If you've ever looked at a finished junk journal or altered book and wondered how the edges got that layered, textured, almost uncontainable look — this is the video that answers it. I worked through an entire altered book I rescued from the free pile at my local op shop, embellishing over 100 page edges using 34 distinct techniques, and filmed the whole thing so you could see every idea in context.
What we cover
This is an inspiration-and-ideas roundup built around a single rescued altered book. I go page by page through the finished book, naming each technique as it comes up, doing quick demonstrations where something needs a little explanation, and showing how the same idea looks across multiple pages when repeated with different materials. The focus throughout is decorative page edges — what you attach, how you attach it, and what it looks like when the book is closed.
What you'll learn
How to use decorative trims and ribbons as page edges — including wrapping ribbon folded in half over the edge and gluing both sides down, layering lace with ribbon threaded through the middle, and using eyelash trim with blanket stitch for a stitched, meditative edge.
Using the offcut strips from 12×12 scrapbook paper — those bottom strips often have a decorative band or a printed phrase that's actually worth keeping. Glue them to the edge of a page, half hanging off, and you've got an instant embellishment from what most people throw away.
How to create layered punched-shape edges, including:
- Punching hearts, butterflies, or circles from various papers, inking the edges, and overlapping them slightly as you glue them down — applying glue only to the half that goes against the page so the other half lifts
- Using border punches on folded scrapbook paper, either punching the page itself or punching a separate strip and attaching it so the decorative edge faces out
How to work with painted and ripped papers as page edges — painting papers with kids, keeping the sheets on hand, then cutting to size, ripping edges, inking them, and gluing them down. These look unremarkable on their own but come alive when folded into a pocket or flip-out element.
Ruffled ribbon and ruffled paper edges — running ribbon or strips of paper (or even an IKEA paper measuring tape) through a sewing machine to gather them, then gluing the ruffle onto the page edge. No sewing through the book itself: stitch onto a scrap piece of paper first, then glue the whole thing down.
Hand-stitching and blanket stitch on paper, including:
- Punching holes first and stitching with thick thread or yarn wrapped around the page edge
- Reinforcing the paper with a strip of washi tape before stitching to prevent tearing
- Using masking tape on the inside where the stitch will sit so the holes hold
How to fold paper strips into page tabs and writing spots — fold a strip in half, round the corners with a corner punch if you like, and glue it to the edge leaving part exposed. These double as tabs and create journaling spots inside.
Using postage stamps, ticket stubs, and ephemera on page edges — half-overlapping stamps or raffle-style tickets along the edge of a page in a relaxed, haphazard way, gluing them so they're half on the page and half sticking out.
Doodled and cut edges — folding black paper in half, drawing with gel pens, then cutting wiggly or decorative edges before gluing the fold onto the page. The doodling is visible on both sides of the fold, and cutting into the edges after gluing adds even more texture.
Washi tape with wiggly-cut edges — applying washi tape and then cutting the edge with scissors in an uneven line instead of leaving the straight factory edge. The straight line of washi tape on a page edge looks flat; cutting it makes it look intentional.
Adding threads, twine, and beads at page edges, including:
- Punching holes with a circle punch, looping twine through, and letting it hang over the edge with small beads or charms at the ends
- Gluing a folded piece of paper down with thread caught in the fold, leaving the thread ends loose to tie into a bow or thread with beads
- Weaving ribbon or yarn through punched holes in a pocket page
Using paper clips and rings as page edge decorations — clipping a decorative paperclip with a bead or small charm threaded onto it onto the edge of a page. Simple and removable, but it reads as a finished element.
Ruffled coffee-dyed fabric — cutting up old baby wraps, coffee-dyeing them, running them through a sewing machine on a scrap of paper, and gluing the whole piece to a page edge. The result looks like a natural, aged trim.
Using border strips cut from 6×6 paper pads — the decorative borders that come at the edges of paper pad sheets can be cut out by hand and glued to page edges so they stick out slightly. Even non-matching borders work since the variation reads as intentional.
Using paper flowers at page edges — gluing paper flowers to the page edge so they extend outward, giving the book dimension and softness at the same time.
Fabric scraps with zigzag-scissor or pinking-shear edges — cutting fabric with zigzag scissors and stapling or gluing it to the edge of a page. The staples can be hidden with small paper flowers or other embellishments layered over them.
Using stickers — including holographic and transparent stickers — as edge decoration — applying stickers so they wrap around or extend past the edge of the page. Transparent stickers integrate better than stickers with white borders, which tend to look stuck-on rather than part of the page.
Ephemera pieces glued at an angle — using small pages from a notepad or ephemera pack, gluing them slightly skewed to cover the edge of a page completely, inking the edges for a finished look.
Tips & gotchas
When you're stitching through paper with thick thread or yarn, the page will tear if you rush it. Punch holes large enough for your needle first, go slowly, and — especially if you're wrapping around the edge — reinforce the paper with a strip of washi tape or masking tape on the inside before you start. The tape doesn't show and it makes a real difference.
If you want machine sewing on a book page, don't try to feed your whole altered book through the machine. Sew your gathered fabric or ruffled paper onto a scrap piece of paper, let it dry flat, then glue the whole thing down onto the page. It comes out much cleaner.
Anything with beads or charms hanging off the edge needs room to move. When the book is stood upright the charms have to fall somewhere — if your thread is too short they'll press against the pages and bend them. Leave a little slack and check by standing the book up before you commit.
Reinforcing holes with eyelets before attaching hardware or charms is worth the extra step. Even a lightweight plastic charm on a thin thread can work a hole loose over time if the paper isn't supported.
Before you start embellishing a book this heavily, remove pages. I took out roughly half the book — all the pages except the centrefold of each signature — before I started adding bulk. If you skip this step everything gets impossibly thick and hard to close.
Check your page edges as you go rather than at the end. With a lot of elements happening, some things will hide behind others when the book is closed. I kept picking the book up and looking at the spine-side to make sure something was at least a little bit visible from every layer.
When you're cutting wiggly lines in washi tape, cut after it's applied — that gives you the most natural-looking irregular edge. And when you're choosing stickers for page edges, transparent-backed stickers are always going to read more naturally than ones with white borders, which tend to look like stickers rather than part of the design.
Weight matters more than you might think. A plastic charm is fine; a heavy metal one can drag on the page over time. If you're using something substantial, set an eyelet first, then attach.
What I love most about this kind of project is that it teaches you to look at everything differently: the bottom strip of a paper pad, a leftover fabric scrap, an IKEA measuring tape, old baby wraps that were heading for the bin. All of it has a place at the edge of a page, and once you start seeing it that way, your scrap pile starts to look like a stash.
