I never expected a vintage Circus Circus matchbook to become my newest junk journal obsession, but here we are. This DIY matchbook junk journal started with one flea market find, a handful of vintage clown ephemera, and about ten minutes of time. Side Note: this clown themed cutie is officially the tiniest book I’ve ever made. If you love mini bookmaking projects and don’t totally cringe at clowns this miniature matchbook junk journal tutorial is ridiculously fun to make (and even more fun to hoard supplies for).
I Have This Thing For Kitsch and Clowns
If you’ve spent any time around here, you’ve probably noticed I have a soft spot for kitsch, vintage oddities, and yes…clowns. I know some people find them horrifying but I kinda love them. More weirder is always more better is my motto. Here are a few different places where I have shared my love of these circus staples with red noses and ruffled collars.
Matchbook Junk Journal – It Does Not HAVE To Be Clown Themed
So this whole idea came to me earlier this year while visiting the Uncommon Flea Market. There in a baggie for like $5 bucks were these matches. Here’s something you should know about me: if there’s a whole collection of something vintage, I can’t resist it. One old matchbook? I probably would have walked right past it. A bag full of them? Take my money.
Needless to say you don’t have to use clown themed matches, any type of matchbook will work.
Take a sneak peak at my collection of vintage clown ephemera!
Supplies for Making a Mini Junk Journal From a Book of Matches
- Matchbooks
- Scissors
- Pieces of Paper
- Stapler
What – you haven’t been hoarding vintage clown ephemera for just such an occasion? Well, better luck next time.
Step 1: Remove the Matches
Gently remove the staples from your matchbook. Try not to tear or rip that tab of paper because this is where the pages of your mini junk journal will go. Discard the matches.
Step 2: Cut Your Ephemera or Book Pages to Size
Trim your paper to fit inside the matchbook. They can be different heights and widths, actually this is recommended but everything needs to fit inside the parameters of the matchbook so you can close your book.
Tip: Might I suggest a mini collage pack from my Etsy shop. The perfect size for a Matchbook Junk Journal.
Step 3: Staple Your Junk Journal Together
Once you have your papers in the order you want attach the “signature” to the matchbook with staples. You could also sew the papers in place, but matchbooks come stapled so I wanted to keep it in theme.
Tip: Don’t overstuff your junk journal. 10ish pieces of paper is best. You want your staples to be able to go all the way through.
Enjoy Your New Matchbook Junk Journal
This project took all of about 10 minutes to create and was great for scrap busting. I love making books and as we know from silver dollar pancakes – everything is better when it is smaller – including junk journals. I kinda want to start collecting vintage matches and make an entire series of these! How cute would they be to collect matches on vacation to make mini travel journals with!
Love making junk journals out of unusual items? Who doesn’t! Check out these other projects…
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