If you've ever started making a junk journal and then frozen mid-way through — cover in one hand, loose signatures in the other, not sure what comes first — this video is for you. I walk through the exact sequence I follow every time I make a journal, step by step, from the very first decision to the final tassel and closure. It's not a tutorial on any one specific technique; it's a map of the whole process so you always know where you are and what comes next.
What we cover
This is a full journal-making sequence, start to finish: choosing and reinforcing a cover, planning the closure, making a signature template, choosing and preparing papers, doing all the pre-binding decoration (sewing, stamping, stenciling, inking edges), binding with a three-hole pamphlet stitch, and finishing with post-binding embellishments, a tassel, and a ribbon closure.
What you'll learn
Why I think about the closure before I've even finished the cover — if you want a ribbon to sit between two cover layers as part of your closure, it has to be glued down before those layers go together. Getting that decision out of the way early saves you from having to unpick or redo work later.
How to reinforce a cover with scrapbook paper — I used the covers from an old notebook for this journal. They were sturdy, but not sturdy enough for my liking, and there was writing on the back I wanted to hide. Gluing a layer of scrapbook paper over the outside adds structure and gives you a clean surface to work on, and it's a lot simpler than reaching for fabric or additional boards.
How to seal and protect a paper cover before decorating it — before any sewing or embellishment goes on, I spray the surface. I've used gloss varnish, multi-purpose glue and seal, and straight PVA — anything that creates a protective layer works. It just means the cover can handle being dragged across surfaces, carried around, and written on without the paper deteriorating.
How to set eyelets and add them at the right stage — the eyelets go in after the cover layers are glued and dry, but before binding. Once you're trying to sew signatures into a spine, eyelets in the way make the whole thing harder. Getting them placed early means they're ready for the ribbon closure at the very end without any awkward juggling.
How to make a cardstock template for signatures, including:
- Cutting the template from sturdy cardstock (magazine covers, thick mail inserts — anything with a bit of body)
- Sizing it so the cover is slightly larger than the signatures on all sides, protecting the pages and giving you a margin for error when binding
- Using it throughout the process to check papers before cutting and to trim the assembled signature before sewing
How to choose and arrange papers for a junk journal — I work from a selection of tea-dyed paper, scrapbook paper, specialty sheets, a doily, a paper bag, and an envelope. The key thing I watch for when arranging is not placing two scrapbook papers next to each other — it breaks up the texture and keeps things interesting as you flip through. The template tells you straight away which pages need trimming and which fit as-is.
How to prepare pockets and envelopes before binding — a paper bag folded and trimmed to the right height makes a pocket; an envelope can be sewn at the flap to create a tuck spot. I work these out during the paper-selection stage, while everything is still flat and easy to handle.
Why I do pre-binding decoration before sewing the journal together, including:
- Stamping and stenciling on flat, individual pages rather than fighting the bulk of a bound journal
- Sewing around pockets, edges, and decorative elements while pages lie flat
- Inking all edges before binding, when loose pages are easy to hold and turn
How to bind a single signature with a three-hole pamphlet stitch — I mark the spine with three points (centre and two ends), transfer those points to the signature using the cardstock template, pierce through, and sew with a needle and thread. Straightforward and secure for a single-signature journal like this one.
How to add post-binding embellishments — pockets get filled, journaling spots and tags get tucked in or clipped, small charms and clusters get added. Having a stash of pre-made ephemera ready to go makes this stage fast; I wasn't stopping to make things from scratch, just placing what I already had.
How to finish with a ribbon closure and tassel — I threaded ribbon through the eyelets set earlier. For the tassel, I looped ribbons through the hole at the top of the spine rather than attaching a fixed piece — the reason being that a looped tassel can be slid up and out of the way when you're writing, which a pinned or fixed one can't.
Tips & gotchas
Plan your closure before you glue the cover layers together. If your closure involves ribbon or elastic sandwiched between layers, you need to place it before the layers go down. It's one of those things that sounds obvious until you've already glued everything shut.
Make the cover slightly larger than your signatures. Not dramatically larger — just enough that your pages are protected on all sides and you have a little room for error when binding. If a signature sits a fraction too high, you want it bumping against the cover edge, not poking out past it.
Eyelets before binding, not after. Setting eyelets once you've got a bound spine in the way is awkward. Get them placed while the cover is still flat and unencumbered.
Do all your stamping and stenciling on flat, unbound pages. Once a journal is thick with layers and embellishments, you can't press a stamp cleanly — there's too much bulk underneath. A flat single page gives you the surface you need.
Ink your edges before binding. It's much easier to hold a loose page and run an ink pad along the edge than it is to try to reach every page once they're sewn in.
Don't add anything heavy to a cover that hasn't been reinforced. I wanted a tassel on this journal, but the spine area wasn't reinforced — so I kept it light, using looped ribbon rather than anything with beads or metal hardware. The cover can only carry what its structure supports.
Use the template before you cut, not after. Once I have my cardstock template sized, I check every page against it before committing to any cutting. It takes seconds and saves you from trimming something you didn't mean to — like accidentally taking the top off a paper bag pocket.
When making a larger journal with many pages, cut each batch to size as you go. Don't prepare all your pages first and then cut them in bulk at the end. After each batch is folded and arranged, trim it to the template straight away, then move on to the next. It keeps things manageable and avoids the chaos of a big cutting session where things get mixed up or mismeasured.
Watch out for two scrapbook papers sitting next to each other. Scrapbook paper tends to be heavier and more patterned than other pages; two together in a row can feel visually dense. I pull from different paper categories as I build the sequence — tea-dyed, specialty, plain, patterned — and it keeps the variety natural.
From here, the natural next step is building up a stash of pre-made ephemera: pockets, tags, journaling spots, little clusters you can drop straight into finished journals without stopping to make things mid-process. That's what makes the embellishment stage genuinely enjoyable rather than a scramble for supplies.
