If you've got a file folder sitting on your desk — or even just a couple of sheets of thin cardstock — you're minutes away from a charming little matchbook journal. This tutorial covers how to make an oversized matchbook-style journal from a file folder, including three different ways to bind the pages inside and a quick fix for when your folder isn't quite long enough.
What we cover
How to cut, score, and fold a file folder into a matchbook cover with a proper closing flap, three page-binding options (brad-bound, top-sewn, and side-sewn), a simple five-element collage for the cover, and a hinging technique for scaling the project up. I also show a variation using embroidery floss and a three-hole pamphlet stitch, and talk through where this project can go next — including a hardcover version with spines.
What you'll learn
How to cut and shape the matchbook cover from a file folder, including:
- Trimming to your preferred width (I eyeball mine to just under six inches, but any size works)
- Folding and sizing the bottom flap — the part that holds everything closed
- Rounding the corners and inking the edges for a finished look
Why the depth of the bottom flap matters — the flap needs to be deep enough that there's real space between the brads and the opening. Too shallow and the matchbook barely opens; I learned this the first time I placed the brads before testing the flap, and ended up with something I could hardly pop a page into.
How to trim the inner flap to the right length — you want it sitting just flush inside the cover when closed, not so short there's a gap, not so long it jams. I cut mine a touch too short in this video and it left a small gap; not a disaster, but worth getting right.
Three closure options for holding the matchbook shut, including:
- Brads punched through the bottom flap — the option I use most, simple and secure
- Two holes threaded with twine, tied into a bow at the front
- A glued-down bottom section wrapped with baker's twine
Three page-binding options for the inside, including:
- Brad-bound pages — pages held with the same brads as the closure, opening upward like real matches
- Top-sewn signature — pages sewn together separately, then glued to the inside of the cover with double-sided tape, so they flip up
- Side-sewn signature — pages bound on the left edge and opening like a standard journal; for this one, the pages need to sit slightly above the closure flap so they don't get tucked inside when you close it
How to fold a four-sheet signature for a three-hole pamphlet stitch — fold your pages in half, check the fit, trim a sliver if needed, ink the edges, then stitch with embroidery floss. Tie off with a double knot.
A five-element collage formula for the cover, using:
- A music page or old book page as the base layer
- A sheer sticker (the graph paper shows through beautifully)
- A torn book page with inked edges
- A botanical image or cut-out focal piece
- A small stamped number or sentiment
How to hinge two pieces of cardstock together when your file folder isn't long enough — lay them edge to edge and join with washi tape, masking tape, or a strip of fabric. Works perfectly for larger matchbook formats, and once hinged it behaves just like a single piece.
How to attach pages with double-sided tape without damaging the project — apply a thin layer of glue stick first, then lay down the double-sided tape. The glue stick gives you a little movement and repositioning time before everything sets.
Tips & gotchas
Make the bottom flap deeper rather than shallower — I'd say at least an inch and a half, ideally a bit more. The brads sit on that flap, and if the flap is too narrow, they end up right at the edge of the opening and the matchbook barely cracks open. The deeper the flap, the more room you have to reach in and use the journal.
When trimming the inner flap (the part that tucks inside when closed), aim to leave about a centimeter above the fold. Trim it too short and you get a small gap at the front; trim it too long and it won't sit inside cleanly. A small gap isn't the end of the world, but it's easy to avoid if you test the fit before cutting.
For side-bound pages, place the spine edge so it sits slightly above the closure flap — not flush, slightly above. If the pages are level with the flap, the whole bundle can get pressed inside when you close it.
When you're trimming the pages for the signature, leave a small margin on all sides. Pages that sit right at the edge of the cover look unfinished and can get damaged at the corners.
The glue-stick-before-double-sided-tape trick is worth making a habit. Peel the backing off double-sided tape and press it down in the wrong spot, and you're pulling up the cover material when you try to fix it. A quick swipe of glue stick on the area first means you can reposition until you're happy, then press firmly to set.
If you're hinging two pieces of cardstock because your file folder isn't long enough, add a strip on both sides of the join — front and back. One layer of tape alone can start to peel if the cover flexes a lot.
Once you have the basic cover shape, the page-binding approach becomes its own design decision — bound up top, bound to the side, or held with brads all give the finished journal a different feel and a different way of being used. And if you find yourself wanting more pages than the thin format allows, the natural next step is adding a small spine at the top and bottom so you can fit a proper signature (or two) inside. That hardcover matchbook version is somewhere I'd like to go — it's really just this same cover idea with a little more structure built in. For now, a series of these in different sizes, all following the same collage formula, makes a lovely set — and they nest beautifully as companions inside a larger journal cover.
