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This fairy tale junk journal kit takes the old stories you grew up with and turns them into small storybook scenes you can print, cut and glue straight into a handmade book. Think glass slippers on a palace stair, a spinning wheel turning straw to gold, a gingerbread cottage with a candy roof: the kind of pictures that made Grimm, Perrault and Andersen feel like places you could step into.
Inside you get 22 scene pages, each one a different tale or moment, 5 seamless background papers for covers and pockets, and 5 lined writing pages for the parts of the story only you can tell. Print everything on a heavier matte paper, around 24 to 32 lb, run your printer on its best photo or presentation setting, and trim close to the edge so no white border sneaks in around the colour.
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.
Slippers And Palace Pages
A glass slipper rests alone on a wide palace stair with a carved pumpkin at its side and rose petals scattered across the stone.
Tuck a short note here about the last time someone told you a story out loud, or a line copied from the tale itself: a red cloak and a basket of bread and wildflowers rest on a woodland path lined with tall trees, perfect for a corner of handwriting beside the basket.
Leave a little space near the trees for a date or a single pressed leaf, so the page doubles as both picture and keepsake.
Towers And Castles
Pair this one with the briar rose background paper later in the set, letting the tower stone sit just above the pattern so the page flows straight into the next.
A tower window opens onto a long golden braid that falls over ivy and climbing roses below the stone sill.
The usual trouble with a cottage page like this is cramming in too many sweets until the house disappears, so keep the candy to the roof and the gate and let the walls stay plain gingerbread brown.
Stacked mattresses and patchwork quilts rise almost to the ceiling with a single tiny pea tucked beneath the very bottom layer.
Spindles And Gold
Try the five minute version of this one: skip the stone wall detail and keep just the wheel, the straw basket and a short thread of gold running between them against a plain wash of tower-room colour.
A frog sits on the rim of a stone well beside a golden ball half sunk among lily pads, with soft garden greenery painted all around the stone.
Shores And Seas
This page suits a reader who loves the sea more than the forest in a gift journal, so if you are building one for a friend, save this spot for her and write her name small along the rock.
A mermaid sits on a sea rock surrounded by shells, with a distant castle rising above the waves behind her.
What question would you ask her, the one who finally sees her own reflection clearly: write it along the edge of the reed pond where the water lilies float.
Seven small beds line a cosy cottage room, each one covered in its own patchwork quilt with a tiny lantern glowing beside it.
Mirrors And Thorns
Glue a real ticket stub or a pressed petal near the tray edge for an instant bit of texture, since the flat silver surface leaves just enough plain space to hold something small without crowding the apple.
Thick thorny rose briars wrap a sleeping castle from base to turret while a few white doves rest among the highest branches.
Rows of worn dancing slippers line up beside a palace bed hung with silk curtains, each pair a little more scuffed than the last.
Castles In Winter And Toy Rooms
Pair this page with the glass slipper and pumpkin background paper rather than the briar rose one, since the cooler frosted tones sit more comfortably beside icy whites than warm pinks.
Mind the common slip here: giving the soldier a full face of expression crowds the small page, so keep his features simple and let the paper ballerina and music box carry the charm instead.
A girl tends a flock of white geese across an open meadow with a castle rising on the hill behind her.
Workshops And Small Folk
A cluttered workbench holds tiny finished shoes, scraps of leather and small tools, with two elves bent over the work by lamplight.
This spread works well right after the braid page a few sheets back, so set the two side by side and let the small walnut cradle echo the tall tower window across the fold.
A clever cat strides down a castle road in a plumed hat and tall boots, a full sack slung over one shoulder.
A donkey, dog, cat and rooster stand stacked one atop the other outside a lit cottage window, mid song.
Forest Trails And Flight
For the quick version, paint only the lake, the swans in flight and one woven nettle shirt resting beside the well, leaving the castle itself to the far edge of the page.
A trail of pale pebbles winds through slender birch trees toward a sunny clearing at the far end of the woods, see the fairytale illustration ideas for more scenes built from the same old tales.
Background Papers
Small crowns and roses repeat edge to edge in this pattern, ready to sit under a photo, line a pocket, or wrap a journal cover.
Little castle towers and briar roses scatter across this sheet, useful as a pocket lining, a cover wrap or a backdrop behind a tucked photo, much like the patterned papers in the winter junk journal pages.
Glass slippers and tiny pumpkins toss across the page in a light repeating scatter, suited to a cover, a pocket lining or the space behind a tucked ticket or photo.
Golden spindles and loose straw repeat across this sheet, a good match for a pocket lining, a cover or a backdrop behind a photo tucked into the spread.
Tiny gingerbread cottages and scattered candy repeat across the page, ready to back a photo, line a pocket or wrap the cover of your finished journal.
Lined Writing Pages
A small castle turret tops this lined page, framing space to copy out a favourite line from the story, a gift list for a storybook themed party, or a letter to the version of you who loved these tales first.
A border of briar roses runs around this lined page, ready for a menu for a fairy tale themed dinner, a letter to next year, or notes on which tale you read most as a child.
A golden braid runs down one side of this lined page, leaving room to write a favourite fairy tale quote, a list of tales still to read, or a short memory tied to a bedtime story.
A small ornate mirror frame borders this lined page, suited to a letter to yourself, a list of favourite storybook characters, or a note about which tale you would rewrite the ending of.
A tiny crown and a small frog sit in one corner of this lined page, good for a gift list for a reader who loves old tales, a recipe tied to a story, or a short letter to a friend.
What to Do Next
Print the set, trim each sheet close to the edge, and start building spreads tale by tale: a slipper page here, a background paper behind it, a lined page where the story becomes yours to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for printing this fairy tale junk journal kit?
A heavier matte paper around 24 to 32 lb works best, since it holds the colour well and feels close to a real storybook page. Plain printer paper is thinner and tends to curl once glued into a journal.
What printer settings give the clearest colours?
Set the printer to its best photo or presentation quality and choose matte or plain paper in the settings rather than glossy photo paper. This keeps the watercolour tones soft and true instead of overly bright.
What size should I print these pages?
Standard US letter or A4 both work well, since every page is designed edge to edge and trims cleanly to fit most journal covers. Print one page per sheet for the cleanest cut lines.
Do I need to colour anything in or is it ready to use?
Every page prints fully coloured and ready to use straight away, with no colouring in required. Simply trim, glue into your journal, and add your own handwriting to the lined pages.
What glue or scissors work best for assembling the pages?
A thin layer of acid free glue stick keeps pages flat without wrinkling, and small sharp craft scissors give the cleanest trim close to the printed edge. Avoid wet glue, which can warp thinner paper.
Have any thoughts?
Share your reaction or leave a quick response — we’d love to hear what you think!
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