To make a junk journal from scratch: choose your build path and size, gather mixed papers, make or choose a cover, fold the papers into signatures, bind them with a no-sew method or a simple pamphlet stitch, add pockets and tuck spots, then decorate while checking that the book still closes. A first book takes an afternoon.
Key Takeaways
- There are two easy build paths: no-sew (slide signatures into a refillable cover, binder or elastic band) and the classic three-hole pamphlet stitch.
- Each sheet you fold in half gives you four pages, so a signature of five sheets has twenty pages to decorate.
- Fold with the paper's grain running parallel to the spine for crisp folds and pages that lie flat.
- Keep signatures slimmer than you would for a writing notebook, because pockets and collage add bulk as you go.
- Test that the book closes after every few pages of decorating, not at the end.
The 7 steps at a glance
Here is the whole process in one list. Each step is explained in detail below.
- Choose your build path and size. No-sew or pamphlet stitch; pocket, A6 or A5.
- Gather your papers and tools. Mixed found papers plus a few basic tools.
- Make or choose the cover. Card, an old book cover, or a ready-made refillable cover.
- Fold your signatures. Stack and fold sheets into small booklets.
- Bind the book. Slide signatures into elastic or rings, or sew a pamphlet stitch.
- Add pockets and tuck spots. Build in places for tags, tickets and notes.
- Decorate and keep it closable. Layer collage and writing, and check the spine as you go.
If you are brand new to the craft, our junk journaling for beginners guide explains what a junk journal is and how it differs from a scrapbook before you start building.
Step 1: Choose your build path and size
Choose the no-sew path if you want to start today with no special tools, and the pamphlet stitch if you want a bound book that feels finished. Both produce a real junk journal; the difference is how the pages are held.
| Build path | How pages are held | Tools needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-sew: refillable cover | Signatures slip under elastic bands inside a cover | Scissors, glue; the cover itself | Swapping themes, long-term use |
| No-sew: binder or rings | Punched pages on rings or in a loose-leaf binder | Hole punch, binder rings or a binder | Rearranging pages, single sheets |
| No-sew: elastic in a card cover | An elastic cord tied around the spine of a folded card cover | Elastic cord, hole punch or awl | The quickest homemade cover |
| Pamphlet stitch | Thread sewn through the fold of each signature and the cover spine | Needle, thread, awl or push pin | A bound, book-like finish |
For size, small is easier to finish. A pocket or A6 book fills fast and needs fewer pieces per page. A5 suits large collage and longer writing. If you already own a refillable cover, size your pages to match its inserts.
Step 2: Gather your papers and tools
You need three groups of materials: papers for the pages, something for the cover, and a few tools to fold and bind. Most of it can come from home.
| Material | Free options | Low-cost upgrades | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page paper | Printer paper, brown paper bags, book pages, envelopes, old calendars | Kraft paper, mixed collage paper packs | Mix weights; heavier sheets hold glue better |
| Accent paper | Maps, sheet music, wrapping paper, packaging | Printed parchment sheets, botanical collage paper | Use as half-pages and tip-ins |
| Cover | Cereal-box card, an old hardback cover, file folders | A leather or PU refillable cover | Should be a little larger than your pages |
| Binding | String, rubber bands, hair elastics | Waxed thread, elastic cord, binder rings | Choose by build path |
| Tools | Scissors, ruler, pencil, the back of a spoon for creasing, a push pin | Bone folder, awl, bookbinding needle | A bone folder makes sharper folds |
| Adhesive | Glue stick | Liquid glue, double-sided tape, washi tape | Thin layers prevent warping |
If your found paper feels too random, one coordinated pack pulls it together. Our vintage kraft collage paper pack has 30 mixed sheets in vintage themes, and the vintage parchment paper pack adds 20 translucent sheets for layering. Most found papers count as ephemera; our guide to what ephemera is explains what to save.
Step 3: Make or choose the cover
Your cover needs to be slightly larger than your folded pages and flexible enough at the spine to open fully. Here are the three most common options.
Card cover
Cut a piece of cereal-box card or a file folder to twice the width of your folded pages plus a little extra for the spine, and the same height plus a small margin. Score and fold the spine. Cover the outside with decorative paper, fabric or wrapping paper and glue it down, folding the edges inside.
Old book cover
Carefully cut the text block out of a damaged hardback along the inside of the spine, keeping the cover and spine intact. You now have a sturdy vintage cover. Glue a strip of strong paper or fabric inside the spine to sew or tie your signatures to.
Refillable cover
A refillable cover is the easiest no-sew choice. Signatures slide under its elastic bands, and you can swap them out when they are full. A leather option such as our crazy horse leather refillable journal cover comes in Passport, Pocket and Regular sizes, so you can fold your own inserts to fit. A loose-leaf binder like the refillable A5 leather binder journal works for single punched pages instead. If the TN-style format is new to you, our guide to starting a traveler's notebook style journal covers covers, inserts and elastics.
Step 4: Fold your signatures
A signature is a small stack of sheets folded in half together to make a booklet. In bookbinding terms, a sheet folded in half is a bifolium, which Wikipedia's article on bookbinding describes as "a single sheet of paper folded in half to make two leaves," and each leaf has two pages, front and back. Several bifolia folded together form a section, also called a gathering or quire.
Signature math
Because each folded sheet gives two leaves and four pages, the math is simple: sheets × 4 = pages. Use it to plan your book.
| Sheets per signature | Pages per signature | 3 signatures | 5 signatures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 | 36 | 60 |
| 4 | 16 | 48 | 80 |
| 5 | 20 | 60 | 100 |
| 6 | 24 | 72 | 120 |
For a junk journal, we suggest starting with fewer sheets per signature than a writing notebook would use, because every pocket and collage layer adds thickness. Mixing a heavier sheet with lighter ones in the same signature works well.
Fold with the grain
Machine-made paper has a grain, the direction most of its fibers line up in. A bookbinding worksheet from the University of Brighton explains that binders aim for grain running parallel to the spine, because folding with the grain gives accurate folds that press neatly, while folding against it gives lumpy folds and pages that tend to spring open. To find the grain, gently roll the sheet one way, then turn it a quarter turn and roll again; the direction that rolls more easily is the grain.
Mixed sizes and tip-ins
Junk journals look best with variety. Add half-width sheets inside a signature, fold a short sheet around the center, or glue a small piece to a page edge as a tip-in so it sticks out. Keep the fold edges lined up so the binding holds everything.
Step 5: Bind the book
Bind with a no-sew method for speed or a pamphlet stitch for a lasting book. Either way, attach each signature at its center fold.
No-sew binding
- Refillable cover: open the signature to its center and slide it under one of the cover's elastic bands. Add more signatures under extra bands or with a separate elastic.
- Elastic in a card cover: punch a hole at the top and bottom of the cover spine, thread an elastic cord through and knot it on the outside, then slide the signature's center fold under the cord on the inside.
- Binder or rings: punch single sheets or cut folded signatures apart along the fold, punch them, and load them onto rings or into a binder.
Three-hole pamphlet stitch
The pamphlet stitch sews a single signature to a cover through its fold. The Indiana University Libraries book repair manual notes that pamphlet sewing always uses an odd number of holes (3, 5 or 7) so there is a center hole, and recommends thread about two and a half times the length of the pamphlet. A small junk journal signature only needs three holes.
- Mark the holes. Open the signature and the cover together. Mark a center point on the fold, then a point toward the top and one toward the bottom, an equal distance from the ends.
- Pierce the holes. Push an awl or push pin through the marks from the inside, through both the signature and the cover spine.
- Start at the center. From inside the signature, go out through the center hole, leaving a tail of thread inside.
- Go to one end. Come back in through the top (or bottom) hole.
- Cross to the other end. Skip the center hole on the inside and go out through the far end hole.
- Return to the center. Come back in through the center hole, on the opposite side of the long stitch from your tail.
- Tie off. Pull the thread snug, tie the two ends in a double knot around the long inside stitch, and trim the ends.
For more than one signature, punch a separate set of holes for each one side by side along the cover spine, or sew each signature to its own strip of paper or fabric hinge.
Step 6: Add pockets and tuck spots
Pockets and tuck spots are what make a junk journal feel interactive. Add a few now, before you decorate, so you plan around them.
- Envelope pocket: glue an envelope to a page on three sides and trim the flap.
- Folded-page pocket: fold the bottom third of a sheet up before you bind and glue the sides.
- Tuck spot: glue a strip of paper across a page at both ends only, so a card slides behind it.
- Belly band: wrap a strip of paper around a page and glue its ends together at the back.
- Flip-out: hinge a card on one edge with tape so it opens like a door.
Strong washi tape works well as a hinge for flip-outs; our washi tape collection includes boxed sets in mixed widths.
Step 7: Decorate and keep it closable
Decorate in layers, back to front, and check the book closes every few pages. The most common reason junk journals fail is that they become too thick to shut.
Decorating order
- Backgrounds and large papers.
- Focal pieces such as tickets, photos and postcards.
- Small accents: stickers, stamps and tape.
- Writing on tags, margins and cards.
The thickness check
The spine of a bound signature does not grow, but the pages do. Our rule of thumb is to leave some pages plain or very lightly layered, especially near the center fold, and to spread bulky items like pockets and envelopes across different signatures rather than stacking them in one. Close the book and press it under a stack of books overnight after a heavy session. If it still gapes, remove a sheet from the signature or move some bulky items to another one. Using thin layers of glue also helps; damp paper swells, and the University of Brighton worksheet notes that glued layers that stretch and shrink in opposite directions can warp.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a journal by hand?
Fold a few sheets of paper in half together to make a signature, cut a cover from card slightly larger than the folded pages, then attach the signature to the cover at its fold, either with a three-hole pamphlet stitch or by sliding it under an elastic cord. Decorate the cover and pages however you like.
Do you write in junk journals?
Yes, most people write in them, but the amount is up to you. Some write full entries on the pages; others keep words on tags, envelopes and the backs of ephemera so the pages stay visual.
What journals to use for junk journaling?
You can make your own from folded signatures, use a refillable cover with removable inserts, or start in a sturdy notebook with heavier paper such as kraft. Whatever you choose, leave room for bulk so the book still closes.
How many signatures should a junk journal have?
For a first book, a few slim signatures is plenty. Fewer, thinner signatures are easier to bind and leave more space for pockets and collage. You can always make a second book.
Gather your papers and start building
Pick a build path, fold your first signature tonight, and you will have a working junk journal by the weekend. For pages and layers, browse our stickers and ephemera collection of collage papers, parchment and vintage stickers. For a ready-made cover, see our notebook covers and inserts. US orders ship for a flat $6.99, and orders of $79 or more ship free. Find papers for your first signature in the stickers and ephemera collection.
