How To Make A Junk Journal Cover With Candy Wrappers & Lace

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Making junk journal covers is one of my favourite parts of this highly addictive craft. But have you ever thought about using candy wrappers to make one? Feeling intrigued? Read on to find out how to make a junk journal cover with candy wrappers and lace.

Here’s a sneak peek of what your journal cover could end up looking like:

Shades of Winter Junk Journal
How to make a junk journal cover using sweet wrappers

But first… here’s why I wanted to try making a journal cover in this way.

Every Christmas, my husband and I eat tub after tub of Quality Street. For those of you outside of the UK, this is a brand of chocolate/candy that’s very popular over here. But there’s one problem! Each of the chocolates and sweets used to come wrapped in individual foil and plastic wrappers. Not so great for the environment.

Every year, I’ve wanted to find a good way of using them for something or upcycling them in some way. Of course, there are lots of things you can do. But you’re here to find out how to make a journal cover using them, right?

UPDATE: Quality Street no longer use foil for their wrappers, which is a win for the environment! If you want to try this project, then you’ll need to use another brand or tin foil. Okay, let’s get into the tutorial…

RELATED: 21 Junk Journal Cover Ideas To Inspire You

How To Make A Junk Journal Cover With Candy Wrappers & Lace

How To Make A Junk Journal Cover With Sweet Wrappers & Lace

Supplies you’ll need:

  • Candy or chocolate foil wrappers (or tin foil)
  • Sturdy base fabric e.g. muslin, canvas or cotton
  • Sparkly tulle or organza fabric
  • Lace (and lots of it!)
  • Ribbon (for the closure)
  • Scrapbook paper or cardstock (for lining the inside of the cover)
  • Book corners
  • Glue stick (good quality such as the Uhu or Scotch brands)
  • Fabric glue such as Fabri-Tac or Beacon 3-in-1
  • Sewing machine – you could hand stitch if necessary but I wouldn’t recommend it
  • (Optional) Bookplate and brads
  • (Optional) Snowflake die cuts for a winter theme

RELATED: Junk Journal Supplies List & Where To Find Them

Instructions

Step 1. Prepare your base.

Choose a relatively sturdy fabric to serve as your base layer. This could be muslin, canvas or cotton, for example.

Cut your fabric down to size. This will need to be a good size for your journal cover but make sure you leave some extra fabric the whole way around (about half an inch on all sides).

Step 2. Add your sweet wrappers.

Start glueing your sweet wrappers onto your base fabric and overlap each wrapper slightly with the ones next to them. A glue stick will work fine for this, but don’t go the whole way to the edge of your fabric. Leave about half an inch on all sides.

OPTIONAL: Glue some snowflake die cuts onto the foil if you’re going for a winter theme. This is just for decoration.

Step 3. Add your tulle or organza.

Cut a piece of tulle or organza, which will cover the whole piece of fabric with a little extra (just in case the fabric slips while you’re stitching). Glue or tack this in place onto your cover.

Step 4. It’s quilting time!

You’ll want to stitch all over the tulle or organza to trap all the layers. When I made mine, I stitched vertically and then horizontally with wavy lines.

Step 5. Add your lace.

Let’s pretty it up a bit by adding some lace. Start by glueing the lace onto the cover. You can just wrap the cover with the lace and use glue on the inside cover so you can’t see it through the lace. Then just stitch around the outside of your cover to keep it all in place.

OPTIONAL: Add a bookplate to the front cover if you’re after a simple and elegant design on the cover.

Step 6. Add your closure and lining.

If you want to add a ribbon closure then you’ll need to cut a strip that’s long enough to run the full length of your cover and still tie in a bow once you’ve added your pages and ephemera. For my one-signature journal, I used about a metre of ribbon. This was probably too much but it’s best to have too much than not enough as it’ll be very difficult to redo this step.

Glue your ribbon onto the inside of your cover using fabric glue. Try to ensure you’ve glued it in the middle so you have an even amount of ribbon on each side.

Next, it’s time to sort your lining.

Whether you’re lining your cover with fabric, scrapbook paper or cardstock, you’ll need to cut it down to size. Ideally, leave about half a centimetre the whole way around so it doesn’t peep out when the journal’s closed. Glue the whole thing down or stitch it around the edges to keep it in place.

Inside the junk journal cover

Step 7. Add some book corners.

You’ve probably got a few untidy corners, so simply attach some protective book corners and no one will ever know!

And there you have it! Your pretty journal cover is now ready for your pages and ephemera.

Altered CD sleeve for winter junk journal
Winter junk journal ephemera
Winter junk journal ephemera

RELATED: Shades of Winter Junk Journal Flip Through

Video Tutorial For This Project:

Want to see exactly how I made my candy wrapper journal cover? Watch my video on YouTube now:

Making A Winter Junk Journal Cover With Sweet Wrappers & Lace | Junk Journal Idea | Shades of Winter

If you enjoyed this junk journal cover tutorial, please consider sharing it with a friend or someone who you think will also enjoy it via the links below.

Until next time then,

Justine xoxo

Junk Journal Toolkit

📦 What do I need to get started?

If you’ve got paper, glue, scissors and something to bind your pages with (like a needle, thread and an awl or pokey tool), you’re good to go! Check out my essentials vs. nice-to-have supply list for more info.

🤯 I’m overwhelmed by tutorials and ideas. Where should I start?

Start with my free Mini Junk Journal Masterclass. It walks you through the process step-by-step. Even though it focuses on a mini journal, the same tips apply to any size journal.

❓ I don’t understand the terminology. Can you help?

Absolutely! My A–Z Junk Journal Glossary breaks down all those confusing terms and acronyms. Jargon be gone!

🪡 How do you keep your binding neat?

I use my bookbinding cradle to line up my holes and avoid punching too far through the pages. Smaller holes give a neater and more secure binding, and I use this thin upholstery thread for a cleaner finish.

🧵 Do I need a sewing machine?

Not necessarily! A basic sewing machine is helpful for making fabric-covered journals, but strong fabric glue can work just as well. If you stick to paper-based journals or folios, you don’t need one at all. I like the sewn look and making fabric-based journals, so I personally use a simple machine (similar to this) that’s lasted me over 10 years – it’s a trusty part of my toolkit.

🖼️ What digital papers do you use?

I use a mix of my own designs and other favourites. You can see examples here. New to digitals? Check out my mega bundle for a big saving on some of my designs or sign up for my Mahalo Clubhouse membership to get brand new digitals sent to you every month.

📜 What’s the best paper for printing digitals?

I use this 100 GSM Presentation Paper for vibrant and high-quality prints.

🖨️ What printer do you recommend?

I love my Epson Ecotank. It’s affordable, reliable and the ink lasts ages. I used to spend £30 a month on ink – now I refill just once or twice a year for under £30. While I haven’t used it myself, some other crafters recommend the HP Instant Ink program.

🖇️ What glues do you use?

My go-tos are Collall All Purpose, Cosmic Shimmer and Beacon 3-in-1. Here’s how I use each one.

📖 What books are best for junk journaling?

I love using second-hand nature and botanical books. Here are some great titles to look for next time you’re thrifting.

If you're finding my blogs and videos helpful, I would love it if you would consider donating to my "Buy Me A Coffee" site. Thank you so much for your support xoxo

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