On a junk journal page, the background paper sets the mood and the junk journal ephemera does the talking: a ticket stub, a luggage tag, a label with a few words on it. This guide covers which kinds of ephemera to have, how to print them at the right size, and a simple order for layering them.
Table of Contents
What junk journal ephemera means
Ephemera is paper that was never meant to last: tickets, receipts, labels, tags, letters, envelopes, postcards and packaging. It was printed for one use and then thrown away. In a junk journal you use originals or printed copies as the layer that carries the page’s content.
New to the format? Start with what a junk journal is. If you already keep a scrapbook-style stash, the same scraps often become junk journal ephemera once you treat them as page content rather than decoration alone.
The 6 kinds of junk journal ephemera worth printing
Each type of junk journal ephemera does a different job on the page, so a few of each is more useful than a big pile of one kind.
- Tickets and stubs. Small, rectangular and often dated. They mark that something happened on a particular day. Tuck one at an angle under a photo or a journaling card.
- Labels and specimen tags. A label names something, so it’s the natural place to write. There’s more in specimen labels for a nature journal.
- Letters and envelopes. They add text texture, and an envelope glued down on three sides becomes a pocket.
- Portraits and cards. A face gives the page a subject. One portrait makes a spread about someone.
- Maps. A map strip is busy, so use it as a border or backing layer rather than on top.
- Pockets and tags. These hold journaling cards, pressed leaves or notes.
Found vs printable junk journal ephemera
Found ephemera (a real old ticket, a café receipt, a seed packet) is one of a kind and already worn. That’s its strength, and it’s also why you may not want to glue it down.
Printable junk journal ephemera is the better choice when you want a set that matches, when you want to reuse a piece across several pages, or when a theme needs something you won’t find in a drawer, such as a Victorian notecard or a wax seal. You can print it again if a page goes wrong.
How to print junk journal ephemera so it comes out right
Size. Choose the print setting to suit the goal. Our sizing guide sets this out:
- Fit keeps the whole design, but the page may get bigger or smaller.
- Actual size keeps the file’s page size. Use it when a piece has to match a set measurement, such as a card that must fit a pocket.
- Borderless is a printer setting, and it can enlarge the image and crop the edges.
Print one test page and measure it before printing the set. The full walkthrough is in how to print junk journal papers so they come out the right size.
Paper. Test on the paper you mean to use, and check your printer’s paper-weight limit before feeding heavier stock. Paper weight, matte vs glossy and sealing are covered in how to print junk journal papers at home.
Format. Both Artful Safari kits below come as print-ready PDFs at US Letter and 300 DPI (as stated on the product pages). They print on A4, and they include ink-saver versions.
Layering junk journal ephemera: a 3-piece order
When every piece on a page is competing, nothing stands out. This order gives each layer of junk journal ephemera one job:
- Background paper. One paper for colour and mood, plus a torn strip of a second if you like.
- Ephemera. One or two supporting pieces, such as a ticket, a map strip or a letter. Overlap them slightly so they sit together rather than float.
- Focal piece. One thing for the eye to land on, such as a portrait, a written label or a pocket. Put it on top and slightly off-centre.
Small finishing touches (a stamp, washi tape, a stitched edge) can go on afterwards. If you can’t tell which piece is the focal one, take something away.
Themed sets of junk journal ephemera
Junk journal ephemera works best when the pieces belong together.
- Victorian. Notecards, wax seals, letters and gold frames. For the brass-and-cogs side, see steampunk junk journal ideas.
- Woodland and folklore. In general: specimen labels, leaf and hanging tags, pressed or skeleton leaves, twig frames, and old maps. See woodland and botanical junk journal ideas.
- Travel. Tickets, luggage tags, maps and postcards. It’s the easiest theme to mix with real found pieces. See travel junk journal ideas.
Where Artful Safari’s junk journal ephemera fits
Two of our kits include junk journal ephemera sheets made to match their papers. Contents are as listed on the product pages on 13 Oct 2026.
- Folklore Forest game and paper kit ($10.74). It has 36 woodland junk journal papers, 9 ephemera sheets and 12 Folk portrait plates. It also includes a 60-page solo journaling game and 13 printable component sheets (cards, tokens and a map). Each Make instruction in the game names a piece that’s in the download.
- The Crimson Parlour junk journal kit ($10.74). It has 40 Victorian papers at 11 × 8.5 in and 9 ephemera sheets: letters, notecards, wax seals, envelopes, foliage, tags and gold frames. It also includes a 61-page solo murder-mystery game and 13 component sheets.
The Folklore Forest junk journal ephemera comes as 44 pieces across those 9 sheets:
- 12 round watercolour journal spots (sheets 1–3), for mounting a find inside one
- 7 tag and specimen pieces (sheet 4): 3 hanging tags (moss, fern, mushroom), 3 leaf specimens (2 oak, 1 fern) and 1 stag head
- 4 frames (sheet 5): a twig oval, a twig arch “gate” and 2 deckle-edge rectangles
- 6 torn-paper journal cards (sheet 6)
- 7 strips and extra elements (sheet 7): 3 torn-edge strips, 1 fern, 1 skeleton leaf, 1 small twig frame and 1 thin spare frame
- 8 word tape strips (sheets 8–9), collage tape with words on it
The set has no tickets, letters or envelopes. It’s built around woodland finds: spots, tags, specimens, frames and cards. If your page needs a ticket or a letter, use a found one or one from another set of junk journal ephemera.
FAQ about junk journal ephemera
Can you make your own junk journal ephemera?
Yes. Keep real tickets and receipts, write your own tags and labels, or cut cards from paper you’ve aged with tea or ink. Printables give you a matched set without the hunting.
What paper weight should I use for ephemera?
It depends on the piece and on your printer’s limits. Check the printer’s maximum paper weight, then test one sheet. How to print junk journal papers at home covers the options.
Is junk journal ephemera the same as embellishments?
Not quite. Ephemera is paper that carries information, such as tickets, labels and letters. Embellishments are decoration, such as lace, buttons, charms and washi tape. Most pages use both.
What should I put in a junk journal besides ephemera?
Background papers, your own writing, photos, pressed flowers, fabric scraps, envelopes and pockets. See what a junk journal is.
Make your first page with junk journal ephemera
Choose one background paper, two pieces of junk journal ephemera and one focal piece, and make a single page. If you want a set where every piece already matches, and a reason to make a page each time, start with the Folklore Forest game and paper kit. For Victorian pieces, choose The Crimson Parlour kit.
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