Four handmade journals, each one started from something different — an old Reader's Digest, a hollowed-out planner, a poetry book, an envelope writing set — and each one turned into something you'd genuinely want to write in. This flip-through shows all four journals from the current Etsy restock, with a close look at how they're constructed, what's inside, and the techniques that tie them together: machine-sewn zigzag edges, tea and coffee dyeing, stenciling over corrugated cardboard, reinforced spines, and pocket-after-pocket of tucked-in ephemera.
What we cover
This is a full flip-through of four assorted junk journals made from upcycled books and paper sets, each built differently depending on the source material. Alongside the visual tour, I talk through how the spine reinforcement works, how I approached dyeing and stitching, and how I kept each journal cohesive in color and feel while still making every spread interesting to write on.
What you'll learn
How to reinforce a journal spine with fabric and thick cardboard — Each of the journals here started as something else entirely, which means the original spines needed work. I show three different approaches across the four books:
- Covering the exterior spine with quilting fabric, glued and stitched down
- Adding a layer of thick cardboard inside the cover before attaching the fabric
- Sewing the fabric directly into the book block so it's genuinely anchored, not just surface-applied
How to build pockets and tuck spots into every spread — Rather than treating pockets as decoration, I use them as the structure of the spread. Across these journals you'll see flip-down envelopes (I have a dedicated tutorial on those, linked below the video), corner flip-up pockets, long inside-cover pockets, and simple baggie pockets with tags. Each one gives a future writer somewhere to put things.
Why zigzag stitch around page edges works so well — This is one of those techniques that looks decorative but does real work. The zigzag holds layered pages together, keeps ruffles from fraying, and creates a consistent visual border that ties spreads together even when the paper underneath is all different. You'll see it used throughout all four journals.
How tea dyeing and coffee dyeing interact — and why the results are unpredictable — One of the pages in the red poetry journal came out a color that was almost certainly a mix of tea and coffee together. I didn't plan that. That's the honest truth of the dyeing process: you can guide it but you can't fully control it, and sometimes that's exactly what makes a page beautiful.
How to use corrugated cardboard as a stamping tool — I include a small piece of corrugated cardboard as an "extra goodie" in one of the journals, and in the video I explain what it's actually for: stamp over it, then press that inked corrugated surface onto plain paper, and you get an instant ruled-line effect. It's a trick I've been using for a while and it's one of those things that's almost too simple to mention but genuinely useful.
How to work with onion skin paper without losing its strength — Onion skin paper looks fragile — it has that tissue-paper feel — but it's actually quite strong and takes stitching well. I use it in two of these journals and it adds a lightness to the spread without falling apart.
How to build a journal from an envelope writing set — The fourth journal in this flip-through started as a paper and envelope set. I show how the original envelopes become built-in pockets, how the flaps become design elements, and how a cork stamp becomes a decorative focal point using nothing more than ink you already have on hand.
How to create a cohesive color story across a journal — Every journal here leans into the colors it started with. For the envelope writing set journal, that meant threading pink throughout. For the German ephemera journal, it meant layering vintage papers in similar tones and letting the tea-dyed pages set the warmth. I talk through how I make decisions as I go rather than planning a palette in advance.
How to leave enough writing space while still embellishing heavily — This is the tension at the heart of every junk journal made to be sold or given away. I think about it deliberately: every spread needs at least one clear writing spot, and preferably more. You'll see how I balance stenciling, stitching, and ephemera against blank journaling space throughout the flip-through.
Tips & gotchas
Spine reinforcement is worth doing properly. A journal that's been altered from an existing book has usually had its original binding stressed. Just gluing fabric over the outside isn't enough — I always add a layer of thick cardboard inside the cover first, then bring the fabric over both. When I also sew the fabric into the book block, it stays put even with heavy use.
Don't list the extra goodies in your Etsy listings. I include little extras with each of these journals — bits of ephemera, small tools, leftover materials — but I deliberately leave them out of the listing descriptions. They're bonuses, not selling points. If someone buys a journal expecting a specific freebie, that's a problem waiting to happen.
Tea dyeing and coffee dyeing will surprise you. I've said this before and I'll keep saying it: you genuinely cannot predict what color you'll get, especially if tea and coffee interact on the same page. Some of my favorite pages in this batch happened by accident. Build that unpredictability into your process rather than fighting it.
Keep writing space generous, even when the page is busy. It's easy to fill every corner when you're embellishing. I try to catch myself and ask: where would someone actually write here? Even a small clear area counts, but there needs to be one.
The corrugated cardboard stamping trick is simpler than it sounds. Ink the surface of a scrap piece of corrugated cardboard and press it onto plain paper. You get a lined effect that looks handmade and organic. I tuck a piece into the journals as a bonus, but it's worth keeping a few scraps in your own supply bin for whenever you need a quick lined page without a ruler.
Zigzag stitch does more than look pretty. Running a zigzag around the edge of a page with multiple layers sewn together actually helps hold everything in place. It also means that if the page gets heavy use, the layers are less likely to separate. I've started doing it almost automatically on any page that has something glued or stitched onto it.
If you've got a pile of old books, planners, or paper sets sitting around and you've been wondering how to start, watching how each of these came together from something completely different might be exactly the push you need.
