If you've been curious about flow journals — sometimes called flourish journals — and how they work alongside a junk journal in a single book, this flip-through shows exactly that. I made this one in a purple and silver theme, and it's called Flo: partly for the journal style, partly because flow is my word of the year. The idea was to build something that works as both a decorated junk journal and a source of loose, removable papers for collaging and art journaling — all in one chunky little book.
What we cover
A full flip-through of a finished combination flow journal and junk journal, showing how the two formats sit together in one binding — three bound signatures forming the junk journal core, plus two removable signature sections held on elastic at the side for use in collaging or journaling projects.
What you'll learn
How a flow journal's removable signature system works — the key distinction between a flow journal and a straight junk journal is that some signatures aren't permanently bound. Here, two sections are held in by elastic and can be pulled out entirely and used as loose collage material, paper supplies, or journaling fodder. They're part of the book until they're needed elsewhere.
How to combine a junk journal and a flow journal in one binding, including:
- Binding three signatures permanently as the junk journal core
- Adding removable side signatures on elastic for the flow journal element
- Giving each section a different function — the bound section is filled and decorated for the end owner; the removable sections hold papers, envelopes, and tags ready for use
How to use decorative vellum paper and foil sheets as signature papers — the purple and silver theme runs through both sections, with shiny purple papers, foil-type sheets (made with a laminator — more on that below), and silver accents tying everything together.
How to build a fabric page with structure, including:
- Backing fabric pages with cardstock so they hold their shape and don't flop
- Leaving the bottom of the stitched cardstock panel unstitched to create a hidden extra pocket
How to create a wrap-around envelope from book images and lined paper — by aligning a book image with a sheet of paper and sewing around it, you get a sturdy little envelope that doubles as a decorative element. I'll link the tutorial for these in the description.
How to use fussy-cut elements and small handmade booklets as flip-out features — cascading little booklets that unfold from a pocket, a fussy-cut butterfly, pom-pom embellishments, and small charm tags all give the pages layers to explore.
What to put in a junk journal kit and how to turn one into a finished journal — this whole project started because I was making small purple and silver kits for my Etsy shop. I ended up pulling from one kit and building outward from there, which is a good way to give a journal a coherent theme without overthinking it.
Tips & gotchas
Back your fabric pages with cardstock. Fabric on its own doesn't hold up as a journal page — it collapses, shifts, and makes pockets unreliable. Stitching a piece of cardstock to the back gives the page enough structure to function properly and makes the whole signature feel more stable.
Leave the bottom edge of a stitched cardstock panel unstitched. This is the small trick that creates a bonus pocket with almost no extra effort. Sew around three sides to attach the cardstock to the fabric page, skip the bottom seam, and you've got a tuck spot that didn't cost you anything. I love discovering little hiding places like this when I'm flipping through a journal — and so does whoever ends up owning it.
Working with a laminator for foil effects takes some patience. I tried to laminate a couple of patterned papers in this journal and the results were, honestly, a bit of a disaster — but the patchy, irregular laminate ended up looking interesting enough to use anyway. If you're experimenting with foil sheets and a laminator, expect some unpredictability and be ready to improvise rather than scrap what doesn't come out perfect.
Starting from a kit gives you a built-in colour story. Because everything in the purple and silver kit already belongs together, the journal has a consistent feel without having to make a hundred individual decisions about what matches. If you're making a journal that feels scattered or hard to pull together, building from a small, curated set of materials first can help a lot.
The Gelli print stickers and paper buttons I've made before pair really nicely with this kind of project too, and I'll link that tutorial below alongside the wrap-around envelope one.
