I have been getting that fun in the sun summer feeling and wanted to make some Summer art journal pages… but what to make? With that in mind, here are 25 art journal prompts to get your creative juices flowing this summer (and a free printable to work from!)
1. My Dream Summer Getaway
Close your eyes and picture the ultimate summer escape. Is it a cozy lakeside cottage, a solo adventure in a Paris café, or a colorful van parked along the Pacific Coast Highway? Use your page to bring that dreamy scene to life through imagery, colors, and maybe a little itinerary.
Use: Vintage travel ads, postage stamps, map backgrounds, hotel keys, floral paper snippets, or suitcase ephemera.
2. A Map of My Favorite Childhood Summer Spot
Draw a playful map of the place that defined your childhood summers—whether it was the beach near your grandma’s house, the neighborhood sprinkler route, or the corner store with the best popsicles. Mark the landmarks that mattered only to you.
Use: Atlas or road map scraps, hand-drawn arrows, treasure “X” marks, Polaroid-style frames, and grid-style paper.
3. Beach Day Bliss: Draw Your Ultimate Seaside Setup
What’s YOUR version of the perfect beach day? Big colorful umbrella? Paperback novel? A giant cooler of watermelon slices and fizzy drinks? Sketch, collage, or write out the beach day that feels like paradise to you.
Use: Striped papers, printable beach umbrellas, retro swimsuits, sand-textured cardstock, and teal tones.
4. What Summer Feels Like (Beyond Just Hot!)
This one’s all about sensation. Think sticky popsicle fingers, warm breezes on skin, golden light at 8 p.m., and grass between your toes. Create an abstract representation of what summer FEELS like emotionally and physically.
Use: Soft watercolors, citrusy hues, watercolor splashes, hand-drawn waves or sunbursts, and fabric scraps.
5. Vintage Postcard From Me to Me
Pretend you're sending a postcard to your current self—from your summer self. What message would she write? Use vintage-style handwriting, illustrations, or actual postcards to give it that old-school charm.
Use: Postcard printables, aged paper, handwriting stamps, mini envelopes, and faux postage stickers.
6. Sandcastle Dreams and Seashore Scenes
Let your inner child take the lead! Think sand between your toes, plastic pails, and drip-drip towers. Whether you collage, draw, or doodle, build the sandcastle of your imagination (shell flags encouraged!).
Use: Sandpaper texture, shell stickers, tan cardstock, vintage bathing suit ads, and beach critter ephemera.
7. A Letter to Summer
Write a heartfelt letter to Summer itself—like she’s an old friend returning for another visit. Thank her for her light, her heat, her freedom…or maybe lovingly roast her for the humidity.
Use: Lined paper, calligraphy pens, botanical printables, soft florals, wax seals, and envelope shapes.
8. My Summer Soundtrack
Capture the sound of summer. Make a visual playlist of songs that instantly put you in a sunny state of mind—whether it’s 60s surf rock, backyard barbecue tunes, or your teenage summer anthem.
Use: Record player or cassette imagery, lyric clippings, album covers, neon highlights, or starbursts.
9. Found Treasure: Collage a Beachcomber’s Haul
Imagine you’re walking a beach and stumble upon magical little artifacts—what’s in your haul? This prompt is perfect for collage lovers. Think driftwood hearts, sea glass, or a message in a bottle.
Use: Torn vintage book pages, sea-themed stickers, tiny labels, faux pearls, or watercolor blobs that mimic shells.
10. Ice Cream Emotions (Yes, Really!)
What if each ice cream flavor was a mood? Are you feeling minty fresh or a bit rocky road today? Let this playful prompt be your emotional check-in with a scoop of sweetness.
Use: Ice cream cone clipart, pastel sprinkles, cut-out sundaes, washi tape “drips,” or colorful dot textures.
11. Summer Reading Escape: Books That Take Me Away
Pay tribute to the books that whisk you away to another place, whether they’re beach reads, magical adventures, or self-reflection staples. This is your bookish mood board.
Use: Library card printables, faux book spines, reading glasses stickers, old dictionary pages, or handwritten quotes.
12. Sunset Magic: Paint Your Favorite Evening Light
Nothing hits like that golden hour glow. Create a page that captures the slow, magical fade of light on a summer evening—use color and shape to say what words can’t.
Use: Ombre backgrounds, gold foiling, sunset-colored papers, vellum overlays, or ink-blot skies.
13. Flip Flops and Freedom: What Freedom Means This Season
What does freedom look like to you this summer? Is it doing nothing without guilt? Is it skinny-dipping at midnight or turning off your phone for the weekend? Explore it here.
Use: Flip-flop shapes, airy doodles, cloud cut-outs, handwritten affirmations, or butterfly ephemera.
14. The Great Summer Escape: Real or Imagined Road Trip
Map out a totally real—or totally made-up—summer road trip. What would be your first stop? Who’s riding shotgun? What snacks are non-negotiable?
Use: Road map pages, car stickers, mileage journaling, route lines, fast-food bag bits, and motel postcards.
15. Ode to a Beach Umbrella
Sometimes a single object can hold so many memories. Pay tribute to the humble beach umbrella—your shady bestie on those sun-soaked days.
Use: Radial patterns, bold colored triangles, shadow play with paint, stripey papers, or watercolor sand.
16. The Feeling of Cold Water on a Hot Day
This is all about sensation. The shock of that first dip in the ocean, the tingle of cold hose water on sun-warmed feet. Capture the contrast in textures and colors.
Use: Clear acetate, shimmer paints, bubble prints, blue and white ink washes, or torn tissue “splashes.”
17. Fireflies, Sparklers, and Little Night Magic
Remember those summer nights lit with magic? Whether it was actual fireflies or the electricity of a late-night conversation, bring the sparkle to life.
Use: Black paper, gold foil stars, silver gel pens, tiny light bulb drawings, and glitter dots.
18. A Summer Recipe (With a Side of Doodles)
What’s your go-to summer treat? Illustrate or collage the ingredients—be it a tomato sandwich, sangria, or icebox cake—and add your own whimsical flair.
Use: Recipe cards, doodled ingredients, gingham backgrounds, food labels, and fruit stickers.
19. Summer Wardrobe Mood Board
Design your ideal summer look—real or totally fantastical. Include textures, colors, and pieces that just feel like summer to you.
Use: Paper doll cutouts, fabric scraps, fashion magazine clippings, embroidery floss, and color swatches.
20. Then vs. Now: My Summers Through the Years
Split the page down the middle. On one side, document what summer looked like when you were a kid. On the other, explore what it feels like now. What’s changed? What’s stayed?
Use: Sepia tones on one side, brighter tones on the other, contrasting textures, old vs. new snapshots.
21. Favorite Summer Smells (Hello, Coppertone!)
Summers have their own scent signature—think freshly cut grass, pool chlorine, watermelon, or sunscreen. Represent those smells through imagery and color.
Use: Perfume bottle cutouts, scratch-n-sniff-style stickers, floral papers, and word strips like “fresh” or “sun.”
22. A Page Just for Sunflowers
Because they’re bold, bright, and perfectly sun-soaked. Let this be your page of joy, centered on the unapologetic, sun-chasing sunflower.
Use: Sunflower stickers or drawings, yellow lace, burlap texture, botanical labels, and kraft paper.
23. My Summer Self: If She Were a Character
Give your summer energy a persona. Is she wild and sun-kissed? Cozy and dreamy? Draw her out and give her a name, style, and a little backstory.
Use: Character sketch templates, personality trait tags, fashion accessories, aura-inspired color blends.
24. A Journal Picnic: What’s in My Basket
What would you pack for a dream picnic? Mix real items (like watermelon) with metaphorical ones (like “peace of mind”).
Use: Gingham patterns, picnic basket clipart, food stickers, little cloth scraps, doodled ants or bees.
25. Saying Goodbye to Summer (But Not Really)
Use this page as a gentle send-off to summer—what are you keeping with you as the season shifts? What memories are staying warm in your heart?
Use: Faded summer elements, muted color palette, timepieces, farewell quotes, torn paper layers.
Free Printable – Summer Art Journal Prompts
You can get all of these awesome printables in the freebie library! Just click here or the image below to get your password (if you don’t have it already). If you already have the password, you can enter the freebie library and download hundreds of printables for free!
Here are some more great free printables you might love:
- 5 Vintage Summer Background Pages – Perfect for Journals, Mixed Media or Scrapbooking
- Free Summer Fruits Vintage Background Collage Pages (Berries and Grapes)
- Summer Color Palettes For Your Seasonal Artwork
