Most "free junk journal printables" are a download of somebody else’s vintage-looking art, printed on your paper, at your ink cost. It looks like everyone else’s journal, because everyone downloaded the same pack.
What follows is the other approach: the actual measurements for every standard ephemera shape, so you can cut them from paper you already own. A ruler and twenty minutes gets you a stack that no download can match, because it is made of your own paper.
Tags
The most-used shape. Cut a rectangle, then cut the two top corners off at an angle and punch a hole.
| Size | Cut | Angle cut from top corners | Hole | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 1.5 x 2.75 in | 0.5 in in, 0.5 in down | 0.35 in from top | Tuck spots, small pockets |
| Small | 2 x 3.75 in | 0.6 in in, 0.6 in down | 0.4 in from top | The everyday tag |
| Medium | 2.5 x 4.75 in | 0.75 in in, 0.75 in down | 0.4 in from top | Journaling tags — room for four lines |
| Large | 3.25 x 6 in | 1 in in, 1 in down | 0.5 in from top | Photo tags, pull-outs |
| Bookmark | 2 x 7 in | Optional | 0.4 in from top | Long pockets, page markers |
Cut one of each from card, label it, and keep those five as your permanent templates. Tracing round a template is ten times faster than measuring every time.
Pockets
| Type | Cut | Fold | Holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat pocket | 4.5 x 4 in | 0.25 in on bottom and both sides; glue those three flaps | Small tags, slips |
| Corner pocket | 3 in square | Fold diagonally; glue the two outer edges to the page corner | Photos, cards |
| Full-page pocket | Page width by 2/3 page height | 0.25 in on three sides | Letters, larger paper |
| Gusseted pocket | 4.5 x 4 in, plus 0.5 in side flaps folded in half lengthwise | Accordion the side flaps | Thick contents |
| Tuck strip | Page width x 1.5 in | Glue the bottom edge only | Anything, quickly |
Always press a glued pocket under a heavy book for ten minutes. It is the difference between an edge that stays down and one that lifts in a month.
Envelopes
To make an envelope that fits a given card, start from a square of paper equal to the card’s diagonal plus half an inch. Lay the card in the middle of the square at 45 degrees, then fold the left and right corners in over it, then the bottom corner up, then the top corner down as the flap.
Standard useful sizes:
| Finished envelope | Start with a square of |
|---|---|
| 2.5 x 3.5 in (mini, fits an ATC) | 6 in |
| 3.5 x 5 in | 8.5 in |
| 4 x 6 in (photo) | 10 in |
Or skip the geometry: carefully unpick a used envelope at the seams, flatten it, and use it as a template forever.
Banners, flags and strips
| Shape | Cut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pennant banner | 1.5 in wide x 2 in tall, cut a V up 0.75 in from the bottom | String five on thread across a spread |
| Ribbon flag | 0.75 x 3 in, V-cut one end | Glue the flat end under an element |
| Journaling strip | 0.75 in x page width | Write one line per strip; layer three |
| Ticket | 1.25 x 3 in, round the corners, punch a hole at one end | Perforate the edge by running an unthreaded sewing machine along it |
| Label | 1 x 2.5 in, cut both ends into shallow V shapes | The classic file-label shape |
That sewing-machine trick is worth knowing: an unthreaded machine run along an edge gives you a perfect perforated ticket edge in two seconds.
Text elements to write out
Hand-letter these onto strips and tags, or type them and print a sheet. Fifteen minutes gets you a stack that lasts months.
| Category | Write these |
|---|---|
| Date headers | today · this week · that summer · the year of · sometime in |
| Prompts | I remember · what I kept · the best part · note to self · what I want to say · and then |
| Labels | keep · found · from · before · after · unfinished · on loan · do not lose |
| Small talk | hello · more soon · thinking of you · open me · look inside · part two |
| Numbers | 1 through 31 on small squares, for dating pages |
Where free paper actually comes from
The best ephemera is not printed, it is collected. Ranked by how good it looks on a page:
- Envelope linings. Cut a business envelope open and the patterned security lining inside is free, abundant, and looks expensive.
- Damaged books. Charity shops sell water-damaged paperbacks for almost nothing. Text pages, endpapers, and title pages all work.
- Sheet music and old maps. Same source. One book of either lasts years.
- Brown paper bags. Excellent tag stock, and the creases are a feature.
- Packaging. Tea boxes, cereal boxes, bakery bags, the tissue in a shoebox.
- Junk mail. Catalog pages, especially anything with a printed pattern rather than a photo.
- Library discards. Ask. Card catalog cards and date-due slips are the best free ephemera in existence.
Two ways to age paper
Cold tea. Brew three bags strong, cool it, brush or dip. Blot, then dry flat under a weight overnight. Uneven application looks better than even.
Coffee, for a warmer tone. Same method, browner result. Instant coffee dissolved in a little water gives you more control than brewed.
Both need drying flat under a book, or the paper cockles and the whole batch is wasted. Do a test piece first — papers take stain very differently.
Make the five templates first
Before cutting any ephemera, cut the five tag templates from card and label each with its size. That twenty minutes saves hours, and every tag you make afterward is consistent.
Then cut ten small tags from an envelope lining and put them in a pocket. You now have ephemera, it cost nothing, and it looks like nobody else’s.
For the pieces that are genuinely worth buying — vellum, die cuts, washi — see junk journal supplies, die cuts and washi tape. The starter kit covers all three plus a notebook.
What to do with the stack: 25 page ideas. And if you have not built the book yet, how to make a junk journal.