Another one of my crafty obsessions is junk/art journaling and altered art and recently I participated in a Pop-up Tag Challenge at Junk Journal Diva's Facebook Page.
Have you ever noticed a small piece of art and felt invited to make something of your own?
That is the feeling behind this simple, autumn/fall-themed tag I created for this craft challenge.
The tag features a beautiful poem by Emily Brontë about autumn, giving the piece a seasonal heart without requiring a complicated plan or a perfect finish.
To give the tag a vintage look I included some lace at the bottom of the tag that I had aged a bit by brushing some brown ink over it.
I added a small leaf that had come from my front yard for a personalized touch of fall!
The smashed bottle cap is a memory of Thanksgiving Past as our family often drank sparkling cider for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.
Here are the supplies & tools I used to create this tag:
Pre-Prepared Kraft tag sent from the challenge administrator
Cotton Lace Piece - Dyed with Brown Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Poem - Emily Bronte, Printed on Clear Sticker Paper
Small Brown Leaf
Bottle Cap from Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider
Small Paper Flower w/Gem Accent - Peach Flower/Orange Gem
Small Gold Dot Sticker
Small Rose Gold Paperclip
Satin Ribbon - Army/Olive Green
If you have been thinking of diving in to the wonder that is art & junk journaling, you can read about starting small, with just a tag as the one I created above and get some tips below for getting started.
In this post, we will explore how a small tag can become an easy, welcoming first step.
Remember: Your tag does not need to be polished, coordinated, or “good enough” for anyone else. It only needs to feel like yours! |
Small Enough to Begin 🍁
One reason this tag feels so approachable is its size. A small format gives you a gentle boundary: there is less space to fill, less pressure to perform, and more freedom to follow one seasonal idea. The autumn mood might bring to mind falling leaves, crisp air, golden light, cozy corners, or the quiet shift into a new season. You do not have to explain the meaning. A few simple choices can hold a whole atmosphere.
If you are new to journaling, think of a tag as a tiny creative playground. It can be a finished piece on its own, or it can become part of a larger journal page later. There is no wrong order and no required result.
Keep it tiny — let a small shape make starting feel easy.
Choose one seasonal feeling — let calm, wonder, coziness, or change guide the piece.
Leave room for surprise — an unexpected mark, scrap, or texture may become your favorite part.
Start With What You Notice 🧩
You do not need a complicated concept before you begin. Start by looking around and noticing what already catches your attention: a scrap with an appealing edge, a texture that feels like the season, a color combination that brings autumn to mind, or a word that keeps returning to you. Use the tag as a loose starting point rather than a template you must copy. Keep the shape minimal, change the proportions, or let the edges become part of the story. The goal is not to reproduce an inspiration exactly. The goal is to discover what happens when you give yourself permission to respond to it.
Starting point | Autumn question |
A scrap | What part of it feels like something worth gathering for the season? |
Texture | Does it suggest a crisp breeze, a soft layer, a weathered surface, or fallen leaves? |
Color | What mood appears when warm and quiet colors meet? |
A word | What memory, feeling, or seasonal moment does it open? |
Try making three quick versions instead of waiting for one perfect idea.
One can be quiet, one richly seasonal, and one completely different from what you expected.
Comparing them is not a test; it is a way to learn what your hands and eyes enjoy.
Let a Quote or Poem Set the Mood 📜
The beautiful poem by Emily Brontë about autumn gives this tag a thoughtful seasonal center. Let its presence encourage you to notice the feeling of the season and respond in your own visual language. A color, texture, arrangement, or handwritten word can suggest autumn without illustrating it literally.
Choose a small shape — begin with a tag or any page shape that feels manageable.
Collect a few possibilities — gather scraps, words, textures, or colours that make you think of autumn.
Arrange before committing — move things around until the composition feels interesting to you.
Add one personal detail — include a mark, word, or choice that could only come from you.
Stop while it still feels playful — unfinished can be a beautiful part of the process.
From One Tag to a Whole Autumn Practice 🌿
Once you have made a tag, you may notice that it wants company. Tuck it into a journal, place it beside another small page, or use it as the beginning of a collection of seasonal words and textures. You can let each piece record a mood without turning the journal into a formal diary.
This is where junk journaling and art journaling can meet. Junk journaling invites you to notice the overlooked and give it a new context. Art journaling invites you to explore visual choices and feelings. Together, they create a space where collecting and expressing can happen at the same time.
Today I noticed… something with an interesting texture, edge, or autumn shape.
Today the season feels… a mood that could be represented by a color, word, or arrangement.
Today I want to remember… one small seasonal moment worth keeping.
There is no need to fill a whole spread or make a page every day. One tag, one word, or one small arrangement is already a meaningful entry. Let the practice grow at the pace that feels comfortable to you.
Make a Little Room for Autumn ✨
This tag is a lovely reminder that creativity does not have to be elaborate to be expressive. A small shape, a beautiful poem about autumn, and a few thoughtful choices can open the door to scraps, texture, color, memory, and play.
So choose a small starting point and make it your own. Create a tag, fill a tiny journal page, or simply arrange a few pieces until something feels right. Leave perfection out of the process and let curiosity take its place.
Your next page does not need to impress anyone.
It only needs to give you a few quiet minutes to notice, experiment, and express yourself.
Follow your creative feeling, make a small tag, and see where it leads!
