If you've ever wanted to make an art journal completely from scratch — cover, pages, bookplate, and closure — this tutorial takes you through the whole thing. I use watercolor paper for the pages so the journal is genuinely ready for painting, drawing, and colour work, and the cover is made from faux handmade paper (though any cardstock you have on hand works just as well). Everything is built step by step, and the written instructions are available to download — the link is in the video description.
What we cover
This tutorial builds a small, portable art journal from start to finish: folding and stitching the cover, tearing deckled edges on watercolor pages, stitching paper scraps onto pages to beat blank-page fear, binding the signature with a three-hole pamphlet stitch, making a layered bookplate with stamped muslin, and finishing with a circle twine closure.
What you'll learn
How to make a faux handmade paper cover — fold and crease cardstock with a bone folder, then sew two running stitches around the edges with a sewing machine for a finished, complete look. Thread ends are tied off on the inside so no knots show.
How to prepare watercolor pages for a signature — fold 190 GSM watercolor sheets in half to make folios. Seven folded pages gives you 28 sides, but you can adjust the page count to suit how thick you want the journal.
How to create deckled edges using the wet-tearing method, including:
- Marking the trim line with a ruler so all pages end at the same place
- Wetting the excess paper with water so it tears cleanly rather than cutting straight
- Removing the wet excess with tweezers or something similarly pointed
Why wet-tearing works on watercolor paper — because watercolor paper is made to absorb water without warping, it soaks through quickly and tears away in a controlled line. It's slower than a straight cut, but the resulting edge has real texture.
How to decorate pages before binding to ease blank-page fear — stitch small paper scraps directly onto selected pages with a sewing machine before the signature goes into the cover. Each spread ends up with either a stitched piece or the visible reverse stitching from the one behind it, so nothing feels entirely empty from the start.
How to bind a single signature using a three-hole pamphlet stitch, including:
- Making a template the same height as the journal to mark three evenly spaced piercing points
- Piercing through signature and cover all at once when working with a single signature
- Threading from the inside out so the knot ties on the inside of the spine
- Tensioning — snug enough to hold, loose enough that the pages lie flat
How to build a layered bookplate, including:
- Layer 1 — a piece of fabric as the base (gold fabric reads well against a green cover)
- Layer 2 — cereal-box cardstock wrapped in a book page, with inked edges to define the border
- Layer 3 — a piece of muslin stamped with rubber stamps spelling "Art Journal", then wrapped around a smaller piece of cardstock
- Joining all three layers with four gold brads at the corners instead of glue, so the structure holds firmly and can be attached to the cover
Why I apply glue only to the back of stamped pieces — if your ink isn't waterproof, glue contact on the stamped surface will smear the image. Wrapping the muslin around the cardstock and gluing only at the back keeps the stamped face clean.
How to make a circle twine closure, including:
- Punching (or hand-cutting) two circles in different sizes — one with an embossed texture for interest, one in plain gold cardstock
- Stacking the circles and piercing a brad through the centre, then attaching the brad through the cover before closing it
- Finding the midpoint of a length of twine and tying it around the brad so two equal tails wrap around the journal
- Positioning the closure slightly below centre so there's room for the bookplate above it without the two elements crowding each other
How to finish and glue the bookplate — place the bookplate over the brad on the inside of the cover to conceal the brad's feet, apply glue only where cardstock meets cardstock (not on any pieces with visible raw edges), then press under weight while it dries.
Tips & gotchas
Before you start, sketch your idea — even roughly. I draw poorly but I still do it, because having something to work toward helps even when you end up doing something completely different. The sketch for this journal had a cross stitch on the cover that I abandoned entirely, but it still helped me think through placement for the bookplate and closure.
Wet-tearing is slow, especially when you only need to remove a small amount from the edge. The less excess paper there is to grab, the harder the tear. If your pages are only a few millimetres over, consider just cutting a straight line and then roughing the edge with a deckle tool — that's a completely valid approach. Wet-tearing is for when you want a naturally irregular edge and you're happy to take the time.
When you're inking stamped pieces and wrapping them, remember: if your ink isn't waterproof or permanent, any glue that touches the stamped face will lift or smear the image. Wrap the piece so the stamped side faces out and all adhesive contact is on the reverse.
Binding tension matters more than it might seem. Too tight and the pages arch up instead of lying flat; too loose and the signature shifts inside the cover. You want the thread firm enough to hold without pulling. Check that the journal opens flat before you tie off — it's much easier to adjust at this point than after the knot is set.
Leave your twine closure longer than you think you need. As you use the journal and it fills with paint, collage, and layers, it will get noticeably thicker. A cord that closes a slim journal perfectly will be frustratingly tight in a month's time. A few extra centimetres of tail costs nothing and means the journal keeps closing cleanly as it grows.
Finally: glue under weight. It sounds obvious, but skipping this step with the bookplate means a warped or lifted corner later. Leave it pressed flat until it's fully dry.
Once you've made this, the variations come naturally: different page papers, a fabric cover, a different closure, embroidered text on the bookplate instead of stamped. The process stays the same; everything else is up to you.
