Table of Contents
A cottagecore junk journal asks for pages that smell like bread and look like a slow walk down a country lane, and this set gives you exactly that. Inside are 22 scene pages full of stone cottages, kitchen windowsills and garden hens, then 4 seamless background papers in gingham and daisy patterns, then 5 lined writing pages bordered in wildflowers and ivy for your own notes.
Print the whole set on matte cardstock heavy enough to take glue without buckling, with your printer set to its best or highest photo quality so the washes stay soft. Trim each sheet to the size of your journal pages before you glue anything in, and keep a spare sheet or two of plain cardstock on hand in case a page needs reprinting.
Using these images: free for personal projects such as printing, coloring, cards, journals and gifts. Handmade items that include them may be sold up to 30 pieces per design. More than that is commercial use and is not permitted, and neither is selling or sharing the images themselves or passing them off as your own. Please ask before any other use.
Cottage Exteriors
Climbing roses frame a weathered front door, with a watering can, a pair of clogs and a mossy stone path rounding out the little scene.
Tuck a pressed flower or a scrap of garden twine along the gate in this one, so the page holds something real from an actual afternoon outside.
Pair this page with the Gingham Pattern background further on: glue the window page as a left-hand sheet and let the gingham show as a facing page, so the two sit together like a kitchen curtain seen from both sides.
Blue shutters, a flower box of pansies and a cat curled on the sill finish the window off.
A narrow stone path cuts through rows of lavender toward a half seen cottage door, with a watering can left waiting at the turn.
Kitchen And Bread Pages
The usual mistake with a bread page is making the loaf the only thing on the sheet, which leaves the rest of the paper feeling bare and unfinished.
Here the loaf cools beside a small crock of butter, a sprig of rosemary and a folded cloth, with the kitchen window and garden painted behind so the whole sheet stays full.
Glue a recipe card, a pressed herb or a grocery list onto this one, since the table top gives a natural flat spot for anything paper to sit.
Rows of jam jars line a wooden shelf, labeled with faded handwriting and standing beside a small basket of berries and a pair of dried flowers.
If you keep a cookbook junk journal alongside this one, this page works just as well tucked into either book.
A striped teapot, two scones on a chipped plate and a small jug of cream sit together on a lace cloth, ready for a quiet afternoon.
Give this page to the reader who loves her kitchen more than any other room: a gift journal built around this one sheet needs only a few recipe cards to feel complete.
A cast iron stove, bundles of drying herbs hung above it and a kettle on the fire fill out the scene.
Country Lane Pages
A girl in a straw hat bends to pick wildflowers along a grassy lane, her basket already half full and a hedge of blossoms running beside her.
What question would she ask her future self while walking this lane. Leave a line or two of space in your head for that answer before you glue the page in.
A dirt lane runs between tall hedgerows scattered with small blossoms, curving off toward a distant roofline.
A small wooden footbridge crosses a shallow stream, with ferns along the bank and a pair of ducks drifting near the far side.
Tear the edge of this page before gluing it in, just along one side, so the picnic spills slightly past the border of the journal sheet.
A checked blanket holds a basket, a jar of lemonade and a scatter of daisies, with a meadow running out behind it.
A row of apple trees heavy with fruit lines a grassy path, with a wooden ladder leaning against one trunk and a basket set below.
Farmyard Pages
Keep this page for the five minute version of the whole kit: it needs no writing or gluing, it already reads as a finished page the moment you trim and bind it.
A few speckled hens peck near a wooden coop, with a scatter of feed and a low fence closing off the yard.
A spotted goat leans over a wooden fence rail toward a patch of clover, with a barn roof and a pail resting nearby.
A row of wooden beehives sits among lavender, with a few bees drifting between the blossoms and a honey jar left on a nearby stump.
This one pairs naturally with the bread and jam pages earlier in the set, if you want a small honey themed spread.
A handful of sheep graze across a rolling hillside, dotted with small wildflowers and bordered by a low stone wall.
Quiet Interior Pages
The usual mistake here is painting the thread and needles too small to read once printed. This page keeps the spools, pincushion and folded fabric large enough to recognise at a glance.
A wicker sewing basket sits in window light, spools of thread and a pincushion spilling gently from the top.
Glue in a reading list or a line from a favourite old book here, since the shelf of worn spines gives this page a natural place for it.
If loose florals already live in your sketchbook, the simple watercolor flowers ideas guide pairs well with this page as a warm up before you start your own journal spreads.
Bundles of lavender and roses hang upside down from a string strung across a wooden beam.
A low fire glows in a stone hearth, a folded knit blanket draped over a nearby chair and a mug of tea left warming on the ledge.
Background Papers
Small red and cream gingham squares scatter with tiny daisies across the whole sheet, perfect under a photo of an outdoor meal, as a cover layer or lining a picnic themed spread.
Loose wildflowers and sprigs of grass repeat in a soft scatter across the page, good behind a garden photo, as a journal cover or lining the inside of a letter page.
A woven basket weave texture fills the sheet in muted tones, ideal under a farmhouse photo, as a page backing or a soft cover for the whole journal.
Small hens and soft feathers scatter evenly across the page, suited to a photo of the coop, a farmyard spread lining or a gentle cover for the back of the journal.
Lined Writing Pages
Corner sprays of wildflowers frame lines suited to a garden to do list, a note on what bloomed this week or a short letter to next year’s self.
A band of bread loaves and wheat stalks runs down one side, leaving room for a recipe, a kitchen memory or a simple grocery list for the week.
Climbing roses frame all four edges around the ruled lines, ready for a love letter, a wish list for the cottage or a note about the day’s weather.
A small cluster of hens and feathers sits in one corner, leaving the lines open for a farm chore list, a visitor’s name or a short morning note.
A narrow gingham band runs along the top edge above the ruled lines, good for a picnic menu, a packing list or a quick note before a country walk.
What to Do Next
Print the set, trim each sheet to match your journal, and start with whichever page pulls you in first: the bread on the windowsill or the lane full of wildflowers. For more ideas on filling the rest of your book, the junk journaling handbook and the vintage junk journal ideas both make good next stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for a cottagecore junk journal kit like this one?
Matte cardstock around 65 to 90 pound weight holds up best. It takes glue without warping and keeps the watercolor washes looking soft rather than glossy. Plain printer paper works in a pinch but feels thin once a few pages are glued together, so cardstock is worth the extra cost if your printer allows it.
What printer settings keep the colours soft and accurate?
Set your printer to its highest photo or best quality mode, not the standard draft setting. Choose the matte or cardstock paper type if your printer software offers it, since this slows the print slightly and lays down more ink evenly, which keeps the muted palette from looking washed out or patchy.
What size should I print these pages at?
Standard US letter or A4 both work well, since most junk journals are built around one of those two sizes before trimming. Print at full page size first, then trim down to your actual journal dimensions afterward, rather than shrinking the image in the print dialog, which can blur the finer linework.
Can I colour or add to these pages once they are printed?
Yes. Coloured pencils, light watercolor touches or a fine pen for handwriting all sit well on top of the printed wash, since the paper stays matte rather than glossy. Keep any added water light, though, since a heavy wash on top of an already printed sheet can cause the ink to lift slightly.
What do I use to glue the pages into my journal?
A standard acid free glue stick works for most pages and dries flat without wrinkling the cardstock. For the background papers, which often get trimmed into smaller pieces first, a thin layer of glue along the edges only keeps the paper from curling once it dries into the journal.
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