DIY Vintage French Junk Journal Embellishments & Tabs: A Comprehensive Guide

Hello, fellow creatives and crafting enthusiasts! Diana from Dreams Factory here, delighted to bring you another inspiring DIY project. Today, we’re diving into the enchanting world of junk journals to create exquisite DIY Junk Journal Embellishments. Specifically, we’ll be crafting beautiful vintage-inspired tabs, perfect for adding character and charm to your journal pages. This project utilizes simple materials like scrap pieces of gauze and an assortment of buttons, transforming them into unique, French-themed decorative elements. While I’ll guide you through making these tabs from scratch with a distinct vintage French aesthetic, I wholeheartedly encourage you to use this tutorial as a springboard for your own creativity. Experiment with colors, textures, and themes to produce something truly reflective of your personal style. If you’re new to the wonderful realm of junk journals and curious about what they are, click here to learn more and begin your journey into this captivating craft.

The heart of this project lies in our exclusive free printable, meticulously designed to offer a rich variety of vintage French ephemera. This versatile collection includes an array of images such as beautifully colored French postcards, authentic ledger sheets and invoices, charming perfume advertisements, elegant French scripts, and classic music sheets. With such a diverse selection, you’ll have an abundance of options to choose from, allowing for endless creative combinations. You can opt for a cohesive look by selecting images with matching color palettes, or unleash your experimental spirit by mixing and matching different designs and hues to achieve a truly eclectic and unique outcome for your handmade junk journal tabs.

This specially curated printable offers an impressive total of 30 individual vintage tab designs. When crafted as double-sided embellishments, as demonstrated in this tutorial, you’ll yield 15 stunning and durable tabs. This generous quantity ensures you have a plethora of gorgeous options to adorn your junk journal pages, providing ample opportunity for customization and creative expression throughout your entire journal or for multiple projects.

Free Printables for Your DIY Junk Journal Embellishments

—-> Click HERE to Download the Full Size Printable PDF for the Tabs <—-

As an extra special bonus for this project, I’m also sharing a separate printable featuring delicate pink cherry blossom flowers. These beautiful blooms offer an additional layer of elegance and romance to your creations. You have the flexibility to integrate them with your vintage tabs, lending a softer, more ethereal feel, or to reserve them for other craft projects where a touch of delicate floral beauty is desired. I intentionally designed this bonus printable with a vintage brown background, specifically to encourage a technique called “fussy cutting.” This allows you to meticulously cut around the flowers while leaving a subtle, vintage-inspired border, enhancing their charm and giving them a lovely, aged appearance.

—-> Click HERE to Download the Full Size Printable PDF for the Flower Embellishments <—-

Essential Supplies for Your Junk Journal Tabs:

Gathering your materials is the first exciting step in any DIY project. For these charming vintage junk journal tabs, you’ll need a few common crafting supplies, many of which you might already have in your stash. Opting for quality materials will ensure your embellishments are durable and look fantastic for years to come.

Card Stock Paper: This provides the necessary stiffness and durability for your tabs, ensuring they can withstand handling within your journal. Choose a weight that feels substantial but is still easy to cut and fold.
Home Printer: Essential for bringing our beautiful printables to life. Ensure your printer has fresh ink for vibrant, clear images.
Sharp Scissors: A good pair of precision scissors will make cutting out your tabs and fussy cutting the flowers much easier and result in cleaner edges.
Mini Distress Inks: These are key for adding that aged, vintage look to the edges of your tabs. My personal favorite is Walnut Stain, but feel free to explore other colors to match your aesthetic.
Blending Tool with Foams: This tool is indispensable for applying distress ink smoothly and evenly, creating a professional finish without harsh lines.
Mod Podge or any other Craft or Paper Glue: A reliable adhesive is crucial for securely layering your tabs, gauze, and fabric. Mod Podge offers a strong bond and dries clear.
Coffee: For naturally staining your gauze and fabric, imparting an authentic aged appearance. Instant coffee or brewed coffee works perfectly.
Scrap Pieces of Cheesecloth or Gauze: These add wonderful texture and a delicate, aged feel to your tabs. Gauze is particularly effective for achieving a wispy, layered look.
Scrap Pieces of Fabric: Cotton duck or similar sturdy fabrics work well for adding a different kind of texture and dimension. Look for neutral colors or patterns that complement a vintage aesthetic.
Buttons: Vintage-style buttons in various sizes and materials (pearl, metal, plastic) are perfect for adding unique embellishments and a tactile element to your tabs.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Crafting Your Junk Journal Embellishments

Step 1: Preparation – Printing and Coffee Staining

Begin by printing your chosen vintage French tab designs and the bonus cherry blossom flowers onto cardstock paper. Cardstock provides the ideal weight and durability for these embellishments. Once printed, gather all your other supplies, laying them out neatly so they are easily accessible. If you already have coffee-stained cheesecloth or gauze, you’re one step ahead! If not, creating your own aged fabric is incredibly simple and adds an authentic touch. Brew a strong cup of coffee and pour it into a bowl, glass, or jar. Submerge your gauze or cheesecloth completely into the coffee, using a spoon to ensure it’s fully saturated. The soaking time determines the intensity of the stain; a stronger coffee and longer soak will yield a darker, more pronounced vintage hue. I typically let mine soak for about 10 minutes to achieve a lovely aged look. After soaking, gently remove the gauze and lay it flat on paper towels spread across a plate to dry. This method minimizes mess and allows for even drying. This coffee-staining technique can also be applied to other scrap pieces of fabric or even lace, instantly transforming them into vintage-inspired treasures. For a neutral base, I often use white or cream fabrics, but feel free to experiment with any color that sparks your creativity.

Step 2: Cutting and Distressing Your Tabs

Carefully use your sharp scissors to cut out each tab from the printed cardstock. Strive for clean, precise cuts to give your embellishments a professional finish. Once cut, it’s time to add that quintessential aged aesthetic using distress ink. Select your favorite distress ink color – I find Walnut Stain works beautifully for a classic vintage effect. Using a blending tool with a foam applicator, gently distress the edges of each tab. This technique adds depth and makes the tabs appear beautifully aged, as if they’ve come straight from a forgotten antique book. If your junk journal features a more vibrant or specific color scheme, feel free to experiment with colored distress inks to complement your overall design.

Step 3: Preparing Cherry Blossom Embellishments (Optional)

If you’ve opted to use the bonus cherry blossom flowers, this step is for you. You have two primary choices for cutting them: either fussy cut around the intricate shape of each flower, leaving a delicate, small border of the vintage background for a soft halo effect, or cut directly along the image’s outline, completely removing the background. Both methods yield beautiful results; the choice is entirely yours and depends on the specific look you envision for your embellished tabs.

Step 4: Assembling Your Double-Sided Tabs with Gauze

With your components prepared, it’s time for assembly. We’ll be creating sturdy, double-sided tabs. Begin by placing one of your cut and distressed tabs face down on your work surface. To ensure precise glue application, a fine-tip applicator is incredibly helpful. Apply a thin line of Mod Podge or craft glue along the top rectangular section of the tab, following its contours. This smaller, upper part is where the embellishments will be secured.

Next, carefully position a piece of your coffee-stained gauze onto the glued section, allowing it to extend downwards, covering the larger, lower part of the tab. Crucially, ensure the very top edge of the tab remains free of gauze, as this will be where the two halves of the tab meet cleanly. Apply a little more glue directly onto the gauze, again concentrating only on that top rectangular area of the tab. This ensures the gauze is firmly adhered and provides a surface for the second tab.

Finally, align and place a second tab directly on top, carefully matching its edges with the first. Press down firmly with your fingers, particularly on the top rectangular sections, to create a strong bond between the two paper tabs and the gauze. It’s essential to keep the lower, larger rectangular part of the tab completely glue-free; this is the section that will open up to attach to your journal pages, acting like a hinge.

Step 5: Assembling Tabs with Fabric (Alternative or Addition)

The same technique can be applied using fabric scraps instead of or in addition to gauze. Simply follow the same gluing process, applying adhesive only to the top rectangular portion of your tab. Lay a small piece of fabric onto the glue, ensuring it drapes down over the lower part of the tab. If you wish to add even more texture and visual interest, you can layer a piece of gauze on top of the fabric before adding the second paper tab. This combination creates a richer, more complex embellishment.

Once your fabric (and optional gauze) is in place, position the second vintage tab precisely on top and press firmly with your fingers. This ensures all layers adhere securely, creating a finished, double-sided tab. Remember, the key is to keep the lower section free of glue, preserving its functionality as an attachment point for your journal pages.

It bears repeating: always ensure the lower, larger portion of your tabs remains free of any adhesive. This allows them to open easily, ready to be attached to the edges of your beloved junk journal pages, creating functional and beautiful markers.

For a truly organic and unique appearance, I recommend cutting your pieces of gauze or fabric unevenly before gluing them to your tabs. This intentional imperfection adds to the handmade charm, ensuring that each junk journal tab is a one-of-a-kind creation. At this stage, you have the option to halt further embellishment if you prefer a simpler, more understated vintage tab. This approach allows you to further decorate them later, perhaps as you integrate them into your journal, adding personalized touches as inspiration strikes.

Step 6: Adding Embellishments – Fabric Scraps, Buttons, and Flowers

If you desire more intricate and layered embellishments, now is the time to add them! The possibilities for personalizing your tabs are endless. For instance, I love to take tiny scrap pieces of cotton duck fabric and gently pull them apart with my fingers. This creates charmingly uneven and frayed edges that instantly add rustic texture and dimension to the tabs. These small fabric pieces can be layered on top of the already glued double-sided tabs, building up a rich tactile surface.

Buttons are another fantastic way to add a touch of vintage elegance and a focal point. Opt for buttons that have a distinctly aged or antique appearance – think pearl, metal, or subtly colored plastic. When attaching buttons, apply a generous dab of glue to the chosen spot on your tab before carefully pressing the button into it. The craft glue, though white when wet, will dry clear, forming a strong bond. This “blob” of glue helps to almost embed the button, ensuring it stays firmly in place. Be mindful that adding buttons will create a slightly raised effect, adding charming bulk to your journal. This isn’t necessarily a drawback; in junk journaling, layers and dimensionality are often celebrated, adding to the journal’s tactile appeal and unique character.

Don’t forget the beautiful pink cherry blossom flowers! These can be carefully glued on top of your tab designs, either directly onto the paper or layered over a piece of additional gauze or scrap fabric for added softness and depth. The combination of the delicate flowers with the rustic textures creates a truly enchanting visual.

Step 7: Showcase Your Beautiful Creations

Now comes the truly enjoyable part: admiring your collection of handmade junk journal tabs! Take pleasure in assembling all your unique creations. Observe how the romantic pink tabs adorned with cherry blossoms exude a delicate and utterly charming allure, perfect for a whimsical or feminine journal theme.

Then, explore the group featuring shades of pink and cream, sans flowers. These tabs possess a similar delicate quality but offer a more universal appeal, easily integrating into various journal aesthetics without overpowering other elements.

Next, delight in the cream-toned group. These tabs embody a wonderfully neutral vibe, making them incredibly adaptable. They can seamlessly blend with soft pastel palettes, rich autumnal tones, or any other vintage color scheme you envision for your journal pages.

Finally, consider the green and cream collection. While perhaps the most “serious” in tone, I find them to be exceptionally versatile. Their gorgeous muted colors offer a sophisticated foundation, effortlessly adapting to any journal theme, aesthetic preference, or specific crafting need. This range of colors and styles ensures you have the perfect tab for every page and every mood within your junk journal.

When embellishing, I often use a mix of white pearl, cream, and vintage pink buttons, allowing my inspiration in the moment to guide my choices. You don’t need to add buttons to every single tab; some can be left simpler, adorned only with frayed scrap pieces of fabric, while others might feature just a delicate layer of gauze. You might choose to add the cherry blossom flowers to certain tabs for a burst of color, or you could reserve them for direct placement onto your journal pages as standalone embellishments. The creative possibilities are truly boundless, limited only by your imagination. Design these beautiful tabs exactly as you envision them, as you are the artist who will be integrating them into your journal. The final choice for personalization is always yours!

Step 8: Integrating Your Embellishments into Your Junk Journal

Once your DIY junk journal tabs are complete and thoroughly dry, they are ready to bring character to your journal pages. To use them, simply open the lower, unglued section of the tab and apply a small amount of craft glue along the inside edge. Then, carefully position the tab onto the desired page of your journal and press firmly to secure. These versatile tabs can be used in numerous ways. For a harmonious and understated look, you might choose to attach a cream-toned tab to a cream-colored junk journal page, creating a subtle yet elegant accent.

However, don’t shy away from contrast! A cream tab can also create a striking visual against a more colorful or richly patterned page, drawing the eye and adding a sophisticated counterpoint to vibrant designs.

Speaking of colorful pages, don’t you simply adore this particular red rose French collage? I originally designed this printable as part of an exclusive Photoshop Elements tutorial available on the Premium Membership site. If you’re a member, you can easily download it and discover a wealth of other resources. Did you know that you can also find me there, sharing my personal secrets and techniques for creating stunning digital collages? This particular red rose design is an integral part of a larger collage, and it remains one of my all-time favorites for its timeless beauty and versatility.

And here’s that same captivating red rose collage, this time paired with a verdant green junk journal tab. The combination truly feels like a match made in heaven, don’t you agree? The green offers a beautiful natural complement to the rich red, enhancing the overall vintage appeal.

Feel empowered to mix and match your embellishments as much as you like, using as many vintage tabs as your heart desires – after all, it’s your unique junk journal! To further personalize your creations, consider adding your own custom text by gluing small rectangular strips of paper onto the tabs. And, of course, don’t hesitate to incorporate any other embellishments or trinkets that speak to your creative vision. This way, you can truly tailor every detail to your personal taste and make your journal a cherished reflection of you. I am absolutely head over heels in love with these beautiful DIY junk journal embellishments, and I sincerely hope you will share my enthusiasm and decide to give this rewarding project a try! Crafting your own unique junk journal tab embellishments has never been more straightforward or enjoyable.

Ready to Enhance Your Junk Journal?

For those who prefer visual learning or wish to see these techniques in action, you might also enjoy the video tutorial below by Lisa. It offers another perspective and helpful tips for bringing your junk journal visions to life.

Helpful Video Tutorial:

Additionally, if you’re looking to delve deeper into the art of junk journaling, be sure to explore our Free Online Junk Journal Course HERE. It’s a fantastic resource for beginners and seasoned crafters alike, offering comprehensive guidance to help you create stunning and meaningful junk journals from start to finish.

Happy crafting, and may your creative journey be filled with joy and inspiration!

Diana | by Dreams Factory