Art Journal Wallet

Upcycle a thrifted leather wallet into a journal you’ll never want to put down.

Taught by Louise Muzio

You’re going to make a journal.

Not buy one — make one. From a thrifted leather wallet you probably paid next to nothing for.

By the end of this course, you’ll have a pocket-sized leather journal filled with papers you made by hand, textures you printed yourself, and stitch you added one careful thread at a time. Something with real character. The kind of thing you slip into your bag and don’t leave home without.

Louise Muzio — mixed media artist and lifelong champion of the discarded and unloved — will guide you through every step. She chose a wallet as the starting point not because it was convenient, but because there’s something deeply satisfying about giving a forgotten object a second life.

Five techniques. One beautiful object. No experience required.

See what you’ll make

Finished Art Journal Wallet exterior — up-cycled leather cover

An upcycled cover with character

A thrifted leather wallet gets a second life as your journal cover — worn, warm, and full of history before you’ve even begun.

Handmade papers, printed patterns, and slow stitch embroidery

Made by your hands

Mindfully curated papers, upcycled fabric prints, and slow stitch embroidery — every page is crafted from found and repurposed materials.

Art Journal Wallet — pocket-sized and ready to carry everywhere

Something to carry everywhere

Pocket-sized and personal, your finished journal is ready for sketches, ideas, pressed flowers, and everything in between.

Does any of this sound like you?

  • You love the idea of upcycling — giving forgotten objects a second life instead of buying new
  • You want a creative project that ends with something beautiful and real — not a practice exercise
  • You’re drawn to making things by hand and want a project that goes somewhere — whether bookmaking is new to you or you’ve been creating for years
  • You want to try new techniques — printmaking, slow stitch, papermaking — but in a way that feels calm, not overwhelming
  • You’ve always wanted a journal that felt truly personal, made from materials with their own story

The journal is already waiting inside that old wallet. This course helps you find it.

Art Journal Wallet process Art Journal Wallet detail Art Journal Wallet open journal

It starts with something unloved. That’s the whole point.

Louise didn’t choose a leather wallet because it was convenient. She chose it because of what it means to start with something discarded.

Her creative philosophy is built around giving new life to things that have been set aside — objects with history, texture, and a story already written into them. A thrifted wallet isn’t a blank canvas. It’s better than that. It already has character. Your job is to add to it.

There’s a particular satisfaction in making something beautiful from something forgotten. Louise has built her whole practice around that feeling — and this course is the purest expression of it.

Upcycled. Handmade. Entirely yours.

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A complete journey. From thrifted wallet to upcycled journal.

27 lessons, 10 chapters — gentle, step-by-step making with Louise Muzio. Every technique is accessible, and every result is uniquely yours.

Getting Started — wallet and materials
Module 1

Getting Started: Finding & Preparing Your Wallet

Hunt for the perfect thrifted leather wallet, learn what to look for, and prepare it for its new life as a journal cover. Louise shares her upcycling philosophy and helps you see the creative potential in overlooked, second-hand objects.

Making Your Pages — paper, print and stitch
Module 2

Making Your Pages: Paper, Print & Stitch

Learn to create your own papers, cut simple stencils, make stamps from everyday objects, and add slow stitch embroidery. Every technique is accessible — and every result is uniquely yours.

Putting It All Together — finished journal
Module 3

Putting It All Together: Binding Your Journal

Bring everything together with a simple bookbinding process. Assemble your pages, stitch your journal, and finish your cover. Your Art Journal Wallet is complete — ready to go wherever you go.

No experience needed. No rules. Just your hands and a beautiful old wallet.

Start Making

Everything you need to make it yours

  • Video lessons — clear, calm, and easy to follow at your own pace
  • Printable handouts — one for every lesson, beautifully designed and yours to keep
  • Lifetime access — come back to it whenever you want, on any device
  • Fully downloadable — videos and handouts, yours to keep forever
  • A personal welcome from Louise — an exclusive intro video where Louise welcomes you into the classroom
  • Fully captioned in English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Italian
Louise Muzio

Louise Muzio

Louise is a mixed media artist and maker based on the South Coast of England. Her practice is rooted in a simple belief: that the most interesting creative starting points are the things other people have set aside.

She works with thrifted materials, vintage objects, and found things — drawn to the texture and history that only comes with age and use. Upcycling isn’t a trend for Louise; it’s the foundation of everything she makes.

Her work has been published in Art Journaling, GreenCraft, Somerset Studio, and In Her Garden (Stampington), and she was featured in the 2024 Artist Almanac.

@maycontainpaper

Your hands. A thrifted wallet. A journal unlike any other.

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Questions? We’ve got answers.

01 Is this course suitable for complete beginners?
Yes, absolutely. You don’t need any prior experience with bookbinding, printmaking, or embroidery. Louise guides you through every technique step by step, at a pace that feels manageable and enjoyable.
02 I’ve done some bookmaking before. Will I still get something from this?
Yes — this course is about making an Art Journal Wallet specifically. Even experienced makers tend to find new techniques and approaches worth adding to their practice, and the combination of bookbinding, printmaking, papermaking, and slow stitch in one project is genuinely distinctive.
03 Do I need to buy lots of specialist supplies?
No. Louise has chosen techniques that use everyday materials — many of which you may already have at home. A full materials list is included with the course and available to preview (see curriculum). Louise encourages creative substitutions throughout.
04 Do I need a specific type of wallet?
A vintage or thrifted leather wallet works best — something with character. Louise talks through what to look for. If you can’t find leather, don’t worry: she’ll help you think through alternatives.
05 How long do I have access?
Lifetime access. This course is yours to keep and return to as many times as you like, on any device.
06 What is your refund policy?
We would never want you to be unhappy! Contact us within 14 days for a full refund.
07 Is this course available anywhere else?
No. Art Journal Wallet is exclusively available on Everything Art.
08 Have another question?
Ask us at hello@everything-art.com — we’re always happy to help!

The best journal you’ll ever own is the one your hands made.

A pocket-sized journal born from a thrifted leather wallet — filled with papers, prints, and stitches you made yourself. Step-by-step lessons with Louise Muzio, at your own pace, in your own time.

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Instant access — start today

$59
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COURSE INFORMATION
LevelAll levels
Modules8
AccessLifetime
DeviceAny device
Guarantee14-day refund
CaptionsEN ES FR DE NL IT
HandoutsEvery lesson
EnrolmentInstant access
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Example Curriculum

  Thank you for joining during the pre-sale
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  Welcome
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  Chapter One - Deconstructing Your Wallet
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  Chapter Two - Your Journal Pages
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  Chapter Three - Stencils
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  Chapter Four - Slow Stitch
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  Chapter Five - Stamp Making
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  Chapter Six - Compiling Your Journal
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  Chapter 7 - Constructing your Art Journal Wallet
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  Chapter 8 - Pencil Tin
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  Thank you!
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This course is closed for enrollment.