If you've ever wanted to keep a daily journal but felt defeated by the blank spread staring back at you every morning, this flip-through is worth a look. I'm sharing a three-tier junk journal I made specifically for a full year of writing — 372 individual pages across two signatures, structured so each day gets its own small, manageable spot. The books are paired with a journaling kit packed with stickers, die-cuts, fabric snippets, and paper to help you get started decorating the pages as you go.
What we cover
This is a flip-through and concept walkthrough for a three-tier junk journal designed around daily journaling for 365 days. I show what's inside the journal — the signatures, pockets, envelopes, and mixed pages — and I walk through the companion journaling kit I made to go with it. I also talk through how I'd actually use the tiers day by day, and a few ways the pages can be adapted depending on how you like to write or create.
What you'll learn
How a three-tier structure turns one journal into a full year of journaling space The journal has two signatures, each broken into three tiers, giving 372 individual pages — enough for 365 daily entries with a handful of extras for birthdays, special occasions, or days where you just need more room.
Why the tiers run vertically rather than across the spread Instead of going day one, day two, day three across a continuous row, you move down the tiers first: day one in tier one, day two in tier two, day three in tier three — then you start the next column. It keeps the rhythm of daily writing feeling contained rather than sprawling.
How to create a journaling spot on a busy patterned page If a scrapbook paper page feels too visually loud to write on, you don't need to skip it. Cut a small rectangle of plain or lightly patterned paper and glue it right onto the page. That becomes your writing spot. The decorated area around it takes care of itself — you can add little flowers, butterflies, stickers, or fabric scraps without needing to fill the whole page.
Why a small writing space is actually an advantage When your days are fairly routine — work, dinner, home — a large blank page is daunting. A small journaling spot removes that pressure. On ordinary days it's enough. On special days, you can use two pages side by side.
How to think about the paper mix inside a multi-signature journal Inside this journal the pages vary — thick scrapbook paper, thinner scrapbook paper, larger lined pages — all in a coordinated palette of greens and pinks. I deliberately left out die-cut pages here because I wanted a clean, consistent feel. That choice in paper selection shapes the overall look of the finished book more than most people expect.
What to include in a companion journaling kit The kit I made alongside these journals uses the same upholstery fabric as the book covers, and inside I've included washi tape, paperclips, stickers, die-cuts, small patterned paper pieces, tags, and fabric scraps cut from the same material as the journal covers. The idea is to give yourself raw material to work with so you're not hunting for supplies when you sit down to decorate a page.
How the same concept adapts beyond daily journaling The three-tier structure works just as well as a gratitude journal, a glue book, or a 15-minute daily creative session — one small page per day where you make something without pressure. You don't have to go in order at all; you can open to whatever page calls to you.
Tips & gotchas
When a page is heavily patterned and you can't quite picture writing on it, the solution is simple: cut a small rectangle of plain paper — something about the size of an index card or smaller — and glue it directly onto the busy background. You get a clean writing spot and the surrounding pattern still works as decoration. It's much easier than trying to lightly pattern every page, and it gives each spread a natural focal point.
For special occasions — birthdays, anniversaries, days you want to document in more detail — use two pages instead of one. The journal has a few extra pages built in precisely for this, so you won't run short by the end of the year.
The tier order matters more than it might seem. Going day one in tier one, day two in tier two, day three in tier three — and then starting a new column — keeps each day visually distinct. If you work across the tiers continuously instead, the daily rhythm gets muddled and the sections lose their purpose. Moving down first, then across, is the logic that makes the structure work.
If you're using the journal as a weekly memory-keeping project rather than a daily writing journal, the pocket at the front and the two small envelopes at the back are worth using actively. Movie tickets, receipts, small photos, little notes — they accumulate fast during the week, and having a place to tuck them inside the journal means nothing gets lost before you sit down to document it.
A small page is a low-stakes invitation, and when every day has its own designated spot, there's no decision to make about where to start. Pairing this with a kit of coordinated materials — fabrics, stickers, washi tape, die-cuts that match the cover — means you can pick up the journal, write a line or two, add a small embellishment, and feel finished. No overwhelm, no half-empty spreads. Just a quiet record of the year.
