Happy #MassMakeMonday, crafty friends. Today I’m topping up one of my most-used stash items, mini ticket tucks for junk journals. Check out the full video tutorial below.
These little beauties slip into pockets, add instant texture, and give you a tiny landing spot for notes or dates. I’m pulling from my Tim Holtz scraps and label bits, stamping with Field Notes favorites, and backing with that yummy brown craft paper tape so the backs are ready for writing. We’re keeping it simple, inky, and playful. I set a 50 minute timer just to see how many I could make without overthinking. Spoiler alert, a tidy dozen. Let’s make a pile together.
I’m calling these “ticket tucks,” but you do you. They can be labels, mini journal spots, or little collage starters that help a page feel finished. This is a relaxed session. No fussy rules. We’re basically pairing a base with a top layer, inking the edges, and sprinkling on tiny details that make your heart happy.
PIN TO SAVE FOR LATER!
Before we start, grab your scrap bin. If you’ve got Tim Holtz ephemera, awesome. If not, magazine cutouts and random bits of paper pads, digitals or book page do the trick.
I’m also using a mix of Tim Holtz label packs and photo booth cuties, plus a few stamps from the Field Notes set and Ticket Booth CMS 337. I keep ground espresso and vintage photo Distress Ink on my desk for these, both are inks, not oxides. Ground espresso gives the drama, vintage photo gives that worn warmth.
Together, they make magic.
Alright…let’s talk bases. I like working in small families of sizes so everything layers nicely without measuring every second.
Most of my bases today are about 3 by 1.5 inches. The inner layers often land around 2.75 by 1.25 inches. There is plenty of wiggle room.
Eyeballing is encouraged.
If a scrap looks cute, it is cute.
I round corners sometimes, clip corners with a concave punch other times, and occasionally leave them square for a more ticket-y vibe. Use what you have. Scissors do a wonderful job so don’t worry if that’s all you have. Start where you are!
You know I love a layered back that is ready for journaling. Enter brown craft paper tape. It is the unsung hero of my stash. I back a lot of ephemera with it because it adds body and a smooth writing surface, and it hides whatever is on the reverse of your vintage cutouts.
Here I use it for a quick blank back that leaves some room to write a quick quote or just doodle.
For quick collage power, I keep a small pile of circles punched from scrap paper. Circle stacks are the quickest way to add dimension without bulk. I like to add a tiny brad through some of the circles for a faux hardware moment. The brad goes only through the top layers so the back stays flat for writing. Don’t put the brad all the way through.
Ask me how I know?
Happy accidents are part of the fun, though. If glue squishes or a stamp misbehaves, it just looks more worn and loved.
Speaking of stamps, that Field Notes stamp set works overtime here. I love tiny numbers, RECEIVED marks, bees, flowers, all the little icons that tuck into corners and make it look like your piece traveled through the post at some point in the last century.
The Ticket Booth stamps are wonderful for backgrounds. If your surface is slick, heat set a bit and let it be. Imperfect stamp impressions are perfect for grunge.
Washi tape deserves a moment too. I know, it can be the most neglected supply on the desk. A strip of grid or ledger washi under a label instantly says “stationery,” which my heart reads as cozy.
I keep a small card with torn bits of washi ready to peel. That way I remember to actually use it. A thin red strip brings energy, a neutral ledger calms things down. Try one tiny piece. You’ll be surprised what it does.
Here’s a little rhythm that keeps me from overthinking. Pick two pieces that want to be friends, a base and a top. Ink the edges. Add one focal, like a small label, a number, or a photo booth face. Tuck in one secondary accent, maybe a circle stack or a short washi strip. Stamp a tiny mark where it looks empty.
Stop.
Move on to the next.
When I work in this rhythm, I can go to town and finish a dozen in a sitting.
I also love to keep a theme without locking myself in. Today my theme quietly leans postal and vintage stationery with a few sweet faces. On another day it might be woodland. Mushrooms, birds, a little fern stamp. Same formula, different vibe.
If you’re building a new journal, make a pile of ticket tucks that echo your journal’s palette. It gives you a matching set ready to pop in as you build pages.
Let me tell you, we were away in the RV in the beautiful Hudson Valley NY wilderness and it really reset my brain and made the studio feel extra inviting when I got home.
We met the silliest little goats, and a miniature horse tried to steal the show. Fresh air, pancakes on the griddle, and now inky fingers. Perfect.
Do you ever come back from a trip and feel that creative click the minute you open your craft drawer again?
Alright so back to this make…
If you like adding a little story, slip a word label onto the front. “Enclosure,” “Noted,” “Filed,” or a simple number. It reads like a clue.
I also love adding a single hole punch or two for no reason except texture. Negative space can be an embellishment. Try it and see if your eye smiles.
I set a 50 minute timer for this make session and finished twelve, which felt just right for a tidy stack. If I weren’t chatting, I could have made more, but honestly, this is me savoring the process.
Put on some music, brew something cozy, and see how many you can do in a session. You may discover a favorite size or a favorite label color you reach for every time. Lately I keep grabbing red. It wakes everything up.
Tell me, what color are you reaching for these days? Are you team vintage photo, team ground espresso, or team both please and thank you? And what themes are on your table for fall, or spring if you’re under those sunnier skies? I’m a fall girl at heart, but I’ll never say no to a good mushroom or a tidy grid label any time of year.
When your stack is done, drop a few in pockets, layer one on a belly band, or clip one to the corner of a page with a tiny paperclip. They make wonderful tuck-behind spots for a hidden note or date, and they help even the simplest spread feel thoughtful.
Small piece, big charm.
Ready to try it with me? Watch the video, grab your scraps, and make a dozen little tickets for your next journal. Then come back and tell me which combination you loved most. I cannot wait to hear.
WATCH THE FULL TUTORIAL FOR THIS MAKE OVER ON YOUTUBE