If you've got a small pile of paper scraps sitting on your desk and a handful of paper clips rattling around in a drawer, this tutorial is exactly where those two things come together. I show you how to make hidden paper clips — embellished on both sides, with the clip itself completely tucked out of sight between two folded layers of paper. They work as bookmarks, as tuck spots, or as stand-alone embellishments clipped right onto a journal page.
What we cover
This is a short, straightforward scrap-busting project using paper scraps, a paper clip, and whatever small embellishments you love — die cuts, doilies, lace, brads, flowers, book-page cut-outs. I walk through building the base structure, hiding the clip, finishing the edges, and decorating both sides. I also show a collection of finished ones so you can see the range of what's possible.
What you'll learn
How to build the hidden paper clip base, including:
- Folding the first paper piece in half and placing the clip in the centre before gluing
- Trimming the second layer shorter when you want to preserve an image or use a piece that doesn't fold evenly
- Gluing everything down so the clip is fully sandwiched between the layers and invisible from either side
Why I use two different types of glue — a glue stick alone tends to let go over time, so I add a second adhesive to make sure those layers stay put.
How to finish edges before the layers are glued shut, including:
- Sewing lace or trim onto the open piece while you can still lay it flat
- Inking edges with a pad for a warm, finished look
- Using border punches or zigzag scissors along the bottom edge
- Ripping an edge and inking it for a softer, torn-paper feel
Why brads go on before the final glue-down — if you're attaching a doily or layered piece with a brad, you apply it to the paper before gluing that piece onto the base. That way there's nothing catching on journal pages when you clip it in.
How to choose and place a focal embellishment — something flat works best. I go through a few options (butterfly die cuts, book-page cut-outs, stamp images, sticker seals, small punched shapes) and talk through why I prefer to keep at least one side simple and not too raised.
How hidden paper clips sit in a journal, including:
- Clipping across the top of a page so the embellishment hangs above
- Clipping onto the side so it creates a small side tuck
- Using both sides of the clip for two separate tuck pockets at once
Using this as a scrap buster — you only need two rectangular pieces of paper and one paper clip at minimum. Scraps that are too small for other projects are exactly the right size here.
Tips & gotchas
Do your edge work — sewing, inking, punching, trimming — before you glue the layers together. Once everything is sealed down you can't get back in. While the paper is still open and flat, it takes about thirty seconds to run a border punch along the bottom or sew a strip of lace. After it's glued, you've lost that window.
Use two types of glue. I reach for a glue stick for initial positioning, but I don't trust it on its own for something that's going to get handled as much as a bookmark or tuck spot does. A stronger adhesive on top of the glue stick gives the join real staying power.
Attach any brads to the decorative pieces before those pieces go onto the base. A brad sitting on the inside of a finished paper clip will catch on your journal pages every time you slide it in. Applying the brad first, then gluing the whole decorated piece flat onto the base, keeps the inside surface clean and smooth.
Keep your embellishments reasonably flat. These live inside a journal, often with other pages pressing against them. A thick button or a very dimensional flower can work for a display piece, but for something going in and out of a journal regularly, flatter is better.
If you've used something slightly bulky on one side, don't mirror it on the other side. Double bulk back to back makes the whole thing too thick to sit neatly when clipped in place. Natasa's fix: go bold on one side, keep the other side simple and low-profile.
They're the kind of project that turns a quiet half-hour into a small pile of journal-ready pieces, each one made from scraps that would otherwise just stack up on the corner of your desk.
