How to Make a Junk Journal

Learn how to turn an old book into a junk journal. I made this one out of an old Reader’s Digest Condensed Book.

I started collecting them a few years ago for their pretty covers. They’re easy to pick up at thrift stores and yard sales for $1 or less. Sometimes I even get them for free.

I take them apart and rebind them, so I can use them to make my own journals. It’s a lot cheaper than buying a scrapbook, and a lot more fun.

I use large binder rings to hold them together, so I can add lots of pages and continue adding to them over time.

Here’s how I make them.

How to Make a Junk Journal

What You’ll Need:

An old book to take apart
An X-acto knife
(4) #2 long-neck grommets (for a 3/8″ hole)
A grommet setter
3-inch book binding tape
(2) 2-inch binder rings
A drill
A 3/8″ forstner bit
A two-hole hole punch

What You Do:

Carefully cut the front and back cover off at the seam.

Remove the end papers, and set them aside.

Measure 1-1/2 inches down from the cut edge of the front cover, and make a couple marks. Do the same with the back cover.

Cut a piece of binding tape that’s a couple inches longer than the cover on each end.

Line the binding tape up with your marks, and press it in place.

Then, flip the cover over; go out a quarter-inch from the corners, and cut the tape at a 45 degree angle.

Fold the tape in on the sides.

Then, fold the tape down from the top, making sure the corners are completely covered.

Do the same thing for the second cover.

Glue the end papers inside the covers to cover your rebinding work.

Lay a piece of paper on your work surface, and trace around your journal to create a template. Cut it out. Then, center it up in a two-hole punch, and punch it.

Lay your finished template on top of your journal, and use a pencil to mark where the holes are. Repeat the process with the second cover.

Drill a hole through the covers where you made your marks. A forstner bit makes a nice clean hole.

Insert a grommet flange through the first hole (from the front side of the cover). Then, place a washer on the flange, and use a grommet setter to join the two pieces. Repeat with the other three holes.