Pockets are what turn a junk journal from a scrapbook into something you actually use. They hold tags, notes, tickets, pressed flowers - the loose things that make a journal feel lived in. You do not need special tools to make them.
The three pockets worth learning
The folded corner. Cut a square, fold it in half diagonally, glue the two short edges down onto the page. Thirty seconds, holds one tag. The one to start with.
The side pocket. Cut a rectangle roughly two thirds the height of your page. Glue the bottom edge and one side edge only - leave the top and the inner side open. Holds several loose pieces and sits flat when the journal closes.
The envelope. A proper flap, either a printed template you fold along the score lines or a real used envelope glued straight in. The flap is what makes it feel deliberate rather than improvised.
Glue matters more than you think
PVA or a glue stick is fine for paper on paper. Two rules:
- Glue the edges, not the middle. A pocket glued all over is just a stuck-down rectangle. Run a thin line 3 mm in from each edge you want closed.
- Press it flat while it dries. Under a book, five minutes. Otherwise the pocket curls open and stays that way.
Avoid wet glue on thin paper - it wrinkles. Use a glue stick or double-sided tape on anything under 100 gsm.
Weight of paper
Pockets take handling, so use cardstock, 160 gsm or heavier. A pocket made from copier paper tears at the corner within a week. If you only have thin paper, glue two sheets back to back and use that.
Make the inside interesting
The inside of a pocket is visible every time something is pulled out. Line it with a scrap of patterned paper, or glue a small piece of ephemera to the inside back so there is something to find.
How many per journal
Two or three across a whole journal is plenty. A pocket on every spread makes the book too thick to close and you stop filling them. Put them where you will actually use them - near the front, and at any spread you intend to add to over time.
If you would rather print and fold than measure and cut, there are four ready-made templates here: Printable Pockets and Envelopes - already scored and sized. And a free paper set if you want something to line them with.
MORE GUIDES
How to bind a junk journal without a sewing machine