Beach Travel Junk Journal

**Hello, fellow crafters!**
Jennifer here on the blog, and I’m *so* excited to share a brand NEW product with you! 🎉 I’ve been playing with the latest **Junk Journal Chipboard Pieces**, and let me tell you—they are a game changer.

To kick things off, I created a charming **beach travel suitcase journal**, and I had an absolute blast putting it together. These new journals are not only fun to work with, but they’re also full of creative possibilities—I can’t wait to try them all!

Junk Journal

First things first—I measured out the fabric I wanted to use for my journal cover. (You can use paper if that’s your jam, but I just love the texture and flexibility of fabric!) Once I had my piece ready, I laid the chipboard pieces on top and trimmed off any excess—leaving about an inch of fabric all the way around for wrapping.

Next, I glued down the first chipboard piece—our lovely *suitcase front*! While that was drying, I grabbed the middle section and started planning where my holes would go for the signatures. (And for those of you who are new to junk journaling, a *signature* is simply a group of folded pages sewn into the spine—super easy once you get the hang of it!)

With my measurements in place, I used an awl to carefully poke the holes into the chipboard. Then, I picked out a pretty piece of printed paper to cover the middle section. Once it was glued and completely dry, I used the awl again to poke through the paper—*before* gluing it onto the fabric backing.

While the chipboard pieces were drying, I grabbed nine sheets of paper to start building my signatures. Since this journal is on the smaller side, I kept each signature to just three pages. (For larger journals, I usually go with anywhere from four to seven pages per signature—it really depends on the size and how chunky I want the final book to be!)

I trimmed my pages down to 7×5 inches. To figure out the right size, I measure the total width of the two chipboard covers plus the middle spine piece. For the height, I usually subtract about half an inch from the chipboard’s height—just to make sure nothing sticks out.

Pro tip: Once your pages are folded into signatures, tuck them inside your cover and close the journal. That way, you can double-check the fit and make sure the edges aren’t peeking out. A little planning now saves a lot of trimming later!

Now for the fun part—**sewing in the signatures**! I started by marking where the holes would go on each folded signature and then used my trusty awl to poke through the paper.

**Tip:** I like to use paper clips or alligator clips on the outer edges to keep everything aligned while I work. It really helps prevent the pages from shifting as you sew.

To begin stitching, I start from the **middle hole on the inside** of the signature and push the needle through to the outside, making sure to leave a tail long enough to tie off later. Here’s where I like to get a little fancy—I added a few beads onto the thread for a decorative touch along the spine. Totally optional, but it gives your journal a charming handmade look!

Next, I threaded the needle up through the **top hole from the outside**, pulled it through to the inside, then went back through the middle hole (inside)—added beads and put the needle through the bottom hole and back up tot he middle. Once everything was snug and secure, I tied the ends together right in the middle of the signature. And just like that, one signature sewn in—seam detail and all!

Once all the signatures were sewn in, I cut two sheets of printed paper to cover the inside of the front and back chipboard pieces—just to give it that clean, finished look.

For a little extra character, I decided to tear the edges of my signature pages to create that perfectly beachy, weathered vibe. It really brings the whole theme together!

Quick tip: I inked all the edges of my pages before sewing them in. It’s way easier to get full coverage that way—trust me, I learned that the hard way!

To finish it all off, I decorated the front cover using a mix of fabric scraps, patterned papers, sea glass, and even a little sand for texture. It came together beautifully, like a mini keepsake straight from the shore.