I have to admit that when it comes to my personal Keepsake Kitchen Diary, I go the more minimal route. Most of my filled out spreads are simply a pen and maybe a highlighter for important parts of the recipe. But when we had the idea to try to make a pocket for the Kitchen Diary, I figured it was time to step up my game.
Making a pocket for your Kitchen Diary is super easy! If you want to see how I made one for my grandma’s strawberry pie recipe, keep reading!
Keepsake Kitchen Diary Pocket Supplies
To make this pocket (and to decorate your spread), you’ll need:
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Washi tape
- Markers
- Sharpie
Step One – Cut Out Your Pocket
To make your pocket, start by cutting out of construction paper (of your chosen color – mine was white) small rectangle that is only slightly bigger than the photos or keepsakes you plan to hold in it.
My pocket was about a quarter inch larger on all sides than my Polaroid film so that the photos would fit snugly inside. You don’t need to be super precise in your measuring – it’s not about being perfect! As long as your photos fit, you’re good.
Step Two – Decorate
Now for the fun part! Once you’ve cut out a decently-sized pocket out of construction paper, it’s time to decorate!
I like to use a Sharpie pen to outline my designs and then color over with either Tombow brush pens or the standard Crayola marker. It’s not a bad idea to label your pocket with what’s going inside! I decided to call mine “Pieces of the Pie.” Heh.
Step Three – Tape Down with Washi
Pick your favorite Washi tape (mine is this white and gold leafed design) and tape down your pocket! I lined mine up so that it fit in the bottom right hand corner of my Memories page. That way I could still have room to write out memories without the pocket stealing all the room.
Once your pocket is finished and taped down, fill it with photos or keepsakes! I stuffed mine with Polaroids from the day I first made this strawberry pie recipe with my grandma. She used a Betty Crocker cookbook that she got as a wedding shower gift in 1958 – I had to take a picture of that. And of course I photographed the before and after of our pie! We attempted a lattice top crust which is no easy feat.
Focus on Your Memories
The reason I love the idea of putting a pocket on the pages of my Keepsake Kitchen Diary is because it lets me directly connect my memories to the recipes – which is exactly what the Kitchen Diary is about! And did you know that the Lily & Val Flagship Store used to be a pie shop in the 1800s? When I heard that, I just thought it was the coolest thing.
Because pie is the coolest thing.
Taking photos of the day I made strawberry pie with my grandma was such a great decision because now I can look back and always remember that day and making my first pie from scratch.
For as long as I can remember, my grandma (Memaw – you may remember her from this Kitchen Diary post) has been making pies. She used to supply the local diner on the corner – owned by my cousins – with homemade pies to sell for dessert.
My personal favorite is Memaw’s blueberry pie. She has a pair of blueberry bushes in the backyard and in late summer, when my cousins and I were younger, we’d fill a couple of large bowls with freshly-picked blueberries and run them back up to the house for pies.
There truly is no better summer treat than a homemade pie baked with fresh blueberries. I was so sad that the bushes weren’t ripe yet when it came time to make this post!
Nonetheless, my boyfriend and I had such a great time going over to Memaw’s a couple days ago and whipping up this strawberry pie. When we had too much strawberry juice spilling over our crust, my boyfriend drank it up with a straw! Since it was only sliced strawberries and sugar, it was super tasty.
While I’m sworn to secrecy about my family’s pie recipe, I can say that if you want more Keepsake Kitchen Diary crafting inspiration, check out this post and this post! Or you can just check out all of our Kitchen Diary posts here or our In the Kitchen posts here! Plenty of recipes there to keep you cooking for a long time.
I’d love to hear about your family recipes and see what you’re crafting on your own Keepsake Kitchen Diary! Tag us in your photos on Instagram with #lilyandvalliving! And, as always, share the above photo on Pinterest if you liked this post!
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