If you've ever opened a blank page in your junk journal and thought but what do I actually put in here? — this is the video that answers that. I sit down with my nearly-finished junk journal and work through a real page from scratch: napkin decoupage background, fake script writing, a sewn-on journaling spot, gold photo corners, glitter paint, and a little paper flower embellishment. Nothing staged or pre-planned — just a genuine play session that shows what junk journaling actually looks like in practice.
What we cover
This is a "journal with me" session focused on decorating a single spread and filling a journaling spot with real, personal content. Along the way I show the napkin decoupage process step by step, explain why fake script writing works better than real writing for this technique, and walk through how I document everyday life — what I'm watching, reading, grateful for, and struggling with — in a way that's genuinely worth looking back on years later.
What you'll learn
How to do fake script writing as a background layer — using a Sharpie or other waterproof pen to create the look of old script underneath a napkin overlay. Writing with permanent ink first means the lines stay crisp and legible when the wet glue goes over them, and they peek through the napkin in a way that feels like aged manuscript paper.
How to separate napkin layers and apply napkin decoupage to a journal page, including:
- Using a small piece of sticky tape to gently lift and peel away the bottom layers, leaving just the printed top layer
- Mixing PVA glue with water until it's runny enough to spread easily across the page
- Laying the napkin over the glued surface, smoothing out bubbles, and then applying another coat of glue right over the top
- Removing excess napkin before it's fully dry so the edges stay clean
How to ink the edges of a napkin-covered page — working distress ink around the page edges and into the napkin texture to bring out the wrinkles and give the whole surface a burnt, aged look. The texture from the napkin really comes alive at this stage.
How to add gold accents with gilders paste wax or glitter paint — and why the paste wax didn't work for me on this particular background (it read green rather than gold), leading me to reach for glitter gold paint instead. Sometimes you try the "fancier" tool and the humble bottle of glitter paint is the right call.
How to create a layered journaling spot, including:
- Cutting a piece of black paper as a base
- Tearing (not cutting) the edges of tea-dyed scrap paper for a softer, organic look
- Inking the torn edges before sewing or gluing
- Sewing the journaling spot directly onto the page with a sewing machine for a more secure, textured finish
How to use gold photo corners as page embellishments — including why self-gummed corners often lose their stickiness over time and need a backup layer of glue to stay put properly.
What to actually write in a junk journal — this is the part people often get stuck on. I use a simple "right now" format: what I'm watching, reading, learning, making, loving, not loving, and wishing for. Written on a specific date, it becomes a little time capsule. Looking back at a page from 6 July 2020 — Peaky Blinders, Water for Elephants, a gratitude course — is so much richer than any photo album.
How to embellish without overworking a page — adding a paper flower with a gold brad through the center, then stepping back to decide whether a final piece adds or takes away. Knowing when to stop is genuinely most of the skill.
Tips & gotchas
Write your background text before you start applying anything wet. A waterproof pen like a Sharpie won't smudge when the glue goes over it — a regular pen absolutely will, and you'll lose the whole effect.
When separating napkin layers, a small square of sticky tape pressed gently onto the surface gives you something to grip as you peel. Work slowly — the layers are thin and tear easily once you start pulling.
Always slip a plastic page protector underneath your journal page before any wet glue application. PVA soaks through quickly, and without a barrier you'll glue your pages together and create a mess on the pages behind. Remove it before it dries fully or it may start to stick.
The gilders paste wax tip is worth knowing before you commit: on a very textured or tinted surface, gold paste wax can read more green than gold, especially in natural light. Test a small area before covering the whole page. A bottle of glitter gold paint may actually give you the warmth you're after.
Wear gloves when you're using gilders paste or any gold wax product — it gets into your skin and the creases of your knuckles and is genuinely difficult to shift. A nitrile glove takes two seconds to put on.
Self-gummed photo corners feel satisfying to use, but the gum degrades. Even freshly moistened ones should be reinforced with a small dot of PVA. It takes seconds and means they won't lift off the page a week later.
The hardest part of embellishing a junk journal page is stopping at the right moment. I find the best approach is to step back, hold the journal at arm's length, and ask honestly whether the next thing adds or takes away. If you're not sure, leave it and come back — a page that looked unfinished on Tuesday often looks just right on Thursday.
A gratitude course and stage 4 lockdown and flowers blooming and homeschooling all at once. That's what junk journals are for, really: not to look impressive, but to catch the texture of ordinary life before it slips away. A future flip-through of this journal is going to be such a strange, warm, funny thing to sit with.
