Table of Contents
A gothic junk journal needs pages that carry mood before a single word gets written on them, and this kit gives you 37 of them: 26 full scene pages, 5 seamless background pages and 6 lined writing pages, each one a different corner of the same candlelit, romantic darkness. Moonlit castles, dusty candelabras, ravens on iron gates and black lace all get their own sheet, so nothing repeats and every page can stand alone in a spread.
Print on matte cardstock or heavyweight paper, at least 32 lb, so the washes do not show through when you glue the page in. Set your printer to its best or photo quality and to actual size rather than fit to page, then trim close to the edge if your printer leaves a white border.
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.
Ruins and Towers
A single turret catches the last of the moonlight while the rest of the castle falls into shadow against the cliff face.
Tear the top edge of this page before gluing it in so the fog seems to drift off the paper itself, and pair it with the gate page a few pages ahead for a two page ruin spread.
The fog is meant to look soft and uneven, never a flat grey band, so keep your scissors or your tearing hand loose rather than careful.
Write the name of a character or a dream you had on the top step in small letters, then let the staircase disappear into darkness below it exactly as the page already suggests.
A stone gargoyle perches over a sleeping town, its wings catching the last grey light before the clouds close over completely.
This is the easy five minute version of a castle page: one window, one candle, no architecture to get lost in.
Glue it onto a page by itself or behind a torn strip of black paper so only the lit window shows, like a house glimpsed at night.
Parlour and Piano Room
A five branched candelabra drips wax onto sheet music left open on a closed piano lid thick with dust.
The usual mistake with a portrait page is making the face too detailed, which pulls the eye away from the room around it.
Keep the painted figure soft and shadowed instead, almost a silhouette in an old frame, so it reads as part of the parlour rather than the main event.
Tuck a short unfinished letter or a single pressed flower onto this page, since the open ink bottle and loose quill already suggest someone just set down their pen.
What is overhead in a room that has not been lived in for years, hanging heavy and still above the empty furniture below it.
This page suits a gift journal made for someone who loves faded romance more than frights, a quiet corner of the house rather than a graveyard.
Graveyard and Gate
Three ravens line the top of a rusted iron gate, watching over rows of leaning headstones half swallowed by fog.
Pair this page with the fog over the abbey ruins page from earlier in the set, placing them across from each other so the mist seems to carry between both sheets.
A weeping angel statue works best glued near the spine of the journal, half hidden by the next page the way a real statue might be half hidden by trees.
What time of night does your journal entry happen here, and who is carrying the lantern through the stones.
A single crow balances on a cracked stone cross, head turned toward a path that disappears into the tree line beyond the graves.
The common error here is painting the doorway as a flat black rectangle, which flattens the whole page instead of pulling the eye inside.
Leave a soft gradient of deep plum and charcoal in the gap instead, so the darkness still has depth to it.
Wardrobe and Keepsakes
A high necked mourning dress in black lace hangs on a wooden mannequin, a veil draped loosely over its shoulder.
Write the name of someone you miss on the back of this page before gluing it in, since the locket itself is shown closed.
If that feels too heavy for the mood of your journal, write a line from an old song instead, tucked just under the chain.
A wide brimmed mourning hat with a black net veil sits on a wooden stand beside a pair of folded gloves.
Glue a torn scrap of ribbon or lace along the bottom edge of this page so it overlaps slightly onto the next one, carrying the keepsake theme forward into the following spread.
A forgotten wedding veil hangs from a hook, spider silk stretched between its folds, untouched for what looks like years.
Curiosities and Objects
What drew you to collect this particular moth, and does it belong to a person in your story or to you.
This is the five minute version for a busy page: a handful of keys, a worn cloth, nothing more to paint around them.
Glue it in as a quiet filler page between two busier scenes so the eye gets a rest before the next full spread.
A small raven skull rests on a square of dark velvet, a single black feather laid beside it like an offering.
Pair this page with the lined memento mori page later in this set, placing the hourglass opposite the lines so a short entry about time can sit beside it.
A folding fan shaped like a bat’s wing lies open across a scrap of black lace, its ribs carved from dark wood.
For anyone who likes her darkness tucked inside old romance rather than horror, this page suits a gift journal built around letters never sent.
The rose is painted mid wilt on purpose, somewhere between full bloom and falling apart, which fits either a love story or a lament equally well.
Background Papers
Use this pattern of small black roses tangled with old keys as a cover sheet, under a photograph of a graveyard or old house, or as a divider between the darker sections of the journal.
Set this scattered feather pattern under a photo booth strip, behind a handwritten quote, or as the first page a reader sees when the journal opens.
This formal damask suits a cover page, a lining behind a mirror shaped cutout, or a backdrop for a ribbon bookmark glued along one edge.
Lay this fine web pattern behind a locket page, under a pressed flower, or as a wrap around the spine of a handmade journal cover.
Use this dripping wax texture under a photograph taken by candlelight, behind a recipe for mulled wine, or as the final page before the lined pages begin.
Lined Writing Pages
A narrow border of hourglasses and wilted roses frames the ruled lines, ready for a reflection on mortality, a list of things you no longer fear, or a letter to your future self.
Each corner holds a small spray of feathers and branches, leaving the centre clear for a dream you had, a quote that suits the season, or a short gothic poem of your own.
The ruled lines sit inside a thin painted gate, suited to a graveyard visit, a list of ghost stories you know, or notes on a castle you would like to visit one day.
A band of black lace trim runs down the left edge, leaving room for a packing list for an autumn trip, a mourning dress you would design, or a letter never sent.
Small painted candle flames line the top edge like a row of votives, good for a gratitude list written at night, a prayer, or notes on a film you watched by candlelight.
A thin vine of thorns and small black blooms wraps the full border, leaving space for a love letter, a list of gothic novels to read, or a few lines about the moon.
What to Do Next
Print the full set, sort the scene pages by their sections as you go, and start your journal with whichever page pulls you in first, whether that is the moonlit castle or the black lace dress. For more on building out a themed journal from start to finish, the junk journaling handbook and the vintage junk journal ideas make good next stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for a gothic junk journal kit like this one?
Matte cardstock between 32 and 65 lb holds the dark washes well without letting them bleed through to the next page. Avoid glossy photo paper, since it makes the muted colours look flat and reflects too much light under indoor lamps. Lightly textured cardstock gives the closest feel to real aged paper.
What printer settings should I use for these pages?
Set your printer to its best or photo quality, choose actual size rather than fit to page, and select the correct paper type if your printer software asks. Draft quality will wash out the darker tones and lose the texture of the paint, so always print a single test page first.
Do I need to trim the pages before gluing them into my journal?
Most printers leave a thin white border, so trim close to the edge with scissors or a paper trimmer before gluing the page in. If your journal pages are smaller than standard printer paper, trim to match your journal size rather than leaving the full sheet.
What should I use to glue these pages into my journal?
An acid free glue stick works well for full sheets and keeps the paper flat without wrinkling. For edges you want to look worn, dab on a little diluted craft glue with a brush instead, which lets you leave the corners slightly loose on purpose.
Can I colour or add to these pages after printing?
Yes, a fine tip black pen is enough to add handwriting, small dates or extra linework directly onto any scene page. Coloured pencils in deep plum or gold can deepen a shadow or highlight a single detail, but keep it light so the printed washes stay the main focus.
Have any thoughts?
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