If your junk journal needs a closure and you'd like something more interesting than a plain elastic wrap, this short tutorial is for you. I came across the base idea on Pinterest — where it was used as a bookmark — and realised it translates beautifully to journal closures. The result is a ribbon-and-button closure that loops over your journal with a hair tie or elastic on one end and a sewn button on the other. It looks vintage and intentional, it takes only a few minutes to make, and you can have several variations finished in an afternoon.
What we cover
This tutorial covers making a ribbon-and-button journal closure from scratch — choosing your ribbon, sealing the ends, sewing in the elastic, attaching the button, and fitting it to your journal. I also walk through the difference between attaching the closure vertically (removable) versus horizontally (permanently fixed to the spine), so you can decide which approach suits how you work.
What you'll learn
How to sew a ribbon-and-button journal closure, including the full step-by-step sequence:
- Singeing ribbon ends with a lighter to prevent fraying
- Folding and stitching a clean edge on the first end of the ribbon
- Folding the ribbon over the elastic (hair tie or cord) and stitching it closed
- Wrapping the closure around your journal to find the correct button placement before you cut anything
- Trimming the ribbon to length, folding and stitching the final edge, then sewing on the button
How to choose a button that works with your ribbon — you want the button to be at least as wide as the ribbon, ideally a little wider. When the button is noticeably narrower than the ribbon, the edges splay out on either side and it just looks a bit off.
How to work with elastic cord instead of hair ties — elastic cord is more fiddly because you have an exposed knot to hide. What I do is fold the ribbon over so the knot sits right underneath the stitching line, then sew directly through the knot so it's held in place and stays out of sight. It takes a bit of careful positioning while you sew, but it works cleanly.
How to use lace as a ribbon substitute — lace can look lovely, but it only works well if both sides of the lace are symmetrical. Most lace has a top and bottom edge that look different, and when the closure wraps around the journal you'll see both, so asymmetrical lace ends up looking unfinished. If you want to use lace, hold a piece up and look at both edges before you cut.
How to decide between a vertical and horizontal closure:
- Vertical (the more common look) — the ribbon runs up and down the journal cover, the elastic loops around the fore-edge, and the closure can be slipped on and off
- Horizontal — the ribbon runs across the spine, which lets you glue or sew it permanently to the journal, either before or after the signatures are in
Why measuring around the actual journal matters before you cut — the stretchy factor of different elastics varies a lot. Hair ties have much more give than elastic cord, so the button placement is different for each. I always wrap the uncut ribbon around the finished journal, mark where the button should sit, and only then trim the ribbon to length. That way I'm not guessing and I'm not cutting too much off.
Tips & gotchas
Match your button width to your ribbon before you start. A button that's narrower than the ribbon leaves the ribbon edges exposed on either side of the button, which looks unfinished. I had a few like this in my early batch — they still function, but they bother me every time I look at them.
Singe ribbon ends before you do anything else. Just bring a lighter flame close enough to melt the edge slightly — you're not trying to burn anything, just seal the fibres. Pull the flame away the moment you see the edge seal. If your ribbon is made from natural fibres it won't respond to heat the same way, so check a scrap first.
Always back-stitch at the start and end of every seam on this project. There's not much ribbon to work with and the elastic puts constant tension on those stitches — a seam that comes undone at the fold will lose the elastic and you'll have to start over.
Mark the button placement before you trim the ribbon to its final length. Wrap the whole closure around your journal, hold the elastic at a natural stretch (not pulled tight), and mark where the button should sit. Then trim. If you trim first and measure second, you risk cutting the ribbon too short.
If you're sewing through an elastic cord knot to hide it, hold everything firmly in place under the presser foot before you start sewing — the knot wants to slide. I usually pinch it between my fingers right up to the moment the feed dogs take over.
Horizontal attachment is the better choice if you want the closure to stay on the journal permanently. You can glue it flat against the spine, or if you're still in the assembly stage, sew it in as you're sewing your signatures. Vertical closures sit beautifully, but they do slide off — which is fine if you want them removable, but worth knowing if you don't.
Center your button carefully and check it from a step back before you take your first stitch. A button that's even slightly off-center on a narrow ribbon catches the eye immediately. I have one in my collection that isn't perfectly centered and it still bothers me every time I pick that journal up.
That's how I built up the range of ribbons, buttons, and elastic combinations I showed at the start of the video. Having a few ready to go means your next finished journal already has a closure waiting for it.
