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Idea and Inspiration Books are the Best: I Love Mine!

A spiral bond sketch book opened up to two pages in an inspiration idea book featuring many cut out picures of home decor items like chairs, plants and color swatches. Also displayed is a wood tray with plants and ceramic flowers in the background.

Some call it a personal idea book, an inspiration planner, or a visual journal, but whatever you choose to call it, it’s a must-have when trying to figure out the design elements of a space. Where would I be without my beloved idea book? I’d be LOST that’s for sure! Sometimes when you want to start a home design project the task can seem overwhelming because it’s hard to know where to start! Well, just begin with a little creative nudge. My homemade idea books and inspirational planners are the best. I love mine! They not only help me figure out the color and texture of a space but also the feel and function as well.

A homemade inspiration decor book made of pictures which were cut out of home decor magazines and glued in a book.

Call me old fashioned but when it comes to creating an idea book I like a physical book where I design the pages by cutting and pasting pictures I find. None of this digital stuff for me! I like the hands-on approach, it seems to work better. I have made several over the years and I love going through the old books and seeing how my aesthetic has changed. It’s fun to make visual journals for my yard projects, and room designs, I even made one for my antique booth.

A pile of magazine pictures which were cut out of variuos home decor items like lamps, baskets, plants and furniture.

Idea Books are easy to make

So to start with I use MANY magazines! I go to my local Half Price Books store and buy them for just 50 cents each! I love using Better Homes and Gardens and Real Simple publications. They have GREAT photos!

A few Real Simple and Better Homes magazines spread out on a table.

I flip through the pages and when I see a color, shape, texture, or image that really speaks to me… I cut it out. It’s like jotting down notes but with pictures instead.

A few Better Homes magazines in a small stack along side a scissors and several cut out pictures of home decor items.

I arrange the images on the page and glue them down.

Two pages from a homemade idea book made with cut out photos from a magazine showing wood chairs, plants, furniture and color swatches.

Sometimes I glue color samples from the paint store onto my pages. It really helps to get the full effect and feel of what I’m trying to accomplish in a space. This is the idea book page that helped me find the mood for my vintage booth.

These pages inspired my booth design

A homemade inspiration book on a table showing cut out pictures from a magazine and paint swatches along with a wood tray holding plants and ceramic flowers.

My folding screen fabric was inspired by my visual journal: flowers, green plants, and aqua blue.

A close-up of a fabric folding screen showing yellow blooms, and white and blue blooms, and a branch with a bird all on an aqua background.

I’m keeping my color palette to blues, yellows, and greens with natural wood tones as well.

Three ceramic vintage vessels: an aqua pitcher, a small aqua flower pot and a yellow horn vase. Also displayed is a light green ceramic lamp with tan and white flower relief design.
A vintage booth in an antique mall showing two wood chairs, a ratan woven lamp shade, a tray of fancy wine glasses, baskets, books and ceramics.

I really enjoy making these wonderful personal visual journals! They come in handy and they are super helpful. I’m so happy with how my new vintage booth has turned out. I love the colors and the overall feel of the space and I credit my success to my beloved idea and inspiration books. They are the best! I just LOVE mine! So next time you are stumped and need a design idea boost, grab some magazines and create your own design idea book! You’ll be surprised at how fun and rewarding it is! So, let’s get inspired! Let’s make a visual journal! And, let’s get HOMEY!

  • If you liked this project, see my post, “My New Antique Booth: Getting Ready for Opening Day!”
  • Please visit the  “Shop – My Amazon Favorites” tab for a collection of some of my all-time favorite Amazon purchases.  I am an Amazon Affiliate and any purchases you make will help support my blog! (paid links).
  • Please visit my Homey Blue Heron Store on eBay for great vintage finds!! Just simply go to eBay and type Homey Blue Heron into the search bar to find my store.  Thanks for your support!!

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