Give the Gift of a Bucket List
An EASY DIY semi-handmade notebook for any occasion
I have a lot of nieces. No, really. I have eight.
And as they get older, it gets harder for me to think of what to gift them during the holidays. This past Christmas I wanted to give the older girls something more meaningful than just an envelope of cash. (Though I’m sure they would’ve equally loved that.)
Being that my older girls are in high school or recently graduated, I wanted to give them something that would encourage them to start thinking about all the life that they were about to embark on. I wanted them to create intentions, dream, wish and plan. But, practically, I also needed to think of something that I could hand-make times five (and would be easy enough to ship all the way to Hawaii! LOL!)
Inspired by a pocket notebook made from handmade marbled paper that I had recently picked up, I decided to customize similar notebooks to create a bucket list for each one of my nieces. And even though they were all getting the same gift, I knew I could personalize each one to be unique.
Unfortunately, the artist that made the notebook I had was sold out. So, I ended up having to search quite a bit to find the perfect pocket-sized blank notebooks that also came in different designs AND didn’t have any labels on the cover. (Most of the notebooks out there say “notebook” on the front).
Thankfully, I found a few by Rifle Paper Co. at Paper Source. Their Tapestry Pocket Journals came in a set of 2 and each notebook, measuring 4.25”x5.5”, fit perfectly in Paper Source’s white box mailers.
Now, it was time to personalize.
I bought an extra notebook just to test the inks and writing style that I would be using.
ink
I ultimately decided on Finetec Inca gold using a Brause Extra Fine 66 Nib in a modern calligraphy style.
interior pages
On the first blank page, I wrote a personalized note. Once that dried, on the second page, I wrote “Bucket List.” And then on each of the remaining blank pages I lettered individual numbers.
hang tags
On the exterior of the books, I used twine to attach a mini hang tag with each of their names written in a Finetec metallic ink color that pulled from the individual notebook designs.
boxing
Lastly, I placed each one on a bed of kraft crinkle paper and wrapped each box in signature ink+ash wrapping paper.
This is such an easy DIY gift for any occasion and for any age. Even if you can’t fully hand-create something from scratch, there are lots of ways to curate semi-personalized gifts like this one.
What I love about notebooks is that you can really tailor it to anyone. I also ended up making similar Bucket List notebooks for my co-workers, but used a simple kraft notebook with black stitching and embossing powder instead of gold calligraphy ink for a more modern look.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF PERSONALIZATION CAN GO A LONG WAY.
I’d love to see all the beautiful gifts you create so be sure to use the hashtag #inkspiredbyinkandash! A full list of all the supplies used in this project is linked below.
SUPPLIES
SUPPLIES:
+ Twine