reinforced that way too. My very first comp book video might have showed this process.

[@artsyerinlife]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpvLZ5uEnddgfMk

[@Melissa_Melissa_503]

I like to use foreign language Books, telephone books, old encyclopedia s

[@artsyerinlife]

Oh! I love the idea of foreign language books.

[@susansimpson3395]

I remember my mom cooking brains and kidneys. I could smell them coming home from school.

[@artsyerinlife]

😄 Were they tasty?

[@doubleblessings-royalcrowr1669]

1. Food can labels!!!! No one seems to use them, but I can't help myself, I save them. Any paper packaging products, 2. there seems to be a printers color check panel tucked into the box flaps, I cut those off too, they make great borders and tabs.

[@artsyerinlife]

Those are great ideas! I haven't thought of the printer color check panel. 🤔🙂

[@Arkansascrazyquilter]

I have food can labels sprinkled throughout my journals. It's interesting seeing old ones that we don't eat anymore.

[@suitelady1749]

Did you remove any pages from the Composition book before you started? Did you glue pages together? TFS!

[@artsyerinlife]

Yes, I did. It helps to make it not quite as bulky. And yes, I glue two pages back to back. 🙂

[@Wildsobermama26]

Do you rip pages out? If so, how many do you start with?

[@artsyerinlife]

Yes, I thinned it out. I'm not at home to count, but when I glue 2 pages back to back. I have had about 40 spreads.

[@telenaeldridge3737]

Thank you for so many great ideas!

[@lesawilliams139]

Glad I found you, was getting bogged down by the typical junk journaling MB and Wawa’s just burned out and lost interest. Then enters you . Exciting to see more videos. So thank you very much!

[@artsyerinlife]

Glad I could provide a fresh perspective. 😁 Okay.... I'm feeling clueless, what does MB stand for?

[@lesawilliams139]

@@artsyerinlife I’m sorry; master boards, really thought I heard you say in one of your videos. Or you might have called it something different

[@artsyerinlife]

@lesawilliams139 oh right!! 😆