Old book pages hold more than their original stories. If you've got a stack of worn paperbacks or rescued hardcovers sitting around — or even a single page you've been meaning to do something with — this short tutorial shows you how to cut phrases and sentiments from those pages and use them as embellishments in your journals, on tags, and in junk journal pockets. I walk through my own process live on camera, from scanning a page to pulling out phrases, and then show a handful of finished pieces so you can see how the cut phrases actually land in a project.
What we cover
This tutorial covers two things: how I think through selecting and cutting phrases from book pages, and how I use those phrases as functional embellishments and journaling prompts. There's also a quick look at inking the edges of cut phrases to make them read more clearly against the page.
What you'll learn
How to scan a book page for usable phrases without reading the whole thing — the goal isn't comprehension, it's catching fragments that feel evocative on their own. "She had wondered why" doesn't finish a thought, and that's exactly what makes it useful.
Why incomplete phrases work better than full sentences, including:
- Single fragments as standalone embellishments ("she was there," "free")
- Layered combinations — pulling several cuts from the same page and arranging them into a small found-poem sequence
- Mixed-font combinations by drawing from different books or, as I show briefly at the end, magazine pages
How to cut phrases in stages — starting by breaking a page into rough sections first, which opens up new phrases you wouldn't have spotted on a full page. You'll notice combinations and sub-phrases as the paper shrinks.
How to ink the edges of cut phrases — a small step with a real visual difference. Running an ink pad along the edges of a trimmed phrase makes it stand out cleanly against a collage background or journal page. The difference between inked and un-inked edges is something you see immediately once you try it.
How to use book page phrases as journaling prompts, including:
- Placing a phrase on a tag or envelope to prompt reflection before writing ("I haven't been there in a while" — what place does that bring up for you?)
- Using fragments like "I thought maybe..." as sentence starters that pull out thoughts you weren't consciously sitting with
- Building a journaling space around a phrase, so the words and your own writing work together on the page
What to look for when choosing a source book — font size matters more than you'd expect. Small-font books produce phrases that disappear visually once cut out. Larger, slightly generously typeset books give you phrases that read clearly at a glance.
Tips & gotchas
Font size is worth thinking about before you start cutting. I show two examples side by side in the video — one with a smaller font, one with a more generous size — and the difference in usability is clear. If you have a choice, reach for the book with the larger type.
You don't need to read the page. Scanning is faster and honestly more useful here. When you're looking for meaning, you'll dismiss things. When you're scanning, you catch fragments that work on their own terms.
Cut into sections first. Once the page is in smaller pieces, new phrases appear that you missed on the full sheet. "In response to its ring" only caught my eye after the surrounding text was gone. The process surfaces things.
Ink the edges. It takes seconds and it matters. A phrase that looks a little lost on a white slip of paper reads completely differently once the edges are darkened — it becomes an embellishment rather than just a torn scrap.
Save books rather than cutting up library books or books that are loved. The best sources are books headed for disposal — I mention in the video that the book I used on camera was rescued from an incinerator. Charity shops, recycling points, and boxes left out for collection are all good places to watch.
Don't worry about making it perfect. This is genuinely something you can do while watching television or half-listening to something else. The phrases you cut go into a stash, and you use them when the right project appears. There's no deadline on a cup of cut phrases.
A phrase on the front of a mini journal pocket gives it a mood before anyone opens it. A strip glued to a tag becomes a gift with something to say. And for anyone who journals but sometimes stares at a blank page, these fragments have a particular value — "I thought maybe," "she was there," "a place far away" — they give the pen somewhere to start. That's the part of this I find most quietly useful, and it costs nothing beyond the time it takes to cut.
