- Cardinals in Winter Greenery
- Robins and Garden Corners
- Feeders, Nests and Birdhouses
- Wrens, Waxwings and Winter Visitors
- Windows, Roofs and Winter Shelter
- Background Papers
- Lined Writing Pages
- Frequently Asked Questions
A christmas birds junk journal brings together the two things winter mornings do best: bright feathered visitors and fresh greenery dusted with snow. This kit holds 22 scene pages full of cardinals, robins, chickadees, wrens and their garden friends, 4 seamless background papers in soft winter colors, and 5 lined writing pages with feathered borders for your own notes.
Print the set on matte paper heavy enough to take a little glue without buckling, run your printer on its best photo or presentation setting for clean color, and trim close to the edge so no white border sneaks into the finished page. Everything else is just picking up scissors and a glue stick.
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.
Cardinals in Winter Greenery
A red cardinal settles on a holly branch heavy with berries while fresh snow gathers along the leaves behind it, bright against the quiet winter morning.
Try pairing this page with the robin egg blue snowflake background from this set: glue a small strip of it along the bottom edge as a footer before adding the cardinals above, so the branch seems to rise out of a snowy band.
The pale blue lifts the red of the cardinals and ties the page to the rest of the journal without crowding the birch branch or the wreath hanging beneath it.
The usual slip here is painting the cranberries too large, so they read as ornaments instead of berries: keep them small and round in a tight string, and let the cardinal stay the biggest shape on the page.
Once the scale feels right, the garland can loop loosely across the pine without fighting for attention against the bird’s bright red.
Leave a line or two beside this one for a short question: what did you notice outside your window this week that you almost missed, and what made you look twice.
Robins and Garden Corners
A robin perches on a snowy fence post with a red ribbon bow tied just below its feet, the fence running off into a soft white field.
This page works well tucked into a Christmas journal spread right after a garden-themed background, where the spade handle and flowerpot carry the eye down toward a pocket page below.
Try the five-minute version: sketch just the stack of firewood and the mitten first, add the robin last, and leave the background as a simple soft grey wash instead of a full scene.
A robin rests among red poinsettias and pine sprigs arranged along a garden bench dusted with the first snow of the season, altogether a warm little corner of winter color.
Feeders, Nests and Birdhouses
Glue a tiny printed seed packet or a torn scrap of brown paper beside this page to stand in for real birdseed, a quick touch that makes the feeder feel stocked and lived in.
A second chickadee tucked mid-flight toward the feeder adds motion without crowding the main bird on the perch.
An empty winter nest holds a few pinecones, a holly sprig and a single feather, left quiet and full on a bare branch against the cold.
Pair this scene with the chickadee and pine sprig background from this set: cut a thin strip and glue it along one side as a border, so the icy birdbath seems to sit inside a little grove of its own pattern.
A small birdhouse wears a snowy roof and a tiny wreath on its door while two chickadees perch nearby, one on the roof and one on the little wooden porch below.
Give this one a short recipe-style caption instead of a diary line, something like the feeder’s own seed mix, written across the lines of a nearby lined page for a playful pairing.
The teacup shape makes a lovely small gift page on its own, cut close and tucked into an envelope for someone who feeds the birds all winter.
Wrens, Waxwings and Winter Visitors
Trace the edge of this page lightly in tea before gluing it in, just enough to soften the white border, since a wren hiding among frosted berries already reads as a quiet, tucked-away moment.
A cedar waxwing eats winterberries from a snowy branch, its sleek crest and masked face a good contrast to the rounder cardinals and robins elsewhere in the set.
A pair of white doves rests along a pine garland strung with silver bells, bringing a quieter, more formal note to the page than the brighter songbirds nearby.
Save this quiet little scene for the back of your journal, near the final lined pages, so the softer winter goldfinch closes the book on a calmer note than the brighter holiday birds up front.
Fold a small flap into this page: cut the oak trunk’s outline along one edge so it opens like a tiny door, with room behind it for a pressed leaf or a written memory of a winter walk.
Keep the hinge shallow so the page still lies flat once it is glued into the journal.
Blue jays gather among pinecones and red sumac on a frosty morning, their blue a sharp, cheerful note against the muted winter ground below.
Windows, Roofs and Winter Shelter
This page is a lovely one for a gift journal made for a grandmother who keeps feeders in her window boxes all winter: the evergreens, red bows and fresh snow feel like her own porch brought indoors.
A bluebird rests on a frosted pine bough among pinecones and red berries, its soft blue feathers a gentle change of color from the reds and browns of the other winter birds nearby.
A sparrow family gathers along a snowy barn roof hung with icicles and a small wreath, the whole scene reading like a quiet farmhouse morning just before the first chores begin.
Background Papers
Small cardinals and holly berries repeat edge to edge in blush pink and holly green, perfect as a cover for the finished journal, a pocket lining, or a backing sheet behind a favorite photo.
Tiny chickadees sit among little pine sprigs in an all-over pattern, light enough to use under a winter photo, as a pocket lining, or folded into a simple envelope for keepsakes.
Soft robin egg blue carries a scatter of simple snowflake dots across the page, a calm choice for a cover, a photo backing, or the inside lining of a small envelope pocket.
Winterberry branches and small feathers repeat in a loose drifting pattern, good for a pocket lining, the back cover of the journal, or a backing sheet behind a nest page.
Lined Writing Pages
A cardinal on a holly branch fills one corner while faint ruled lines cross the middle, ready for a gift list, a short letter to next year, or the week’s weather notes.
A small hanging bird feeder sits along the top border above faint ruled lines, a fitting spot for a feeder refill schedule, a list of visiting birds, or a quiet morning note.
A band of chickadees and pine garland runs down one side of the page, leaving the ruled lines free for a holiday menu, a wish list, or a note to a far away friend.
A birch branch with two small robins runs along one side of the page, pairing well with the earlier Christmas journal pages for a longer winter-themed spread, with lines left open for any list.
A simple winterberry twig runs along the bottom footer of the page, light enough to leave the ruled lines above free for a gift list, a recipe, or a letter saved for next winter.
What to Do Next
Print the pages you love first, start with one cardinal scene and a lined page, and let the rest of the set fill in around them as your winter bird journal takes shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for a christmas birds junk journal?
Matte paper around 90 to 120 gsm works best for this kit. It is thick enough to hold glue and a little color without warping, while still folding easily for pockets and covers.
What printer settings give the brightest colors?
Set the printer to its best photo or presentation quality on matte or plain paper mode. This keeps the reds, blues and greens of the winter birds bright and the fine ink outlines sharp and clean.
What size should I print the pages?
Standard US letter or A4 both work well for this set. Either size fits most printable journal covers and binding rings without trimming beyond the usual clean edge.
What should I use to color or glue the pages?
A glue stick works best for assembling pages since it will not wrinkle the paper the way wet glue can. If you want to add your own color accents, fine tip markers or colored pencils layer cleanly over the printed art.
Can I mix these pages with other Christmas journal sets?
Yes, these winter bird pages pair easily with other holiday sets. Try combining a few scenes with pages from a retro Christmas junk journal kit for a fuller, more varied spread.