When it comes to honeymoon travel, many brides and grooms come home with a collection of things to save – ticket stubs, postcards, brochures, maps and more. Why not curate something fun to collect and house all of those honeymoon mementos along with jotting down your thoughts and memories? This beautiful DIY honeymoon travel journal is just the thing!

Product List for our DIY Honeymoon Travel Journal

There are several ways to approach journaling, so I suggest getting what speaks most to you. I headed to my local, independent art store in Lynchburg called The Art Box, and they were beyond helpful in aiding my choices. Here is what I purchased along with my reasons below.

• Watercolor Journal – Yes, any journal will do, but I wanted to try my hand with accenting the pages with watercolor, so a journal specifically for watercolors was ideal for my intent.
• Water Resistant Pen – If you decide to go the watercolor route, be sure to use a pen that won’t run when it comes in contact with water.
• Watercolor Brush – Mine is a travel brush, which was a lifesaver! Water is stored in the base, which is taken apart and capped when not in use. What a great on the go item!
• Watercolor Paints
• Glue Stick
• Bag for Carrying

If you choose not to use watercolors, you can certainly purchase any kind of journal. Use colored pencils, fine tipped markers, pastels or even crayons (why not?) to pepper color throughout your honeymoon travel journal.

Take note of the travel watercolor brush below.

While I was traveling, believe it or not, I was on a journey to personal discovery.

I actually thought that my work would look like that of a kindergartner. My sample trip was to New York City, and my first bit of inspiration came while I was at Bread & Tulips, a local eatery inside of the Hotel Giraffe. On my table was a vase with a tulip, so I decided to copy it. I also wrote down several things about how I felt being there at the restaurant – the food, the ambience. For me, all of this was related into my own travel journal. I’m not saying I’m an artist, but I was genuinely shocked at what came from the pen strokes. Although I was alone, as you hopefully won’t be on your honeymoon, this was a good way for me to document and be in the moment (instead of on my phone, perhaps?) while I was experiencing a new place.

Another moment hit me while I was taking in breakfast at The Library Hotel in New York City.

As I was looking out the window, it occurred to me that the motif on the building across the way reminded me of open library books. Although I only got half of it complete, if you look at the large swirl – imagine the other half – can you see the open book? Interesting! I think this is my favorite piece, although it’s incomplete. I also jotted down notes about the hotel and my experience. Also, as a sidebar, if you DO choose to make your journal an art piece, actually drawing what you see forces you to look at things in a different way. Noticing shadows, curves, lines. Taking note of the vast shapes really caused me to pause and reflect.

And, yes, I did put memorabilia into my journal.

Restaurant receipts, my conference badge and my Lincoln Tunnel receipt for $15 all made it into the book. Oh, and as a sidebar, my waitress, Anne (see her name on there?)… her parents own a cabin not far from where I live in Virginia. It was such a fun connecting point! I used the glue stick to carefully place my items in the book to save.

I also documented my time – and horribly copied the lamp (so out of proportion!) – at the Hotel Elysee, another stop on my journey. One of my goals was to make it a point to relax and work on my travel journal at each stop.

A revisit to my favorite drawing. I love it – finished or not!

Jill, an artist who also works at The Art Box in downtown Lynchburg, inspired me to do my own DIY travel journal.

She IS quite an artist, and her work is shown below in her travel journals, which she has been compiling for years. From locations and maps to mementos and postcards, her work is really beautiful. Take note of the variety – some intricate designs I couldn’t do, but some of her shading and coloring I think I could test out in my own journal!

One piece of advice Jill had I loved. She went to Washington DC to the Air and Space Museum, which is not of particular interest to her. Her husband, on the other hand, reads each and every plaque in detail. A piece of marriage advice? Jill lets her husband peruse and read without complaint. While he is doing that, she busies herself with her journal – finding and replicating shapes and filling her diary with whatever inspires her. I’d say that is a fabulous piece of advice about compromise!

So, whether you are headed on a faraway destination wedding or a close by honeymoon in the mountains, I hope this DIY honeymoon travel journal has inspired you to create your own keepsake.

Here is a resource list of where you can purchase honeymoon travel journal items online if you don’t live close to an independently owned, local art store. If you purchase any of the following items, we do get a small commission, which helps to keep the blog growing!

• Watercolor Journal
• Watercolor Paints
• Travel Watercolor Pen
• Waterproof Pens
• Glue Stick
• Clutch Bag

Want more DIY inspiration? Just click here!

Oh, and be sure to catch my DIY segment on Daytime Blue Ridge below!

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