One of the things I love about my favorite form of art-journaling is that you don’t need a lot of fancy-schmancy Cosmic Smashbook supplies to make art.
Spoiler Alert: All you really need is a journal, something to write with, and anything you choose to create color and images on your pages. That last part is where you can really get creative. I have lots of ideas for you in this post.
And glue sticks. I go through a lot of glue sticks. Glitter is optional. š
If you are just getting started on your Cosmic Smashbook adventure, Welcome! Be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter and please join us on a Friday Night Live Smash-Along. No artistic talent or Smashbooking experience necessary. Just show up and make art. It’s that easy.
Smashbook Supplies
Here’s a basic Smashbook Supplies List to get you started along with my favorites. As with everything Cosmic Smashbook-related, there are no rules! Choose supplies you will enjoy working with and you can’t go wrong.
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Journal
I like these old-school black and white composition notebooks. They are perfect for transforming into a Cosmic Smashbook.
And they are super cheap, especially around back-to-school time when school supplies are on sale. That’s a good time to stock up.
But if you already have an art journal started, use it! If the composition notebook feels too big and overwhelming to fill up, choose something smaller. These are the journals we use at the library where I teach. You can buy them in bulk on Amazon. As someone who loves starting new things, but sometimes struggles with finishing, these are awesome because they fill up quickly. It feels very good to finish a book–and then start a new one.
It is better to choose a journal that does not have a big spiral down the middle like this one I was using when I first discovered Cosmic Smashbooking a few years ago. I find it interrupts the flow of your writing and your art.
But hey, if that’s what you have, please use it! There’s no perfect art journal — just the one you prefer to use. And it may take a bit of experimenting to find what you like best. The most important thing is to not stress out about choosing a journal. Just grab one and get started.
And if you don’t have journal, get started anyway! You can create a Cosmic Smashbook page on a loose sheet of paper and glue it into your journal later. There really are no barriers to getting started here.
Writing Instrument
The first step in Cosmic Smashbooking is journaling. (In my classes, we write for 5 minutes and I’m stickler for writing the entire 5 minutes. Go longer if you are in a good writing groove.)
Choose a pen, pencil, marker, crayon. Whatever feels good in your hand and feels good gliding across the page. I’m not fussy about what I use to write with, especially since the next step is adding color. I usually cover my up words with paint or pretty paper.
This is the fun part! Again, there are no rules. Here are a few ideas.
Painting
Some days I feel like painting.
You don’t need to invest a lot of money in expensive paint. Those little bottles of craft paint are perfect.
Buy a few colors that appeal to you to get started. You can add more colors to your collection over time.
Or splurge on a full set of colors like this one. Bonus: It comes with paintbrushes.
(I’m also a big fan of shimmery metallic paints.)
If you choose to paint, you will need a few paintbrushes. Again, nothing fancy is necessary. Kids art supplies are perfect Cosmic Smashbook supplies. Here’s an inexpensive set. The quality won’t be great, but it will be fine for the work we’re doing here.
But if you already have nice brushes, please use them. You art supplies are not meant to sit on a shelf or in a drawer waiting for the perfect day for you to make perfect art. Get them out. Use them now. Art is for everyone.
You can also get creative with different mark-making tools. Bubblewrap, bits of cardboard, a cut up paper plate. Get really crazy and use your hands. Anything that can swirl paint around will work. Experiment and have fun.
When I’m painting, especially at my kitchen table, I like to put newspaper down to protect the tablecloth. A few paper towels are also nice to have on hand. I’m a messy painter!
Paper
Some days I don’t feel like painting. Sometimes I just like to add color with markers or crayons. If you haven’t colored with crayons in a very long time, I highly recommend it. Basic Crayola crayons are still my favorite.
(I was looking for a link to a single box of crayons and found this amazing tub of crayons. 288 colors! The basic pack of 8 will do, but wow, this looks like fun.)
Other times, I find it incredibly satisfying to rip up bits of paper and glue them down all over my page like this.
If you have scrapbook paper, use it. Wrapping paper works nicely too. Or start being on the lookout for any colorful packaging or junk mail you can cut up and glue down. The most interesting collage materials are usually the freebies you repurpose. I hoard old birthday cards to cut up for Smashbooking.
Keep a little box or baggie of Cosmic Smashbook supplies and start collecting images that catch your eye. You may not know how you are going to use it, but it will come in handy someday. My general rule of thumb is if something makes me say oooh! I should use it. Start listening for your own ooooh’s.
Scissors and Glue
We do a lot of collaging in Cosmic Smashbook. So you will need a pair of scissors and glue.
Elmer’s glue sticks are my go-to’s. Some people prefer to use a bottle of liquid glue. Or use a glue gun if you have one.
Tape will work in a pinch if that’s what you have around the house.
Imagery
There are no set rules here either. Magazines, Internet searches, fabric, or creating your own imagery. Anything goes! Don’t get too hung up on this part. Just show up to a Friday Night Live Smash-Along and see how it goes. If you don’t have the right imagery that you want, you can go look for it later.
My Favorite Smashbook Supplies: Sparkles
Aaaah! This is my favorite part. Adding the sparkles. This is the secret sauce that activates your Cosmic Smashbook page and brings it to life.
What do I mean by sparkles? Any little finishing touch that makes you happy and brightens up your page. It could be glitter, stickers, buttons, ribbons, whatever. Again, this is up to you. For me this varies from page to page, but I find that a Cosmic Smashbook page never feels complete until I add a little sparkle to it.
Sparkles are also super-fun to be on the lookout for. I found this big bag of sparkles at a yard sale for 25 cents!
There you have it. A basic list of Cosmic Smashbook supplies.
I hope your big takeaway here is not to stress out about the art supplies. Inexpensive and found objects are awesome. Using supplies you already have on hand is perfect. Going shopping for new supplies is always fun. Just have fun experimenting and creating.
And please join us for a Friday Night Live Smash-Along! It’s a low-key online event. We get together live on Zoom on Friday nights (beginning on September 4) at 8 pm eastern time. I’ll guide you through a new Cosmic Smashbook page each week. Here’s the link again to sign up for my weekly newsletter. That’s the only way to get on the invite list for the Smash-Alongs.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment. And if there are any other Cosmic Smashbook supplies you recommend, please let me know.
š Courtney