If your junk journal has pages covered in dense text — dictionary pages, magazine spreads, vintage book pages — you might find yourself staring at them wondering how they're supposed to be used. They're visually interesting, but you can't really write on them. This short video walks through a handful of ways to handle exactly that problem, and then shows the one I reach for most: tearing a piece of plain paper, inking the edges, sewing a loose decorative stitch around it, and gluing it down to create a proper journaling spot right on top of a decorative page.
What we cover
A few different ways to work with heavily printed or decorative journal pages — including leaving them as visual interest pieces, folding them into pockets, and adding a journaling spot by layering a torn paper piece on top. I work through the full process live on one page in a current journal, including how I handle the glue.
What you'll learn
How to turn a decorative or text-heavy page into a usable journaling spot — by tearing a piece of plain paper to size and gluing it down so you have a clean writing surface without losing the visual character of the page underneath.
How to tear paper edges for a natural, organic look — rather than cutting, tearing gives the piece a softer edge that sits more naturally on a busy background page.
Why I ink the edges of paper pieces before gluing them down — inking the torn edges makes the paper pop against whatever's behind it and gives the piece a finished, intentional look rather than a stuck-on-as-an-afterthought feel.
How to add decorative stitching to a paper piece before it goes into the journal, including:
- Sewing in an irregular pattern around the paper while it's still loose — not directly onto the journal page
- Gluing the stitched piece down afterward so it looks sewn in place without the difficulty of stitching through multiple layers of a bound journal
How to use washi tape to cover unwanted areas on a page — in this case, a strip of white that was bothering me. A quick piece of washi tape sorted it before the paper piece went down.
Why I use acetone-based quick-drying glue instead of a glue stick, including:
- Glue stick starts to lift and come apart after two or three years — not great for journals you want to keep
- Acetone-based glue doesn't introduce moisture, which means your paper won't crinkle or develop that wet, warped look
- It's the glue I use throughout my journals when longevity matters
How to work with decorative fabric scraps to keep a journal cohesive — on the second side of the spread, I used a small piece of green fabric that I'd already used elsewhere in the journal, so the new journaling spot reads as part of the whole rather than a patch.
Different ways to handle printed or decorative pages, including:
- Leaving them as pure visual interest pieces, as-is
- Folding the page down and gluing the sides to create a pocket
- Tucking a small paper piece into an envelope clipped to the page
- Adding a doily or small cluster of embellishments to break up a dense page
- Layering a journaling spot directly on top (what this video focuses on)
Tips & gotchas
Glue stick is tempting because it's quick and clean, but it doesn't hold long-term. Two or three years in, it starts to lift — which is frustrating for a journal you've put real time into. I use a quick-drying acetone-based glue instead. It's less common in craft stores than water-based options, but worth tracking down.
Water-based glues (including most decoupage mediums) introduce moisture into the paper and cause crinkling. If you're gluing down a piece of paper and want it to lie flat, acetone-based is the way to go. The page I work on in the video already has a little texture from tea dyeing, so I didn't mind a bit of movement — but on a clean page, the difference is noticeable.
When you're gluing a paper piece down, don't just run glue around the edges. Get the edges fully adhered, yes, but also add a little glue in the middle. A piece that's only glued at the edges can bubble or lift over time, especially in a journal that gets handled regularly.
Inking the edges of your paper pieces is a small step that makes a real difference. It's easy to skip when you're in the middle of a project, but an uninked torn edge can look a little lost against a busy background. Even a light pass with an ink pad is enough to give the piece definition.
If there's something on the page you don't like — a colour, a strip of something that clashes — washi tape can cover it quickly before you layer anything on top. I nearly skipped that step in this video and would have been annoyed with the result.
The same approach works just as well on the back side of a spread, so both sides of a printed page can become usable at once. From there, it's a short step to thinking about the whole journal in terms of cohesion: pulling the same fabric, the same washi tape, the same ink colour through multiple pages so the finished book feels like one thing rather than a collection of separate ideas.
