If you've ever torn open an old book for its pages, saved a pretty candy wrapper "just in case," or spent way too long arranging paper scraps before finally gluing anything down — you already understand junk journaling. It's a craft built on the idea that beautiful paper deserves a second life, and decoupage paper and stickers happen to be two of the easiest, most satisfying ways to fill a spread.
Why Decoupage Paper Works So Well in a Junk Journal
Decoupage paper is basically a journaler's dream fabric. It's thin enough to layer without bulking up your pages, patterned edge-to-edge so there's no awkward blank border to work around, and printable at home in exactly the amount you need — no more buying a whole pack of scrapbook paper for one design you actually want.
A few ways to put it to use:
- Full background layers — cover a two-page spread edge to edge for an instant cohesive look, then build your journaling and embellishments right on top
- Torn or cut accents — tear strips or cut shapes from a printed sheet to frame photos, tickets, or handwritten notes
- Pocket and envelope linings — a scrap of patterned paper turns a plain journal pocket into something worth peeking inside
- Tab and flap covers — small cut pieces dress up hand-folded tabs, flaps, and mini pockets throughout a spread
Because you're printing it yourself, you can match paper to mood — soft florals for a gentle memory page, moody botanicals for something more introspective, gothic patterns for a darker aesthetic spread. No hunting through a craft store for the one pattern that fits what you're feeling that day.
Bringing Stickers Into the Mix
Where decoupage paper sets the stage, stickers are where the personality shows up. Printable sticker sheets give you the fun, focal-point pieces — little botanical clusters, ornamental flourishes, small illustrated motifs — without the commitment of covering a whole page.
A few favorite ways journalers use them:
- Anchoring a journaling block — a sticker in a corner or along an edge gives handwritten text a frame to live inside
- Building visual rhythm — repeating a small sticker motif across a spread ties separate elements together, even ones from different paper packs
- Covering seams and edges — a sticker tucked over the join where two papers meet hides the seam and looks intentional
- Quick embellishing when you're short on time — sometimes a spread just needs one small sticker to feel finished, and that's a perfectly good stopping point
Since printable sticker sheets print full-color on a home printer and cut with ordinary scissors or a craft knife, there's no waiting on shipping and no leftover half-used sheet you feel obligated to use up before buying more.
A Simple Way to Start
If junk journaling is new to you, there's no need to overthink the first spread. Print one decoupage sheet, print one small sticker sheet in a coordinating design, and just start layering — paper down first, sticker on top, journaling wherever there's room left. The "junk" in junk journaling is really permission: nothing has to be perfect, and a slightly imperfect layer of torn paper often looks better than a precisely cut one anyway.
Why We Love This One
We design our decoupage papers and sticker sheets with journaling in mind from the start — patterns that hold together as a background, motifs sized to actually fit on a sticker sheet without crowding. It's some of our favorite work to make, because a journal page is such a personal, particular thing to hand a design over to.
You can find our decoupage papers and sticker sheets in the shop now.