If you've been looking for a way to add a genuinely interactive element to your junk journal — something beyond more gluing, more tags, more layered bits of paper — this tutorial shows how to make a double-circle brad-and-twine closure with a flip-down pocket. It's a small element, but it changes how a page works, and once you know the construction, there are a dozen ways to use it.
What we cover
This tutorial walks through making a flip-down pocket page element with a double-circle closure using cereal box cardboard, brads, and gold yarn. That includes covering and lining the pocket, inking and machine-sewing the edges, attaching the twine securely to the brad, and finishing with beads and a tag. The result gets glued into a junk journal page as a side-loading pocket.
What you'll learn
How to construct a double-circle brad closure from cereal box cardboard, including:
- Punching two sizes of circles (or cutting them by hand if you don't have circle punches)
- Inking the edges for a defined, vintage look
- Attaching a brad through the center of the large circle without the brad legs showing on the inside
Why the brad goes through the circle before gluing, not after — attaching it first means the legs are hidden between layers once everything is glued down, and the brad sits proud enough to wrap twine around cleanly.
How to make a flip-down pocket from a single folded piece of paper, including:
- Scoring and creasing the fold so the flap sits flat
- Sewing around the sides on a sewing machine to define the pocket edges
- Gluing only the bottom section of the flap so the pocket stays open
How to cover an uncooperative paper interior — when the inside of your paper is the wrong color (a bright blue in this case), inking it heavily first shifts it toward a more vintage tone, then covering individual sections with torn scrap paper keeps it from fighting the palette.
How to attach twine securely to a brad, including:
- Threading the twine underneath the brad legs
- Knotting multiple times so it genuinely holds under repeated use
- Trimming the tail as close as possible so it doesn't peek out
How to add beads to the twine end — if the twine is unraveling and won't thread through small beads, using a hand needle to coax it through, then knotting below the beads to keep them in place.
How to align the two closure circles before committing — checking that the brad on the pocket flap and the brad on the base panel are actually in line before gluing everything flat, so the twine wraps evenly when the pocket closes.
Different ways to configure the same closure, including:
- Side-loading pocket (glue two sides, leave one open)
- Top-loading pocket (glue three sides)
- Single-circle closure on a journal cover with twine tied underneath — the version shown on the cover of Natasa's own journal at the start
Tips & gotchas
If the inside of your paper is a color that doesn't belong in your journal's palette, ink it — really ink it, don't be shy about it. A few passes of brown or black ink over bright blue or pink can bring it far enough into a vintage range that it stops being a distraction. This is worth doing before you glue anything down, because once the layers are on top you can't get back to it.
When gluing the pocket flap, apply glue only to the bottom section. It sounds obvious, but it's easy to run glue all the way up the flap and accidentally seal the pocket shut. The sewing defines where the pocket sides are; the glue just needs to hold the bottom edge.
Check brad alignment before gluing. Once the layers are down and the glue has set, there's no adjusting — and a closure where the two circles don't line up won't wrap neatly. A quick eyeball check while everything is still loose takes five seconds and saves the whole element.
Knot the twine more than once around the brad. One knot will loosen with use; two or three tight knots, tucked underneath the brad legs, make it genuinely secure. Trim the tail close so it doesn't catch.
If the twine is unraveling at the end when you try to thread beads, don't fight it with your fingers — thread a hand needle and use that to pull it through. It works cleanly and saves the fraying end from getting worse.
The same brad-and-twine logic scales from a small accent to a full cover closure — it's the principle that travels, not just the one project. And because the materials are mostly scraps — cereal box, offcuts, leftover twine — it's a good technique to reach for when you want to add something tactile and interactive without cutting into anything precious.
