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May 6, 2025 14 mins

https://lestallion.com/collections/journal-notebook-for-diy-projects

Ever watched a brilliant creative idea evaporate from your mind, or found yourself staring at a half-finished project with no recollection of your next step? That frustrating cycle of enthusiastic starts and abandoned finishes plagues DIYers everywhere.

The core issue isn't lack of creativity or skill—it's the absence of a consistent system for capturing and organizing your making process. Without proper documentation, we lose those initial sparks of inspiration, forget what materials we already have, can't replicate our successes, and waste countless hours hunting through scattered notes just to piece together basic project information.

A dedicated DIY journal transforms this creative chaos into structured success. We explore how a well-designed journal becomes your central command center for all making adventures. With features like numbered pages, a built-in table of contents, quality paper for sketches, and storage for physical samples, the right journal creates a searchable archive of your creative work while providing a clear pathway from inspiration to completion.

Real-world stories demonstrate the transformation: woodworkers who can effortlessly resume interrupted projects, knitters who perfectly replicate successful modifications, and makers who develop their skills by tracking their creative evolution over time. This isn't just about organization—it's about nurturing creativity by providing a dedicated space for ideas to breathe and grow.

What intimidating project might you finally tackle with the right documentation system? Could the simple act of consistently recording your creative journey unlock an entirely new level of making satisfaction? Join us in discovering how intentional documentation might be the missing ingredient in your creative process.

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LeStallion offers premium PU leather journal notebooks for writing, dedicated to all those who are pursuing their dreams and goals, or nurturing their personal development and mental health.

For More Info on LeStallion, check out:
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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know that moment as a DIYer, when a brilliant
idea, just well it vanishes.
Or you're halfway through aproject and realize you have
absolutely no idea where youbought that specific I don't
know shade of blue paint.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Happens all the time.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
We've all been there right.
That initial burst of creativeenergy.
Just it can so easily getbogged down in like forgotten
details and disorganized plans.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
It's such a common experience for anyone who loves
making things.
The passion is, yeah,definitely the driving force,
but, you know, without some kindof structure, Right.
Those wonderful visions canquickly turn into well
frustrating half-finishedprojects just gathering dust
somewhere.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
And that's exactly what we're diving into today.
Projects just gathering dustsomewhere.
And that's exactly what we'rediving into today how to kind of
wrangle that DIY chaos andchannel it into creative success
.
We're focusing on the power ofa dedicated journal notebook for
your projects.
Now, a lot of you might knowthe Lestallion Journal.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, we've mentioned it.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
And we'll be looking at why its specific design
really lends itself to this kindof, let's say, organized
creativity.
It's not just about grabbingany old notebook, you know.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
No, definitely not.
It's about the system.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
It's about implementing a system that
actually fuels your making,rather than getting in the way
Exactly so our goal today isreally to explore how this
structured approach which, yeah,a tool like the Lestallion
really embodies can trulytransform your DIY journey from
maybe stressful to satisfyinglyproductive.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Absolutely, and I think what we'll find is that
this isn't about reinventing thewheel or anything.
It's more about applying somereally basic, fundamental ideas
of organization, but in a waythat directly helps with the
well, the unique challenges andjoys of doing it yourself.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Okay, so let's really dig into the core problem first
.
What are those commonfrustrations, the ones that
really plague DIA-Yars whohaven't adopted a dedicated
system for tracking projects?

Speaker 2 (01:55):
You mentioned losing ideas.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, those initial sparks.
You have this fantastic idea.
Maybe it hits you when you'rebrowsing online, or even, I
don't know, in a dream, but ifyou don't have a consistent
place to capture it, right thenpoof it's gone.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
It's like trying to hold water in your hands, isn't
it?
You need a kind of a reliablenet to catch those creative
butterflies before they justflutter away Totally, and losing
those initial ideas can be,honestly, incredibly
demotivating.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yeah, right from the start.
And then there's the dreadedmaterial amnesia.
Oh, yeah, you can't rememberwhat supplies you need or, even
worse, you buy something only todiscover you already had it
hiding in a box somewhere.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Ah, yes, the duplicate purchase.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
I remember my Aunt Carol.
She's a really keen quilter.
She told me once about buyinglike three identical shades of
cream fabric because she justcouldn't remember what she
already had in her stack.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Oh, I bet she kicked herself.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, and the cost, the clutter, it really adds up,
you know.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
That's such a classic DIY scenario.
It doesn't matter if it'sfabric, paint, yarn, wood.
Keeping track of your inventoryis just well.
It's essential for efficiency.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
And your budget Right , those duplicate buys can
really take the wind out of yoursails, creatively speaking.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Exactly?
And what about when youactually manage to create
something you're really proud of, but then you have absolutely
no idea how you did it?

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Mm-hmm, the happy accident that you can't repeat.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yeah, the Lestallion materials touch on this that
struggle to achieve likerepeatable success.
You might stumble onto afantastic technique or the
perfect mix of materials, butwithout documenting it.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
It's often just a one-off, a flash in the pan
Right, and this is where nothaving a consistent record
really limits your growth as amaker.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
If you don't document your process, you're constantly
reinventing the wheel.
Yeah, if you don't documentyour process.
You're constantly reinventingthe wheel.
You miss out on that chance toreally analyze what worked, what
didn't, and refine your methodsfor next time.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
And let's not forget just the sheer volume of random
notes that pile up, you know,scraps of paper with
measurements, instructions,scribbled on the back of an
envelope.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Digital notes scattered across three different
apps.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
Exactly.
It becomes like a treasure huntjust to piece together the info
for one project.
All of this, as the Lestallioninfo points out, adds up to
wasted time and, honestly, awhole lot of needless
frustration.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
That feeling of being overwhelmed by the logistics,
the paperwork, almost yeah, itcan really stifle your
creativity Totally.
You're spending more timehunting for info than actually
making.
The joy just kind of evaporates.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
So what's the antidote, then, to all this DIY
disarray?

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Well, the approach we're championing today, right.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
The dedicated DIY journal notebook.
Think of it as your centralcommand center for all your
making adventures.
One single organized place foreverything, from that initial
spark of inspiration rightthrough to, you know, final
reflections like a blueprintexactly, and the listalian
journal, like we said, isspecifically designed with
features that really supportthis.

(04:52):
It acts as that planner foryour sketches, your material
lists, your step-by-step notes.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
It essentially becomes the roadmap for your
creative projects.
By having everythingconsolidated, you just create a
much clearer path from idea to,hopefully, completion.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Okay, now let's talk specifics.
Why is a journal like theListallion, with its particular
features, such a good tool here?
It's clearly not just, you know, a standard notebook.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Right the details matter.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
For instance, the fact that it has 211 pages.
That's quite a lot.

Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah, that's significant.
It gives you ample room fordocumenting loads of projects,
big or small, without feelinglike you're going to run out of
space.
You don't feel constrained.
Exactly that capacity is key.
You don't want to be worryingabout page count halfway through
writing down detailed steps.
Gives you freedom to bethorough.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
And the numbered formatting, combined with that
built-in table of contents yeah,that's just well.
It's a stroke of organizationalgenius for DIIers, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Oh, absolutely Imagine being able to quickly
flip back to find a past projector maybe a specific technique
you used months ago.
Yeah, it turns your journalfrom just a collection of notes
into a properly searchablearchive of your creative work.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
That elevates it, doesn't it Beyond just storing
info?

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Totally.
It becomes a dynamic referencetool, being able to easily
revisit past successes or evenlearn from past mistakes that
you documented.
That's incredibly empoweringfor any maker.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Absolutely, and for those of us who often you know,
think visually, the paperquality is important.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yes, the paper.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
The thick 120 GSM paper in the Listerian is a real
plus.
It means it can handle sketches, annotations, maybe even
sticking in small paint swatches.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Without that annoying bleed through.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
Exactly Without ink bleeding through and messing up
the other side of the page.
For DIYers who rely on visualplanning, that's pretty
essential, and heavierpaperweight also just speaks to
the journal's durability.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
You know DIY spaces can be a bit messy sometimes.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
Or dusty.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
Or dusty, yeah, and the sturdier paper stock is much
more likely to hold up tofrequent handling in a workshop
or craft room.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
And let's not forget the feel of it.
The A5 soft cover faux leatheroption and those A5 hardcover
versions in all the differentcolors.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yeah, they look nice too.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
It's about having a tool that not only works well
but also feels good to use andis tough enough to last through,
hopefully, many, many projects.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
When you actually enjoy using something, you're
much more likely to use itconsistently.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
That's the key Consistency.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
It adds that touch of quality and reinforces the idea
that this is a valuable toolworth investing in for the long
haul.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
Another really thoughtful feature, I think, is
the combination of the 7.5millimeter wide lines and those
dashed line pages.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
Ah, the different page types.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah, it gives you great flexibility.
Line pages Ah, the differentpage types yeah, it gives you
great flexibility.
It accommodates both detailedwritten instructions and more
free-form sketching or diagrams,all in the same notebook.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
That versatility is so important because, well,
different projects needdifferent kinds of documentation
, don't they?
True, Some might be reallytext-heavy precise measurements
and steps.
Others are much more visual.
Having both options right thereis just incredibly practical.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
And finally, that back pocket for storing swatches
, little reference bits, loosenotes.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, that's super handy.

Speaker 1 (08:09):
It's such a useful addition for anyone working with
physical materials.
I can just picture it beingperfect for like fabric swatches
, paint chips, maybe smallinstruction snippets you've cut
out.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
It keeps those vital little bits and pieces with the
main project notes.

Speaker 1 (08:26):
Right.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
Stops that frustrating search through
various drawers and boxes whenyou need that one specific thing
.

Speaker 1 (08:33):
So these features really show you how the
Listallion Journal seems to bedesigned with the specific needs
of DIY folks in mind.
Thoughtful design.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
And while features are great, it's often the
stories, isn't it the personalexperiences that really show the
value?

Speaker 1 (08:51):
Features tell stories , sell as they say.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Exactly.
I remember my neighbor Tom.
He's a really enthusiasticwoodworker.
Like super passionate, he'dstart these amazing projects in
his garage, full of passion,detailed plans all mapped out in
his head.

Speaker 1 (09:04):
Ah, the mental blueprint.
We've all relied on that atsome point, haven't we?

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Totally, but inevitably, you know, a few
weeks in life happens, he getspulled away for something.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
And when he comes back to it, that mental
blueprint has kind of well faded.
He'd have piles of wood toolsscattered about and absolutely
no clear idea where he'd leftoff or what the crucial next
step was.

Speaker 2 (09:25):
Oh dear Project paralysis.

Speaker 1 (09:27):
Exactly.
He ended up with a few reallyimpressive but sadly unfinished
pieces.
Just sitting in his garage Nowthinking about it.
If he'd had a system like aLestallian journal with those
numbered pages, he could havedocumented each stage, noted the
types of wood, the specificjoints he was using.
That table of contents wouldhave been his lifeline.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
Just pick it back up.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yeah, allowing him to pick up right where he left off
, without that reallyfrustrating process of trying to
remember everything and getback into the zone.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
That's a perfect example of how just a little bit
of structured documentation canstop those projects from
stalling out.
It's about creating a reliablememory aid for your own creative
process.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
And it's not just about, you know, preventing
project abandonment.
It's also about actuallyfostering creativity.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
Right, it's not just logistical.

Speaker 1 (10:15):
No, A DIY journal isn't just a place to record
steps.
It's a space to nurture thoseinitial ideas.
You can use it forbrainstorming different designs,
sketching variations, keepingtrack of inspiration you find
Online, in magazines, whereverno idea has to get lost in the
shuffle.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
It becomes like a dedicated sandbox for your ideas
.
Doesn't it like a dedicatedsandbox for your ideas?
Doesn't it A sort of lowpressure space to explore
possibilities and refine yourconcepts before you actually
commit to cutting the wood orthe fabric?

Speaker 1 (10:46):
And that ability to track changes and improvements
over time is so valuable too.
My friend Sarah, she's abrilliant knitter, always
tweaking patterns yeah, thepattern tweaker, yeah to get
just the right fit or look.
But she used to rely on justremembering those changes for
the next time she made it.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
Oh risky.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
Totally.
Inevitably, she'd forgetexactly how many stitches she'd
added or which needle size she'dswitched to for that specific
bit.
Now she uses a journal.
She meticulously notes everysingle modification, which
allows her not only to recreateher favorite results, but also
to actually see how hertechniques and her design sense
are evolving over time.
It's pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
That's a fantastic illustration of how the journal
becomes a record of yourpersonal growth as a maker.
It lets you build on your pastexperiences and learn in a
really tangible way documentedlearning.

Speaker 1 (11:34):
And we mentioned Fawn's journey earlier from the
Lestallion materials.
Her experience really echoesall these points, doesn't it?

Speaker 2 (11:39):
It really does.

Speaker 1 (11:40):
She struggled with the exact same frustrations
unfinished projects, lostmaterial lists, making the same
mistakes again.
It was the act of consistentlyusing a DIY journal documenting
her process that completelyturned her approach around, led
to more successful, moreenjoyable projects.
And even that, unlike business,selling your handmade stuff,

(12:01):
yeah, and she specificallymentioned that back pocket in
her Listallion journal being souseful for her fabric swatches
and design notes.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
See real world application.
Fawn's story really highlightsthe practical impact these
organizational tools can have.
It's not just theory.
It's about real, tangiblebenefits for DIRs of all kinds.

Speaker 1 (12:22):
So to kind of bring it all together, we've seen how
a dedicated DIY journal notebook, especially one with those
well-thought-out features likethe listallion it, offers some
really significant advantages.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
We're talking about much better organization,
obviously.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
Less chaos.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
A big reduction in those frustrations that can
really plague DIY projects, aboost to creative exploration.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
A space for ideas.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Better management of materials, tracking your
progress and, ultimately, a muchgreater chance of actually
achieving the results youpicture in your head.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
It's about shifting, maybe, from a reactive,
sometimes chaotic approach to amore intentional and, ultimately
, more rewarding way of pursuingyour creative passions.

Speaker 1 (13:09):
Exactly so.
As we wrap up this deep dive,it seems pretty clear that a DIY
journal is way more than just anotebook.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh, much more.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
It's like a partner in your creative process, isn't
it A logistical foundation foryour projects and a tangible
history of how you're developingas a maker, no matter what your
craft is scrapbooking,woodworking, sewing, home
renovations?

Speaker 2 (13:29):
Any kind of making really.

Speaker 1 (13:30):
Yeah, and a journal like the Lestallion.
With its quality design andthose practical features, it
provides a really wonderfulspace to support that whole
journey.
For the long haul, offers adurable and hopefully inspiring
home for your projects and ideas.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
It's kind of an investment in your passion,
isn't it A way to honor yourcreative impulses with a bit of
structure and intention, which,yeah, ultimately leads to more
joy and fewer headaches?

Speaker 1 (13:54):
Definitely fewer headaches.
So for all of you listening wholove to create, I really
encourage you to considerstarting your own DIY journal
today.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
Give it a try.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
Think about how it could maybe streamline your
workflow, capture thosebrilliant but fleeting ideas and
, just well, elevate your entirecreative experience.

Speaker 2 (14:12):
It's about giving your ideas that dedicated space
to breathe and grow and reallyempowering yourself to bring
those visions to life withgreater clarity and confidence.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
And on that thought, here's maybe something to ponder
what brilliant yet perhapsslightly intimidating DIY
project might you finally feelready to tackle if you had that
dedicated space to map it outand track your progress?

Speaker 2 (14:34):
Ooh, good question.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
Or could the simple act of documenting your creative
journey unlock a whole newlevel of satisfaction and skill
in your making?
It's definitely worth thinkingabout.
Thanks for diving deep with ustoday.
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