Table of Contents
A western junk journal pulls together everything that makes the Old West worth keeping on paper: dusty ranch houses, horses at the fence, cowboy boots warming by a fire, a saloon street at dusk. This kit gives you 20 scene pages, 4 seamless background pages and 4 lined writing pages, every one a different subject so the whole set can go straight into a journal without repeating itself.
Print on a heavier matte paper, something close to cardstock weight so paint and ink never show through the back, and set your printer to its best or highest quality setting for full color coverage. Trim each page to the trim size you want for your journal before gluing anything in, since the art runs edge to edge on purpose.
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.
Ranch and Homestead Pages
A low adobe ranch house sits under a wide painted sky streaked with the last of the day’s color, with a windmill, a split rail fence and distant mesas rounding out the scene.
Tuck a real feed receipt, a pressed sprig of dried grass or a handwritten note about a favorite animal onto this page, since the open barn door leaves room near the bottom for something glued flat.
The hay bales and the fence line in front of the barn keep the page from feeling empty even with a flat keepsake added, and the painted sky above gives it a finished edge no matter what you tuck there.
Pair this page with the Bandana and Cactus Pattern background by using the pattern as a facing page, so the busy print sits across from this quieter windmill scene instead of beside another full picture.
The usual mistake with a close still life page like this one is painting the wall so flat that the ristra and the pot of herbs beside it seem to float, so keep a soft shadow under each object to ground them against the stucco.
A string of dried chilies hangs against the adobe wall with a clay pot and a small cactus at its base, and warm afternoon light washes the whole surface behind them.
Horses and Trail Pages
Write a question at the bottom of this page: what would this horse be named, and what trail has it just come back from.
For the five minute version of this page, skip gluing anything extra on and just add the date in the corner, since the saddle, the coiled lasso and the fence post already carry the whole scene on their own.
Glue in a small photo of your own pet or a horse you have ridden right over the open patch of ground in the foreground, where the painted dirt gives a plain enough spot for a photo edge to sit without competing with the animals.
Behind the trough a low fence and a stretch of dry grass keep the background from feeling bare, so the photo becomes the only sharp addition on an otherwise soft page.
This page suits a gift journal made for someone who grew up around horses or still keeps them, since a horseshoe and a hay fork propped against a stall door read as quiet, personal details rather than generic decoration.
Campfire and Trail Camp Pages
Tea stain the edges of this page before gluing it in, since a worn border suits a pair of dusty boots warming by a low fire far better than a crisp white edge would.
Write a trail camp menu on this page, the kind a cook might have served from a chuckwagon: beans, cornbread, coffee and whatever meat the day’s hunt turned up.
A loaded chuckwagon sits parked for the night with a small fire burning nearby and a few tin plates stacked on its open shelf, the whole scene lit by the last orange light of a desert dusk.
A rolled bedroll and a saddle used as a pillow sit under a dark sky scattered with stars, with a low smoldering fire nearby giving off the last of its warmth for the night.
The usual mistake here is painting the embers too bright, which flattens the rest of the page, so keep the glow close to the pot and let the surrounding dirt and rocks stay in shadow.
Town and Main Street Pages
Place this page across from the Horse at the Wooden Fence page in a spread, so the quiet open range on one side faces the busier main street on the other and the journal feels like it moves from the ranch into town.
Tuck a short grocery or supply list behind this page, written the way an old general store ledger might have read: flour, rope, nails, tobacco.
Who is behind those bars, and what story would she tell if she could write it herself.
For a five minute version, leave the forge page as it is and simply write the date and a single line about the day across the bottom margin, since the glowing forge and scattered tools already carry the whole scene.
Desert and Landscape Pages
Saguaro cacti stand against a wide layered sky of warm color, with smaller prickly pear and scrubby brush scattered across the dry ground and flat mesas rising in the distance.
A covered wagon rolls along a dusty trail with a pair of oxen pulling it and a lone rider following behind, the whole caravan small against a wide open plain and a painted sky stretching to the horizon.
Glue a torn strip of brown paper along the bottom edge of this page before pasting it in, so the quiet horizon line gets a bit of texture without adding a single extra object to the scene.
A narrow trail winds between tall red rock formations, with a few scattered boulders and a thin line of scrubby desert plants following the path down toward a dry wash below.
Background Papers
This page works well for a gift journal made for a reader who loves old western films more than the open range itself, since a star badge and a holstered revolver read as pure genre, not landscape.
Small bandana motifs alternate with tiny cactus silhouettes across this page, good as a lining behind a torn pocket, a background under a photo of a trail ride, or a journal cover on its own.
Horseshoes and loops of coiled rope repeat edge to edge, ready to sit behind a photo of a ranch visit, line the inside of a torn pocket, or wrap a small gift journal as its cover sheet.
A soft ticking stripe echoes old wooden fence planks, useful as a quiet background behind a boot or saddle photo, a pocket lining, or a simple cover page that does not compete with busier scenes.
Lined Writing Pages
Small wildflowers and sprigs of desert brush scatter loosely across the page, good behind a pressed flower photo, as a soft pocket lining, or as a gentle cover for the whole finished journal.
A corner spray of cactus and wildflowers frames the faint ruled lines, good for a trail diary entry, a list of supplies packed for a ride, or a short letter to whoever inherits this journal next.
A band of tiny horseshoes runs down one side of the page, leaving the ruled lines free for a ranch chore list, a feed and supply tally, or notes on an animal born that season.
A frame of small bandana motifs borders the page, suited to a saloon style menu written out by hand, a guest list for a western themed gathering, or a letter to next year about a trip still being planned.
What to Do Next
Print the full set of 28 pages, trim them to the size of your journal, and start gluing them in starting with the ranch and homestead section before moving on to the horses, campfires and town pages. For more on putting a whole journal together from scratch, the Junk Journaling: The Complete Beginner to Advanced Handbook and the vintage junk journal ideas page both pair well with this western theme.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for a western junk journal kit like this one?
A matte cardstock around 65 to 80 lb gives enough weight to hold the washes of color without warping or letting ink show through the back. Avoid glossy photo paper, since it can make the muted western palette look too shiny and plastic rather than soft and aged.
What printer settings give the best color for these pages?
Set your printer to its highest quality or photo setting and choose the matte or cardstock paper type in the print dialog if that option exists. This slows the print down slightly but lays down richer, more even color across the full edge to edge washes on each page.
What size should I print these pages for my journal?
Standard letter or A4 size works for most handmade journals and lets you trim down to a smaller size afterward if you prefer a compact book. Print a single test page first and measure it against your journal covers before running the full set of 28.
Do I need to color or paint these pages myself?
No, every page prints in full color exactly as shown, ready to cut and glue straight into your journal. If you want a more personal touch you can still add a line of handwriting, a pressed flower or a small photo on top once the page is trimmed.
What glue works best for putting these pages into a journal?
A acid free glue stick gives clean, flat coverage without wrinkling the paper, which matters most on the full bleed scene pages. White craft glue works too but apply it thinly and let each page dry flat under a heavy book for a few minutes before turning the page.
Have any thoughts?
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