Soft Spirituality

When I think about a grimoire, I don’t picture a pristine book with perfect handwriting (because I absolutely do not have beautiful handwriting). I picture a living companion. Something that gathers crumbs of my life and turns them into meaning.

That’s why a junk journal makes such a beautiful grimoire.

A junk journal grimoire is part scrapbook, part spellbook, part spiritual diary…and it gives me permission to be messy and creative in the most sacred way. I can tape in a receipt from a day that felt significant, press a leaf from a walk that changed my mood, or scribble a half-formed ritual idea before it evaporates. Nothing has to be polished to be powerful.

In this post, I’m going to walk through how I create a witchy junk journal that functions as a grimoire, step by step…with a structure that stays gentle and flexible, so the journal can grow with me (and it doesn’t feel so scary because I know it’s not going to be perfect).

Why a Junk Journal Grimoire Works So Well

A traditional grimoire can sometimes feel intimidating. You see images of them in movies or on pinterest that are done by extremely talented artists…but a junk journal grimoire doesn’t have to fit that mold.

Here’s what I love about using a junk journal as a grimoire:

• It holds layers…notes, symbols, memories, experiments, changes of heart
• It’s forgiving…mistakes become collage material
• It’s intuitive…I can build it around how I actually practice
• It’s embodied…because it contains pieces of my lived life, not just information

And one of my favorite things…you don’t need fancy supplies or “talent’. The magic is in the choosing, the gathering, and the intention you pour into it.

What You’ll Need

Junk Journal Basics

You can make this as simple or as elaborate as you want. My favorite supply list is “enough to begin.”

• a base journal or materials to bind one (more on options below)
• papers (printer paper, scrapbook paper, old book pages, envelopes, brown bags, thrifted stationery, tea dyed printer paper [my personal favorite])
• something to cut with (I can’t cut a straight line to save my life, so I do like a scrapbook cutter)
• something to stick (glue stick, scrapbook tape tabs, or regular glue)
• something to write with (pen, pencil, markers, colored pencils)
• optional…washi tape, stamps, ink, ribbon, lace, stickers, scraps, whatever ephemera you want to include

Witchy Add-Ins

These are the bits that make it feel like a grimoire to me:

• herb labels or tiny envelopes for herb samples
• moon phase imagery or calendar snippets
• small spell cards or ritual templates
• tarot or oracle pull logs
• personal sigils, symbols, correspondences, notes
• pressed leaves or flowers
• charms or talismans that fit in the pockets of your junk journal
• seasonal ephemera (holiday tags, nature finds, seed packets, wheel of the year symbols)

Step-by-Step…How I Create a Witchy Junk Journal Grimoire

Step 1…Choose Your Journal Style

There are three easy paths here. I pick based on how much time and energy I have.

• Option A…Alter an existing notebook
  Great if you want to start today. A composition notebook, a sketchbook, or any blank journal works.
• Option B…Ring binder or disc-bound journal
  Best if you want to move pages around. This is wonderfully non-committal.
• Option C…Make a simple handmade junk journal
  This is the cozy craft version. A little more time, a lot more personality.

If you’re brand new, I’d start with Option A or B…and let the journal prove itself before you invest extra effort.

Step 2…Pick a Theme and a “Tone”

This part is quiet magic. I choose two things:

• a theme (what this journal is for)
  Examples: “Seasonal living,” “Moon magic,” “Kitchen witchery,” “A year of learning,” “My home as a temple,” or even just “My General Grimoire”
• a tone (how it should feel)
  Examples: soft and neutral, earthy and herbal, celestial and dreamy, vintage and antique, bright and playful, or just whatever you choose for that particular page

This helps me decide what kinds of paper scraps and imagery to gather…without overthinking it.

Step 3…Gather Your Papers and Ephemera

Now I forage.

I collect papers like I’m building a nest:

• envelopes, receipts, ticket stubs
• old book pages
• grocery bags and packaging (the pretty kind)
• scrap paper, watercolor experiments, paint swatches
• nature finds (pressed leaves, petals)
• bits of ribbon, lace, thread, string
• I also like finding junk journal printable ephemera from Etsy that I can customize in canva and print myself

Step 4…Create Your Base Pages

If I’m altering a notebook, I skip ahead to Step 5.
If I’m making a handmade junk journal, here’s the simple method I use:

• Fold several sheets of paper in half to create “signatures”
  Mix paper types so the book has variety.
• Stack 2 to 4 signatures together
  Each signature might have 6 to 10 folded sheets.
• Create a cover
  Cereal box cardboard covered in fabric or pretty paper works beautifully.
• Punch holes along the spine
  Use an awl, a thick needle, or even a pushpin carefully.
• Stitch the signatures into the cover
  A simple pamphlet stitch can work, or a basic 3-hole stitch if you want very easy.

If binding feels like too much…use a ring binder. Truly. The magic doesn’t care how the pages are held together.

There’s lots of youtube tutorials on how to create the junk journal itself, I like Treasure Books and CameliaCraftsDesigns

Step 5…Add Pockets, Tucks, and Hidden Spaces

This is where it starts to feel like a real junk journal.

I like to add:

• envelope pockets for herbs, notes, tiny spell slips
• paper belly bands to tuck in journaling cards
• fold-out pages for longer rituals or spreads
• tags on string for quick reflections
• small cardstock pockets for tarot pulls

A simple pocket can be made by gluing three sides of a cut piece of paper to a page…leaving the top open.

I try to add pockets early, before the book gets too bulky. Plus, I just like having the option to move what I’m plopping into the pockets around as I grow the grimoire out.

Step 6…Create a Gentle Structure

This is the part that makes it a grimoire, not just a collage book.

I add a few “anchors” so I always know where to put things. My favorites:

• Table of contents (leave several pages for it, it will grow)
• Index by topic (herbs, moon, protection, dreams, tarot, etc.)
• A yearly wheel page (seasons, sabbats, or monthly intentions)
• A reference section (correspondences I actually use)

I keep it simple. Too many categories can make me freeze.

Step 7…Make Your Core Grimoire Spreads

Now I build a few repeatable spread types. These become my “home base” pages.

My go-to pages truly end up being Correspondences and Cyclic Magic (moon phases, seasonal rituals, wheel of the year, monthly rituals). I like to keep lists and ideas in this type of journal more than logs and journaling.

Other ideas:

• Ritual + Results
  What I did, when I did it, why I did it…and what happened afterward.
• Spell Sketch Page
  Ingredients, symbols, steps, timing, and variations.
• Tarot and Oracle Logs
  Pulls, patterns, emotional reflections, and gentle interpretation.
• Dream Pages
  Symbols, feelings, repeating themes, and what I think my inner world is asking for.

I like to create a handful of these spreads at the beginning…and then sprinkle more in as I go.

Step 8…Blend the “Junk” With the “Sacred”

This is my favorite step…because it’s where the journal becomes uniquely mine.

I’ll add things like:

• lists, lists, lists (ex. what a Pisces Moon means, personal year meanings, moon phase rituals)
• a tea tag from a night I did a calming ritual
• a pressed leaf or flower from a special day or ritual
• a scrap of wrapping paper from a meaningful gift
• extra tarot cards
• a printed pinterest pin that I found helpful

Step 9…Create Simple Navigation

Junk journals get chunky and wild fast…so I add gentle navigation:

• tabs made from washi tape
• a color code for sections when I do include sections (moon, seasons, herbs, tarot)
• page flags for “ongoing” spreads

This keeps the journal usable, which matters if it’s also a grimoire.

Step 10…Bless the Journal and Begin Using It

I don’t do complicated consecrations. I do something that feels intimate and real.

A simple blessing I like:

• hold the journal close
• take three slow breaths
• say a few words like:
  “May this book hold my learning with kindness. May it grow as I grow.”

Then I add the first entry immediately…even if it’s tiny.
A first page breaks the spell of perfection.

Ideas for What to Put Inside

Everyday Pages

• a daily or weekly pull with a small reflection
• “what I’m noticing lately” spiritual notes
• quick gratitude lists
• small protection routines
• intuitive nudges I don’t want to forget

Study Pages

• moon phase notes
• sabbat planning spreads
• astrology season meanings and rituals
• spirit guide symbols and signs
• herb profiles

Creative Pages

• seasonal collages as offerings
• sigil practice pages
• watercolor washes with a single word intention
• tiny handmade booklets tucked into pockets
• spell ingredient “menus” like a recipe page

Keeping It From Becoming Overwhelming

If you’ve ever started a journal and felt the energy fizzle, this might help.

What keeps my junk journal grimoire alive is remembering:

• I’m not trying to document everything
• I’m only recording what feels meaningful or I feel drawn to
• my practice is allowed to change…so the journal will too
• blank pages are not failure…they’re spaciousness

If you want a simple rhythm, here’s a gentle one:

• one collage spread per month
• one ritual idea / outcome
• one reference page whenever you learn something you’ll actually reuse

That’s more than enough.

A witchy junk journal grimoire is one of the most comforting spiritual tools I’ve ever kept…because it doesn’t ask me to be perfect. It asks me to be present.

If you create one, let it be a soft place to land. A book that holds both your magic and your humanity…tangled together like ribbon and handwritten notes.

And if all you do today is glue one scrap of paper onto one page and write one honest sentence…that counts.

-you’re doing great