Junk Journal Cover Design

How Junk Journal Covers Actually Get Made

Junk journal covers are not complicated, but they are fiddly. A cover for a junk journal is usually a stiff base — chipboard, corrugated board, old packaging, sometimes even a used hardcover book — wrapped and decorated with whatever scraps you have on hand. The whole point is that the material is reclaimed and the result looks lived-in. That sounds simple until you try to make one that actually opens and closes without fighting you. Here is how I approach it. I start by cutting the front, spine, and back pieces from 2 mm chipboard. For a standard A5 journal, I cut front and back at 155 mm by 220 mm, and the spine at roughly 25 mm depending on how many pages I plan to insert. The spine width matters more than people realize. I learned this the hard way on a project that held about 80 sheets of mixed paper and ephemera. I measured the spine for 20 mm, wrapped it, assembled the journal, and immediately found the covers wouldn't sit flush because the bulk of the pages pushed the boards apart. I ended up having to trim the inner corners of the chipboard to create a proper binding groove, which gave the pages room to lay flatter. It added about twenty minutes to the process but saved the entire journal from being unusable. That is the kind of detail that does not show up in most tutorials.

Junk Journal Cover Design

Choosing and preparing your base board

You can use anything rigid enough to hold shape. Corrugated cardboard from shipping boxes works fine for lightweight journals. Chipboard from craft stores is more stable. Old book covers or cereal box stock are free options that work if you reinforce them. The main problem with recycled board is that it absorbs moisture differently than fresh material, so it can warp over time. If you are using something like a thrifted hardcover book as your base, remove the dust jacket and any loose endpapers, but leave the existing structure intact. Sand the edges lightly to smooth rough spots, then seal the surface with a thin coat of matte medium or gesso. This prevents your decorative papers from buckling when you glue them down, and it also stops acidic board from yellowing your pages over several years.

Covering the board

Wrap the boards with heavier paper first — origami paper, scrapbook paper, or even a fragment of an old map or sheet music. Use PVA glue thinned with a little water for better penetration without creating thick sticky layers. Lay the paper down starting from the spine area and smooth outward. Score the edges before folding over, or the paper will crease and tear. I use a bone folder and a metal ruler for the score line, pressing firmly but not so hard that I crush the board underneath. For the spine, I typically leave the decorative paper wrapping around with about 5 mm overlapping onto the inside of each board. This gives the joint flexibility. Then comes the wrapping of the spine itself. You can use a separate strip of fabric, a piece of leather, or even more paper. Book cloth is ideal if you have access to it, but most junk journal makers do not, and that is fine. A strip of cotton muslin or an old linen napkin works well. Glue the spine strip down, leaving the very top and bottom edges free for about 10 mm so the covering does not interfere with attaching hinges or ribbons later.

Creating the hinge and structure

This is where most people run into trouble. The hinge is the flexible joint between the board and the spine covering. If it is too rigid, the journal will not open flat. If it is too loose, the cover feels sloppy. I attach a small piece of linen tape or sturdy ribbon to the inside edge of each board, then fold the excess over the scored edge and onto the spine covering. This creates a clean, flexible hinge. A typical width for the tape is about 15 mm, and you want about 8 mm on the board side and 7 mm wrapping onto the spine. Use a light application of glue here. Too much PVA in the hinge area will create a stiff spot that defeats the purpose entirely. For additional reinforcement, I sometimes add a second layer of newspaper or tissue paper glued along the hinge line on the inside. This adds durability without adding noticeable bulk, and it extends the life of a journal that gets opened and closed frequently.

Decorating the exterior

The decorating phase is where junk journal design diverges from traditional bookbinding. You are not trying to make something pristine. You are trying to make something that looks like it has history. Layering is the main technique. Glue down fragments of vintage postage, ticket stubs, handwritten notes, tea-stained paper edges, dried flowers, lace scraps, buttons, anything that fits the aesthetic you are going for. Work from the largest elements to the smallest. Stamp or stencil some background texture if you want it, but keep it subtle. Heavy stamping on an already busy surface just looks cluttered rather than charming. I use a mixture of glue types here. PVA for paper-on-paper, a stronger adhesive like UHU or Aleene's Tacky Glue for heavier embellishments like buttons or dried botanicals, and a tiny dot of hot glue for quick fixes. Hot glue can leave bumps, so use it sparingly on the visible face of the cover. The edges and inside receive the hot glue if needed, where nobody will see the imperfection.

Finishing touches

Attach your closure mechanism last. A ribbon, a piece of twine, a small hook-and-eye clasp, or even a button looped through thread. This should be secured through both front and back boards, not just the decorative paper layer. Drill a small pilot hole with a 2 mm bit through both boards where the closure will sit, then thread your ribbon or twine through and knot it on the inside. A drop of glue on the knot keeps it from pulling through. For the interior, line the inside boards with a coordinating but simpler paper. This protects your pages and gives the journal a finished feel. You can also add pocket folds here from scrap paper if you want a place to stash loose notes or photos.

Common problems and what actually works

The biggest issue I encounter is warping after the cover dries. This usually happens when too much moisture is applied to one side of the board. The solution is to work evenly on both sides and allow adequate drying time between steps. If a cover does warp, place it under heavy books for 24 hours with a flat weight on top. Most of the time it will flatten out. Sometimes it will not, and then you either accept it as part of the character or you start over with drier materials. Another frequent problem is the pages slipping out because the binding groove is too shallow. This is why scoring and creating that inner recess is important. If your journal already has pages that do not sit properly, you can still fix it by cutting a narrow channel along the inner edge where the board meets the spine with a utility knife, being careful not to cut through the covering. This gives the signature or page block a place to rest securely.

What this approach does not solve

Junk journal covers made this way are not going to be archival-grade even products. The materials are whatever you have, and that means variability. Acidic paper will eventually damage your pages. Weak adhesives will fail. Thin chipboard will bend over time if the journal gets heavy. If you need something durable for daily professional use, this method is not the right choice. Make it for the hobby, for gift-making, for creative expression. It works well in those contexts and it works fast once you get the hang of the hinge and scoring steps, which together take about 45 minutes for a standard-sized journal cover from start to finish.