If you've ever wanted a journal that fans out into cascading, staggered pages — each one a little longer than the last — this tutorial is for you. I walk through the whole process of making a cascading waterfall junk journal from scratch, using 12×12 scrapbook paper, cardstock covers, and a three-hole pamphlet stitch binding with a lace closure. No special equipment required, and honestly, not much measuring either.
What we cover
We go from blank paper to finished, embellished journal — folding the waterfall pages, making and decorating the cover, binding everything together with embroidery floss and lace, and finishing with a full flip-through of a completed journal so you can see what's possible when you take it all the way.
What you'll learn
How to fold cascading waterfall pages without measuring, using each fold as the reference point for the next. The spacing sets itself as you go — fold each new page against the very last fold you made, and the stagger stays consistent all the way through.
How to control page count and stagger width by adjusting the gap between folds:
- Closer folds = more pages, narrower stagger
- Wider folds = fewer pages, more dramatic cascade
- A first fold at around 4 inches gives a good starting width for 12×12 paper
How to work with 12×12 scrapbook paper as your page stock — including how to cut it down to a smaller journal size (I cut mine to 6 inches here and got two journals out of one set of folded pages) and how to use the offcuts throughout the journal as pocket material and layered writing spots.
How to make a cardstock cover that fits the waterfall structure, including:
- Laying the folded pages on your cover to judge the fold placement by eye
- Why I work on the cover flat, before binding — once the journal is bound, the cover curves and becomes much harder to decorate cleanly
- Adding a decorative paper layer, book corners, and positioning the closure before you glue anything down
How to bind a waterfall journal with a three-hole pamphlet stitch, including:
- Binding the pages, cover, and lace closure all in one pass
- Threading the needle through both layers of lace so it's secured permanently at the spine
- Tying off with a double knot and bow on the inside
How to make a lace closure that ties at the front — running two laces (I used a pink and a black together) through the binding, leaving enough length at the front for a bow, and machine-stitching the back lace flat so it stays tidy and doesn't flail around.
How to add decorative machine sewing to page edges before binding — including what to do when your thread breaks or your machine skips stitches (a small piece of washi tape covers a multitude of sins, and honestly it looks good anyway).
How to make acetate pockets and window elements by sewing clear acetate sheets into the page stack — you can see right through them, which is a look I love.
How to turn leftover page scraps into pockets by cutting a page down and gluing the cut-off strip to the back of the same page, creating a pocket without adding any extra paper.
A lace-and-elastic closure variation — where the closure comes completely off (I used a repurposed headband with gold elastic), and a version where lace is sewn directly into the spine to create a small pocket on the outside of the cover.
Tips & gotchas
Always fold each new page against the very last fold you made — not against the first page, not by eye from a distance. That single habit keeps the spacing consistent without a ruler.
If your paper is dark and you can't see the fold line clearly, make a small pencil mark right at the edge before you place the next sheet. It takes two seconds and saves you a crooked stagger.
Do your decorating — sewing, lace, washi tape, edge embellishing — before you bind. Once the journal is sewn together it's awkward to get a presser foot near those pages, and the spine won't flex the way you need it to.
Same goes for the cover: decorate it flat, before binding. The cover curves once it's bound to the signatures, and working on a curved surface is a nuisance you don't need.
If the finished journal gapes a bit when it's new — that's normal. Lay it under something heavy for a while and it settles. A journal that's been filled and used a little flattens out beautifully on its own too.
You don't have to fold first and cut later. If you already know the finished size you want, cut all your paper down before you start folding — it's easier to handle and you get cleaner folds on shorter sheets.
And one thing worth keeping in mind: those offcuts from trimming 12×12 sheets down to journal size are not scraps to discard. I used mine throughout the journal — as pocket backs, layered writing spots, and belly band material. Keep them all.
Once you have the folding down, the rest of the journal opens up: belly bands with acetate windows, sewn-in lace pockets, envelope back covers, layers of writing space tucked into every page. I ended up making four of these in one sitting, which tells you everything you need to know about how easy it is to keep going once you start.
