Five new journals, all different — that's the simple truth of what this flip-through is. I made a large layered journal stuffed with writing space, a hidden spine journal designed to pass as an ordinary book on a shelf, an embellished notes journal with pockets and tags, a floral naked journal built around a Victorian posy book with a fragrance still in the pages, and a friendship journal I originally made during one of my tutorials. If you've been looking for ideas on what a finished junk journal can actually look like — or you're curious what's available in my Etsy shop — this is the video to sit with.
What we cover
A flip-through of five handmade junk journals, each built differently: one oversized layered journal with extensive writing space, one hidden spine journal formatted to look like a regular book, two naked journals that leave the embellishing to you, and one fully embellished friendship journal with pockets, stenciling, and dangling tags. I also share how I think about balancing embellishments with writing space when I'm making journals — which is something I get asked about a lot.
What you'll learn
How a hidden spine binding changes the way a journal looks and sits — the sewing and signature binding happen away from the visible spine, so the finished book looks like any other book on a shelf. For anyone who wants a writing journal that doesn't announce itself, this is worth paying attention to.
What a naked journal actually means in practice — not unfinished, just un-embellished. Both naked journals here still have specialty pages, including:
- Tea-dyed pages in varying darkness, from deep brown to very pale, depending on the batch
- Vellum pages added alongside heavier paper
- Zigzag-cut edges and coloring book pages as textural variety
- A selection of included embellishments and die-cuts for you to place yourself
How tea dyeing produces variation you can work with — different batches give you different depths of color, and rather than treating that as inconsistency, I use it deliberately. Dark pages and light pages sitting side by side give a journal rhythm.
How writing pages can be made from found materials — address book pages, old book pages, music paper, and large nature book pages all appear here as journaling surfaces. The idea is that something you'd otherwise pass over can become a page worth writing on.
How to build writing space into an embellished journal — the friendship journal in particular balances stenciling, pockets, and tags with enough open paper that it's genuinely usable as a writing journal. I keep this distinction in mind every time I make a journal: beautiful to look at is one thing, but does it invite you to write?
How pockets, envelopes, and album slots create layered structure — across these five journals you'll see album slots for photos or ephemera, paper bag pockets, small envelopes that open to reveal additional goodies, and tag pockets. None of these are decorative-only; they hold things.
The waterfall notepad construction — the large journal has a small waterfall-style notepad at the back spine area, built on cardstock so it stays sturdy and can sit in the journal permanently or come out as needed.
Why I add loose writing papers and specialty papers to naked journals — because a naked journal is an invitation, not an empty shell. The floral Victorian posy journal includes a small packet of pretty writing papers, journaling spots, die-cuts, and a filled envelope so that whoever works in it has material to start from.
Tips & gotchas
The closure on an embellished journal can be delicate — especially when it's part of the decorative design rather than a plain elastic or tie. Handle it gently, particularly during the flip-through stage before the journal has found its home. If you're making journals to sell or give, think about whether the closure will survive regular use.
When you add writing pages made from old books or address books, tearing the edges rather than cutting them makes a real difference. Tear them, ink the edges lightly, then glue them down. It takes a few extra minutes but the pages look finished and intentional rather than improvised.
The hardest balance in journal-making — and I still think about this every time — is embellishments versus writing room. I love a stuffed journal, genuinely. But when I'm making, I always ask what the journal is actually for. If it's for writing, then every pocket and tag should leave space on the page, not crowd it out. Little embellishments can help with the creative writing process — opening a page to a surprise detail can prompt you — but only if there's still room to write when you get there.
Tea dyeing in batches will always give you variation. Rather than trying to control for consistent color, lean into the range. Dark pages and pale pages together give a journal texture that's harder to achieve any other way.
A hidden spine journal, a naked journal with just tea-dyed pages and room to breathe, a fully stuffed and embellished book with pockets at every turn — the same materials and techniques can go in completely different directions depending on the intention behind them. If any of these sparked something for you, that's exactly what I was hoping for.
