Creative crafty ways to record our Big Plans
March 16, 2011 1:22 AM Subscribe
Help me think of cool things to put in this journal/travelogue I made for the GF.
I gave my girlfriend a journal which is full of things to do, as well as full of many empty pages in which to write more things to do. There are pages with lists of movies to watch, restaurants to visit, activities to do together, books to read, places to travel, etc... every time we think of something we want to do together, we put it in our travelogue, and every time we do one of those things we check it off.
But I want to put some more creative neat fun things in it. For example, my favorite pages are :
1) the page where I drew the night sky, labeling the constellations and major stars, with the task of identifying everything drawn there together.
2) a map of the local downtown area is glued/taped to a page and it folds out so you can look at it, and we're supposed to check off the places downtown we visit.
3) A page which says "trace an outline of cool things here" and so far it has a leaf outline and button.
What other neat things like that can we put into this travelogue?
I gave my girlfriend a journal which is full of things to do, as well as full of many empty pages in which to write more things to do. There are pages with lists of movies to watch, restaurants to visit, activities to do together, books to read, places to travel, etc... every time we think of something we want to do together, we put it in our travelogue, and every time we do one of those things we check it off.
But I want to put some more creative neat fun things in it. For example, my favorite pages are :
1) the page where I drew the night sky, labeling the constellations and major stars, with the task of identifying everything drawn there together.
2) a map of the local downtown area is glued/taped to a page and it folds out so you can look at it, and we're supposed to check off the places downtown we visit.
3) A page which says "trace an outline of cool things here" and so far it has a leaf outline and button.
What other neat things like that can we put into this travelogue?
Best answer: Came here to mention putting in stubs for movies, concerts, galleries, etc you went to. Include transportation stubs too, for busses, trains, whatever. If you get a stub, throw it in there. I used to tape one end of the stub (so I could lift it and read underneath), and then write about it on that page like a diary. Some paper-based memento of a restaurant/neato shopping trip could work too. Ooh, BUSINESS CARDS. Just about everywhere you go has business cards. (Bonus: no more going 'What was that little place we got that trinket at that you loved so much?')
Also, postcards with descriptions written on the back of going to see what's on the photo. You don't have to mail it, after all.
posted by Heretical at 2:24 AM on March 16, 2011
Also, postcards with descriptions written on the back of going to see what's on the photo. You don't have to mail it, after all.
posted by Heretical at 2:24 AM on March 16, 2011
Recipes and menus of great meals?
posted by honey-barbara at 3:11 AM on March 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by honey-barbara at 3:11 AM on March 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: What about pictures of various local birds and other wildlife, to tick off (or colour in!) and add a date to when you see them. You could go for walks deliberately to try to see them.
And are you into geocaching? I bet you could work that in somehow. Or letterboxing, and have a page for stamps.
posted by lollusc at 3:19 AM on March 16, 2011
And are you into geocaching? I bet you could work that in somehow. Or letterboxing, and have a page for stamps.
posted by lollusc at 3:19 AM on March 16, 2011
You could do one of those story things where one person writes the first sentence, then the next person writes the next, and so on. Or you can do it word by word. You two could have fun making up some amusing little stories that way.
You could find online some cool or iconic photos of your city or area (either recent or historical photos). Stick these in the book, with a blank page next to it, and make it your mission to recreate the photos.
Similarly on the photo theme you could write a list of ten or twenty locations in your area (from mundane, like outside your usual supermarket, to unusual, to romantic, to daring, etc) and make it your mission to have a photo taken of the two of you at each location.
I also think you could write out the alphabet and then you have to note down each time you visit somewhere or do something beginning with that letter of the alphabet. Some would be super easy (like 'c' for cinema) while some you might have fun trying to work out how to do them!
Do a treasure hunt! Write instructions in there for a treasure hunt around your city. You can go and hide little presents or sweets or something in random places and accompany her while she follows your instructions. The tour could end with a nice meal in a restaurant or something like that.
Along the lines of your number three, I used to love those books that just had one continuous line, looping in an out of itself in a big mess of spaces and shapes, and the aim was to colour them all in. You could do something like that and colour or draw a pattern in a space every time you think of it, or every time it rains, or some arbitary condition like that!
Maybe you could have a games page? You could draw the grid for noughts and crosses, hangman, or create your own wordsearch or crossword or something. Next time you go somewhere which involves a train or bus journey, take the book and play your games. You could also do a quiz for her!
This sounds like a great project that you're doing. I might make one myself!
posted by schmoo at 4:02 AM on March 16, 2011
You could find online some cool or iconic photos of your city or area (either recent or historical photos). Stick these in the book, with a blank page next to it, and make it your mission to recreate the photos.
Similarly on the photo theme you could write a list of ten or twenty locations in your area (from mundane, like outside your usual supermarket, to unusual, to romantic, to daring, etc) and make it your mission to have a photo taken of the two of you at each location.
I also think you could write out the alphabet and then you have to note down each time you visit somewhere or do something beginning with that letter of the alphabet. Some would be super easy (like 'c' for cinema) while some you might have fun trying to work out how to do them!
Do a treasure hunt! Write instructions in there for a treasure hunt around your city. You can go and hide little presents or sweets or something in random places and accompany her while she follows your instructions. The tour could end with a nice meal in a restaurant or something like that.
Along the lines of your number three, I used to love those books that just had one continuous line, looping in an out of itself in a big mess of spaces and shapes, and the aim was to colour them all in. You could do something like that and colour or draw a pattern in a space every time you think of it, or every time it rains, or some arbitary condition like that!
Maybe you could have a games page? You could draw the grid for noughts and crosses, hangman, or create your own wordsearch or crossword or something. Next time you go somewhere which involves a train or bus journey, take the book and play your games. You could also do a quiz for her!
This sounds like a great project that you're doing. I might make one myself!
posted by schmoo at 4:02 AM on March 16, 2011
What fun!
How about-- adding light wash of water color to some pages so that when you write over them later they'll be decorated?
Maybe a "collection" of similar things from different places, like take a picture of the door whenever you go someplace.
Other emphemera: cards (playing cards, tarot cards), game cards (monopoly, etc.), brochures, matchbook covers.
posted by tuesdayschild at 7:54 AM on March 16, 2011
How about-- adding light wash of water color to some pages so that when you write over them later they'll be decorated?
Maybe a "collection" of similar things from different places, like take a picture of the door whenever you go someplace.
Other emphemera: cards (playing cards, tarot cards), game cards (monopoly, etc.), brochures, matchbook covers.
posted by tuesdayschild at 7:54 AM on March 16, 2011
Response by poster: Awesome ideas, everyone. Thanks! Will definitely be using some of these!
posted by brenton at 10:57 PM on March 17, 2011
posted by brenton at 10:57 PM on March 17, 2011
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posted by dreamyshade at 2:02 AM on March 16, 2011 [2 favorites]