Hi everyone! Today we are going to be making the pages of our junk journal and this is really where you can let your creativity come alive.
I added a photo from a children’s book to the cover. This was a book I bought for my oldest when she was a baby and it has gotten pretty worn over the years. It’s called The Eloise Wilkin Stories by Jane Werner Watson. I used the ripped book for my journal and I purchased a second copy used for our book shelf. If you are looking for a place to buy used books online I usually shop Thrift Books. Their prices are good you can usually choose from different levels of wear and tear and their customer service has always been great. (Affiliate link: If you make a purchase using this link I may earn a small commission but you do not pay any more)
I want to start off by saying if you don’t have a lot of materials do not worry. You can use plain copy paper (like I do) to get started. In my journal I am using some 11×14″ page that I folded in half both ways and then stitched up the sides to make pockets. It’s not coffee or tea stained, it’s just regular old copy paper. You can use book pages, magazine pages-whatever you have!
I have some vintage stationery paper that I attach together with masking tape along with some vintage envelopes that were sealed shut. This is a great way to use items from your recycling bin or maybe some children’s books that have been ripped up and aren’t wonderful for reading any more.
To attach vertical pages together I line them up next to each other and then put a piece of masking tape down to attach them front and back. You can use washi tape too which will give a nice look to the pages. I chose masking tape to go with the vintage pages of my journal but you can play have fun.
Once I finished gathering my pages I went ahead and started stitching my plain paper. I added decorative stitches that also closed the openings on my folded pages creating the pockets. If you are using smaller paper you can still stitch down the sides just to add some decoration. I also raided my fabric scraps and attached some fabric to make colorful tabs on my pages as well. You could glue paper, ribbon or lace if you don’t have a sewing machine.
I personally like to decorate my pages so they aren’t blank but not so much so that they feel like they are completed or locked into a certain theme. I want whoever is going to be playing in this journal to be able to make it their own.
Once you have all your pages decorated you can decide how many you want in each signature. I put the pages inside my cover to see how much room was left over to help me determine the number of pages and then I divide by the 3 signatures I want to have. I like to sew in 3 signatures because it’s easy for me and I find the spacing works nicely on the spine width I tend to use.
In the next video we are going to start to sew in our signatures. Don’t worry it’s easier than you think!
Until next time…
-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante
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