How to Make a No Sew Fabric Junk Journal with Faux Postage Stamps ⋆ Digital Junk Journals

Are you ready to explore something fun and creative for your art journaling stash? Let me walk you through making a delightful no sew fabric junk journal, complete with faux postage stamp ephemera!

This tiny journal is packed with personality and is surprisingly simple to make using leftover fabric scraps, tea-dyed pieces, and basic crafting supplies. It’s perfect for anyone looking to try something a little different—no sewing machine required.

Here’s the full start-to-finish process that my mom, Kathy Courville, owner of Casablanca Cargo, used to make hers—and yes, it involves quirky, colorful fabric scraps and even recycled materials!

Video Tutorial

Supplies

Every project starts with good planning (and maybe a little scavenging!). To make your own no sew fabric junk journal, you’ll need a few things:

Pictures – Brightly colored magazine cutouts work great for the faux postage theme. During a weekend trip to Barstow, Kathy picked up travel brochures at a rest stop. Those colorful images sparked the idea for the faux stamps! Bright pictures work best because tea-dyeing softens the colors while still letting them peek through.
Glue – Kathy used regular school glue—it works just as well as Mod Podge!
Tea bags – Brewed, dried, and ready to become a translucent overlay.
Archival ink and stamps – Perfect for faux postage stamp details and vintage touches.
Fabric remnants – Leftover fabric (like scraps from larger sewing projects) adds a charming, textured look.

If you’re into upcycling, here’s another project that’ll speak to you: 100+ Pieces of Trash to Upcycle Into Junk Journals.

How to Create Faux Postage Stamp Ephemera

Here comes the fun part—making the stamps! It’s quick, easy, and brings so much personality to the journal.

Cut out your images. Use scissors or an X-Acto knife for precise cuts. Smaller, vibrant pictures work best.
Prepare the base. Flatten brown paper bags or use sturdy cardstock for a backing layer.
Glue your images down. Apply a thin, even layer of glue and press the pictures into place. A sponge brush makes this step clean and efficient.
Overlay with tea bags. After flattening and drying your tea bags, glue them gently over the pictures. This creates a muted, vintage effect.
Trim the edges. Kathy used a Tim Holtz decorative trimmer for added flair, but scissors work too!
Add stamping details. Use archival ink and small postage-style stamps to embellish the edges and “cancel” your stamps.

Can’t find teabags or inks at home? Try checking your local thrift store or keep a stash of supplies for experimentation.

🌟Have a bunch of stuff to upcycle? You might be interested in this other fabric-based craft: Upcycled Tag Journal Tutorial.

Assembling the No Sew Journal

With the stamps complete, it’s time to put the journal together. Don’t worry—this part is as simple as layering fabric.

Choose a base material. Kathy used pieces from an old taupe-dyed project. Cotton works great, especially after it’s been softened by dyeing.
Arrange your elements. From postage stamps to fabric scraps, layer your pieces to create dimension and interest.
Attach with glue. A quick dab of fabric glue holds everything in place. Keep the glue thin so it doesn’t seep through.
Add decorative stamps. Use ink pads to stamp faux stitching around the edges—no sewing needed!

If you’re drawn to mixing patterns and textures, you might also like How to Make a Junk Journal From a Composition Notebook. It’s another small-scale project that’s perfect for experimenting.

A Fabric Lover’s Dream Project

For me, the fabric remnants made this project extra special.

Kathy’s been dyeing fabric with Rit Dye (in taupe, eggplant, and wine tones) to give everything that authentic vintage flair. She even used leftovers from a patchwork coat she made earlier this year—the scraps fit perfectly into her journal design.

She also saved and reused color catchers from fabric dye washes as lightweight pages and accents. They’re soft, easy to sew or glue, and make great textured layers. One woman’s laundry trash is another crafter’s treasure, right?

Wrapping It Up

Everything came together beautifully in this small, heartfelt journal. The faux postage stamps and layered fabrics tell their own unique story, and I love how lightweight and portable it turned out. It’s the perfect size for a quick crafting session, without the commitment of a massive project.

If you enjoyed this tutorial and love mixing materials to create something memorable, why not try adding a handmade detail to your next project?

There’s something so satisfying about making something entirely your own, especially when it’s as charming and reusable as this little journal.

Let me know how your no sew fabric junk journal turns out!