Every fall, I try to give myself a simple way to slow down, notice the good, and practice gratitude — without adding another overwhelming project to my plate. This year, I put together the simplest little “gratitude-on-the-go” mini album, and it came together in under an hour.

If you want a small, portable way to document gratitude this month, let me show you how easy this project is to make.

What I Used

You don’t need fancy supplies — here are just a few of the basics that I used:

A $1 plastic photo album / “brag book” (4x6 size)
One 12x12 sheet of kraft cardstock (you can use any color of cardstock, this is just what I liked the coordinating look of!)
Printed digital journaling cards/patterned paper (I used the Grit and Grace collection!)
A few prayer/verse cards from my stash (you could use extra journaling cards, or just tear off some more paper!)
A smidge of washi tape (optional but always cute!)

Pro Tip: Most of these little photo books have removable inserts, so you can slip your own covers inside. I used kraft paper for a warm, fall base since the covers are slightly larger than 4x6.

Quick & Easy Printing

Instead of printing at home, I uploaded the 4x6 pattern cards to my local CVS Photo. They were ready in under an hour — but Walgreens, Walmart, or your favorite local spot will work too.

I love that Traci’s kits often include ready-to-print 4x6 patterned cards, which makes super easy to upload to an online printer and have them printed and cut in under and hour -- so I just have to add my elements and go!

How I Set It Up

Inside, each spread follows a consistent rhythm:

Right side: space for journaling or prayer requests
Left side: a 4x6 patterned card (and later, a photo or more journaling)

I kept the base super simple:

Kraft paper tears for journaling
Printed patterned cards/photos
A few journaling cards tucked in
Minimal embellishments to start

My plan is to add throughout the month:

daily (or “most days”) gratitude notes or prayers
small photos from my mini printer
washi + stickers + little bits as I go -- of course I’m going to keep using Grit and Grace!

It’s intentionally flexible — so if I miss a day? Totally okay. This book has fewer than 30 pages anyway, which honestly feels even more doable.

With the base of the album done, documenting the gratitude bits becomes peaceful and easy — exactly the vibe I want for November.