Gather a few things See what you’ll need
- One 6 × 6 inch sheet of paper
- Two journal pages
- Ruler and pencil
- Scissors or paper trimmer
- Glue
- A small photo or a handwritten memory
Check your page before touching the scissors
This example starts with 6 × 6 inch paper and works as a starting point for an A6 journal. Open to two pages you’d like to use. Decide where the writing will sit before you cover anything. A strip along the bottom or one clear side is easier to protect now than to recover later.
Check which way the pattern runs, too. If the paper has little houses or readable words, turn the cutting plan so the pieces you care about most stay upright. A plain reverse side gives you more freedom.
Here’s a cutting plan you can actually follow
Cut the sheet into two 3 × 6 inch strips. Cut the first strip into a 3 × 4 inch panel and a 3 × 2 inch pocket front.
From the second strip, cut a 3 × 3 inch photo mat, then a 3 × 1 inch label. You’ll have a 3 × 2 inch piece left. Cut a 1 × 2 inch tab from one end. The remaining 2 × 2 inch square is your only leftover.
Write each piece’s job lightly on its back if you think you’ll mix them up. These measurements are a starting example, so check the pieces against your page before gluing.
See where all five useful pieces come from
Select a piece in the 6 × 6 inch sheet and connect it to its job on the two pages.
The 3 × 4 inch panel gives the first page a background.
All dimensions in the diagram are inches. Begin with two 3 × 6 inch strips. The six rectangles use all 36 square inches of the sheet, including the leftover.
- Full sheet
- 6 × 6 in
- Used + leftover
- 32 + 4 sq in
“That leftover square doesn’t get to decide whether the project was a success.”
Let the first page hold one memory
Place the panel on the page, then try the photo mat partly over it. A square photo around 2½ inches wide leaves a small border on the mat. If you don’t have a printer, write a memory on a smaller piece of plain paper and mount that instead.
The label can carry a date, a place, or a short phrase. Use the paper’s plain reverse if the pattern is difficult to write over. Arrange all three pieces with your writing space still visible, then glue them down. They can overlap; they don’t each need their own separate patch of page.
Let the panel and mat overlap before they take the writing space
Reveal an arrangement that shares decorative space and leaves a clear area for the memory.
Pieces spread into the writing area
Giving every piece its own separate area can spread the decoration over the lines you meant to write.
Give the second page somewhere to keep a note
Place the 3 × 2 inch pocket front near the bottom or side of the second page. Run a narrow line of glue along its back left edge, right edge, and bottom edge. Leave the top completely open. Press it down and wait for the glue to dry.
Start with an insert about 2½ inches wide. Its height can extend slightly above the pocket so you can grab it. Test the fit gently; the space inside will be narrower than the pocket front because of the glued sides. If the insert catches, trim the insert a little rather than forcing it through wet glue.
The 3-inch front has less than 3 inches inside
Change the seams and insert to see how much clear width the planned pocket actually leaves.
6.7 mm total clearance is within the practice range.
Usable width = 76.2 − 2 × 3 = 70.2 mm. Total clearance = 70.2 − 63.5 = 6.7 mm. If centered, that divides into 3.35 mm on each side. The practice starting range is 5–10 mm of total extra width, not a fit guarantee. Test the actual insert, paper thickness, and adhesive before finishing. The starting values convert the article’s 3-inch front and 2½-inch insert to 76.2 and 63.5 mm. Two 3 mm practice seams leave 70.2 mm inside and 6.7 mm total clearance. The 5–10 mm comparison band is a practice starting range; the actual insert test decides the fit.
- Usable width
- 70.2 mm
- Total clearance
- 6.7 mm
- Practice range (total)
- 5–10 mm
Make the tab easy to spot and comfortable to use
Fold the 1 × 2 inch strip across its length to make a doubled 1 × 1 inch square. Slip it over the outer page edge, with part of the folded end projecting. Keep the projection modest so it won’t catch every time you put the journal away.
Check both sides of the page before gluing the tab in place. It shouldn’t cover a sentence or the pocket opening. Add a small word or symbol if that helps you find the page later. On a soft sheet, keep the tab light and avoid pulling hard on it.
Place the folded tab where it helps you find the page
Choose what you see when the 1 × 2 inch piece is folded to a doubled 1 × 1 inch square.
Move it after checking both faces.
A tab wraps the page edge and occupies space on both sides. Turn the page while it is still loose and move it away from the reverse sentence before gluing. The small marker should help you return to the entry without covering the very words you wanted to find.
Stop when both pages have a job
Write a few lines on the first page and put one note in the second page’s pocket. Close the journal gently to check that the tab and layered paper sit comfortably.
If the page feels crowded, move a loose piece to the second page before you add adhesive. You can also trim the panel or save the label for the pocket insert. The cutting plan is there to help you use the paper, so you’re allowed to change its destination.
Once the memory is readable and the note slips in and out easily, you’re done. That leftover square doesn’t get to decide whether the project was a success.
Where this idea began
This guide grew from our original Instagram post. The examples and explanations here expand on that idea so you can try it at your own pace.
