If you've ever looked at a pile of paper scraps, broken jewellery, leftover fabric, and junk mail envelopes and thought I know there's something in here — this video is for you. I walk through 13 mini side projects I've been working on in parallel, the kind that live in little tubs around my studio and get a focused 15–20 minutes of attention a few times a week. Nothing here requires a full afternoon. These are the projects that happen in front of the TV, between bigger builds, or whenever the scraps pile up enough to demand attention.
What we cover
Thirteen ongoing embellishment and journal-making projects, from beaded notepads and fabric yo-yo bookmarks to vinyl pouches, lace flowers, tassels, paper strip booklet dangles, and junk mail envelope tags — with a look at how I make each one and how they come together as journal additions, gifts, or craft fair pieces.
What you'll learn
How to make a beaded notepad with a fabric cover and twine binding The cover is a piece of fabric (zigzag-cut for a pretty edge) machine-stitched or glued across the top of folded A4 printer paper, with a scored cardstock spine and simple two-hole binding. Beads thread up along the twine above the knot — which is where that big-eye beading needle comes in. I'd never seen one before I found it at an op shop, and it genuinely changed how much I enjoy this project.
Why I fold all pages together at once when making signatures — folding a stack rather than sheet by sheet gives a soft, natural curve at the spine instead of a sharp crease.
How to make a 15-minute whimsical house collage using paper scraps, lace offcuts, and junk mail envelopes — the kind of play project you do first to get the creative energy moving before tackling anything more structured.
How to make junk mail envelope tags, including:
- Tearing rather than cutting to avoid straight edges
- Inking edges and gluing onto cardstock or file folder for body
- Trimming into tag shapes, hat shapes, or journal-cover panels
How to make lace flowers with button centres, including:
- Small dainty versions and large chunky layered versions
- Using hot glue to fill shank buttons as a centre piece
- Leaving flowers plain if you prefer the simpler look
How to make charms and dangles from broken jewellery, including:
- Using eye pins to stack components
- Removing individual links from broken necklaces and repurposing them directly
- Adding to a spine, bob pin, or journal closure
How to make paper strip booklet dangles — folded paper offcuts with a punched hole, a jump ring, and a small charm, ready to hang from a journal, keychain, or bag strap. These are especially satisfying because the strips come from the same cutting waste that would otherwise go in the bin.
How to sew vinyl pouches and keep the flap closed without a snap closure — a straight stitch on three sides, a decorated flap, and small charms along the flap edge whose weight holds everything shut.
How to make fabric yo-yo bookmarks, including:
- Making yo-yos with or without a yo-yo maker tool (a circle of fabric and a running stitch around the edge is all you need)
- Attaching to a large paperclip or paper clip with hot glue
- Adding a shank button centre for a more finished look
How to make tassels two ways, including:
- Ring-top tassels using lace, ribbon, thread scraps, and wrapped waxed thread
- Bead-cap tassels using hoodie cord ends (or saved pen caps) to hide the knot, with beads threaded over both cord ends
How to make a simple vinyl-cover mini art journal using a three-hole pamphlet stitch, ink-blended pages (dabbed from an ink pad onto a damp plastic sheet), and a twine wrap closure with an eyelet.
How to turn magazine images and catalogue pages into sturdy journaling spots — fold the source page for bulk, layer a blank card underneath, stitch around the image, then cut to shape. No gluing first, no fussing with placement. The folded layers give the finished piece a satisfying hand that a single sheet never does.
Copyright basics for crafters — you can use original images from books and magazines (even ones still under copyright) in journals you sell, as long as you're using the actual original piece. Scanning and reprinting the same image crosses the line.
How to make layered scrapbook paper tags with zigzag-stitched edges, circle hole details, and enough structure to carry lace, ribbon, and charm additions.
Tips & gotchas
Fold all your notepad pages together in one go rather than individually. It sounds like a small thing but it makes a real difference — you get a gentle curve at the fold rather than a sharp, stiff crease.
You don't need eyelets for the notepad binding holes. A clean punched hole works perfectly fine; the eyelets are just there if you want them.
If you're making a vinyl pouch and don't have snap closure hardware, add small charms along the flap edge. The weight of a few metal charms keeps the flap sitting closed without any fastening at all — and it looks better than a snap anyway.
Threading beads onto twine is one of those tasks that sounds quick and isn't, until you have the right tool. If you can find a big-eye beading needle, grab it. If not, add a tiny drop of glue to the thread end and let it dry to a point — it threads through beads much more easily than a frayed end.
Give yourself short, timed sessions for ongoing side projects — I work in roughly 15–20 minute blocks, pencilled into my week. It keeps the momentum going without the projects feeling like obligations. Five weeks into the tag project and it's still enjoyable precisely because I haven't tried to finish it in one sitting.
Tips & gotchas
(continued — copyright note)
One thing worth saying clearly: if you find a beautiful image in a catalogue or magazine and want to use it in a journal you're selling, that's fine — you're using the original. If you photocopy or scan it and print multiple copies, you're reproducing it, and that's where copyright applies. Keep the original, use the original.
A tassel made from a broken necklace and some leftover lace becomes the closure charm on a vinyl pouch. A paper strip booklet dangle slips into the pocket of a mini art journal. A yo-yo bookmark and a couple of junk mail tags tuck into a cellophane bag alongside a beaded notepad, and suddenly you have a gift that looks genuinely considered. None of it required a dedicated project session — just a lot of small, quiet pockets of time with scraps that were already on the desk.
