Newspaper might be the most overlooked material in paper crafting — it's free, it's large, it folds beautifully, and it has that warm, grungy, vintage quality that's genuinely hard to replicate with anything else. In this video I'm sharing five ideas (honestly, more than five) for using newspaper in your journals and crafts: a multi-pocket booklet, wonky envelopes, pouches and baggies, an expanding pocket pouch, and newspaper washi tape — plus a handful of experimental extras I couldn't resist throwing in.
What we cover
Five main projects built entirely or mostly from newspaper — from a bound pocket book with 23+ pockets to a simple strip of sticky tape that becomes a transferable text element — plus bonus techniques including faux rice paper with newspaper, PVA-and-cheesecloth journal covers, and collage. Every project leans into what newspaper actually is: thin, textured, imperfect, and completely free.
What you'll learn
How to make a newspaper pocket book with 20+ pockets — a wallet-style origami fold, made three times and bound together with a three-hole pamphlet stitch. The finished booklet has tuck spots, open pockets, and a binding strung with handmade paper beads.
- The core fold: half, then quarters, then corner triangles, then inversion
- Why the small doubled-over fold at the top and bottom matters — it gives the pocket walls extra thickness so they don't collapse when you fill them
- How to apply washi tape before folding so the decorative strips land exactly where they'll be visible in the finished booklet
- Binding from the outside in so the thread and beads sit on the spine rather than hidden inside
How to make wonky, freeform newspaper envelopes — two approaches, one loose and sculptural (with machine sewing), one more structured (with basic four-fold construction):
- Freehand folding with no measuring and no rules — fold Any Which Way, add glue as you go, commit to whatever shape emerges
- Using a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine to hold folds in place and add visual texture
- Adding a decorative flap detail: a torn strip of book page, inked at the edges, stitched down in a semicircle
- When and how to layer scrap paper, ephemera, and stickers over the newspaper surface without losing the newspaper feel entirely
How to make newspaper pouches and baggies, from a simple overlapped-and-folded tube with a washi-tape top to a smaller version with a built-in front pocket or tuck spot:
- Overlapping the newspaper sides to form a tube, then gluing the seam and folding the base closed at a slant
- Creating a front pocket or tuck spot by folding a section back before gluing everything down
- How a few stamps, a doily sticker, or a strip of trim is genuinely all it takes to make these feel finished
How to make an expanding pocket pouch from newspaper — multiple folded sections joined with double-sided tape to create a fan of pockets that grows as you fill it:
- Making each section exactly the same size (use your first one as a template for every one after)
- Applying washi tape to the top and bottom of each section before folding — this reinforces the edges and lets you mix tape patterns across sections
- Why you apply washi tape over the seam before laying down double-sided tape: newspaper is thin enough that tape alone can tear straight through it
- Joining sections together and mounting the finished pouch on a board or directly onto a journal cover, with a length of twine underneath to keep the pockets closed when the journal is moving around
How to make newspaper washi tape — a quick alternative to packaging-tape transfer that doesn't require wetting or waiting:
- Laying a strip of regular sticky tape across the newspaper at a slant, pressing lightly, then lifting — the tape pulls up a little text and surface texture and stays sticky
- How pressing harder picks up more newspaper; pressing lighter gives a cleaner, more transparent result
- Aging the tape strip with a little ink before or after lifting for a less stark, more vintage look
- The important caveat: once made, these strips are no longer reliably sticky on their own — use a glue stick to adhere them to your project
- Using the technique on acetate to make a semi-transparent collage sheet or dashboard page
Bonus experiments worth knowing about, even if they don't become full projects:
- PVA glue over a strip of newspaper to create a stiff, slightly protective sheet — thicker and more stable than newspaper alone, usable as a journal page or cover element
- Cheesecloth saturated into PVA-coated newspaper for a sturdy, textured material that can become a small cover or wallet
- Newspaper collage as a background — rip, layer, add washi tape strips and images on top
- Faux vellum by rubbing with paraffin or candle wax and ironing — technically it works, but see Tips & gotchas before you try it in a journal
Tips & gotchas
Double up your newspaper sheets before you start folding. A single layer is too thin to hold up to repeated folding or anything going in and out of pockets — two layers give it real body without adding much stiffness.
A small amount of glue applied along the edge before you start folding helps keep the layers from sliding and bunching. Newspaper is so light it moves around constantly; that little bit of tack makes the whole process less frustrating.
When you're gluing an envelope or a small pouch down onto a project, don't glue all the way to the opening edge. If the glue goes right to the rim, it becomes almost impossible to slide anything in. Glue in the middle of the flap and leave the edges free.
Before you apply double-sided tape to a newspaper seam, put a strip of washi tape over that seam first. Double-sided tape pulls hard when you peel the backing, and newspaper just isn't strong enough to survive it cleanly. The washi tape gives it something to grip.
When you're assembling the expanding pouch and stacking the sections together, take a moment to align them carefully before you press down. Once double-sided tape connects them, that's it — they're not coming apart without damage.
Newspaper washi tape pieces lose their stickiness once they're made, especially after they've been handled. Don't count on them adhering by themselves; always use a glue stick when applying them to a page or journal.
On faux vellum: rubbing newspaper with paraffin or candle wax and ironing it does produce a translucent effect — but I'd avoid using it inside a journal. Over time the wax or oil migrates and leaves greasy marks on whatever page it's resting against. It's an interesting technique to explore on its own, just not one I'd recommend for anything that's going to be stored closed.
Finally: wash your hands regularly while working with newspaper. The ink transfers constantly, and working with greasy, ink-stained fingers makes everything harder and messier than it needs to be.
The pocket book especially — filling it up, layering in little booklets and fabric scraps and ephemera, knowing the whole structure cost nothing — has a particular kind of satisfaction that's hard to get from nicer paper. And the washi tape technique opens up a whole separate direction: newspaper strips on acetate, collage sheets, textured dashboard pages. There's a lot more to find here than five ideas.
