10 Halloween Junk Journal Ideas Using Printable Ephemera
Halloween is the perfect time to fill a junk journal with mystery, and printable ephemera makes it easy. In this post, I will share ten Halloween junk journal ideas, each built from the same haunted manor collection: a ticket page, a séance page, a masquerade spread, an apothecary page, a library page, a guest registry, a pocket page, hanging tags, a raven and rose page, and an invitation.
Every page uses printable tickets, tags, quote cards, and fussy cuts, so you can print, cut, and layer your own. The pages are shown on aged paper, but you can build them on any journal page, a sheet of cardstock, or a ready-made background.
What You Will Need
- A printer, plus matte photo paper or lightweight cardstock
- Scissors
- A glue stick or tape runner
- A journal page, or a sheet of aged paper to build on
- Optional: foam tape to lift a focal piece, and brown ink to age the edges
- For the hanging tags: ribbon and a hole punch
If you are new to layering, my tutorial How to Build a Haunted Journal Page covers the basics.
1. A Haunted Manor Tickets Page
Tickets are the easiest way to start a Halloween journal page, because they carry the story for you. This page layers a Haunted Manor ticket, an observatory viewing pass, and a Forbidden Rooms tour ticket, then adds a quote card, dark roses, and a lace-framed mirror.
How to make it: Fan the tickets so the tallest one sits in the back, tuck the quote card under their lower edges, and finish with the roses and the mirror as an anchor at the bottom.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags and Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts.
2. A Séance Circle Page
A séance page is full of atmosphere. A crystal ball, a cluster of candles, a Seat No. 13 tag, and a black cat tag all point to a night of whispers in the parlor.
How to make it: Start with the ticket on the left, then add a tall framed lady on the right. Let the candles overlap the frames, and place the quote card in the lower center so the eye travels down the page.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags and Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts.
3. A Masquerade Ball Spread
For a more romantic Halloween page, try a masquerade. A silver mask, a Grand Masquerade ticket, a soft lace bow, and clusters of dark roses give this spread an elegant, midnight feel.
How to make it: Place the ticket first, rest the mask across its top corner, and tuck the roses behind both sides. Add a feather and a key tag below to balance the page.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags and Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts.
4. A Witch’s Apothecary Page
Glass bottles, a mortar and pestle, and a Manor Apothecary label turn a plain page into a witch’s workroom. A Victorian lady in plum, holding a small bottle, keeps the page from feeling too dark.
How to make it: Build from the top down. Put the lady in the back, layer the label and quote card in front, and group the bottles, mortar, and dried florals at the bottom. A “Moonwater” label makes a charming finishing touch.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags and Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts.
5. A Haunted Library Page
Book lovers will enjoy this one. A Manor Library restricted-section permit, a stack of old books, a spellbook, and a lantern tag set the scene for a quiet, eerie reading room.
How to make it: Position the permit at the top, then layer the tall lady tag and the quote card beneath it. Stack the books and the spellbook at the bottom, and let the lantern tag peek out from the side.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags and Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts.
6. A Spectral Guest Registry Page
This page works like a guest book for ghosts. A Guest Check-In card with a Verified stamp invites you to write a name and an arrival time, and a butterfly, roses, and a candle tag add soft detail.
How to make it: Fill in the check-in card by hand with your own name and a spooky arrival time, then layer the frames and the handwritten letter below it. This is a lovely page for journaling.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags and Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts.
7. A Pocket Page for Hidden Notes
A pocket page holds the things you want to keep close: tags, cards, and handwritten notes. This one pairs a lace-edged pocket with a framed lady in black, a perched raven, a pink bottle, and a quote card.
How to make it: Glue the tag and the frame to the page first, then lean the quote card against them. Attach the pocket along its sides and bottom only, leave the top open, and tuck a tag or a card part-way inside.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags and Haunted Manor Pockets & Envelopes.
8. Hanging Tags Along the Page Edge
Hanging tags add movement to a flat page. These three each hang from their own ribbon in black, mauve, and cream, and each shows a different scene: a lady with a mortar and pestle, a mirror with a crystal ball, and a fan with a pocket watch and a raven.
How to make it: Print and cut the tags, punch a hole at the top of each, and thread the ribbons through. Glue the ribbon ends behind the page edge, then let the tags overlap slightly so they hang in a column.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags.
9. A Raven and Rose Page
This is a quiet, elegant page that lets one focal piece shine. A framed lady in black stands beside a raven on a branch, and black dahlias, a small cameo, and a moon wax seal gather at the base. A strip of black crochet lace runs along the edge.
How to make it: Glue the lace strip down first, then set the tall frame so it overlaps the lace. Add the raven and the dark flowers at the bottom, and finish with the cameo and the wax seal.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts and Haunted Manor Ephemera Tags.
10. A Haunted Manor Invitation
Turn your ephemera into a Halloween invitation. The cover shows a moonlit cemetery with a raven and the words “The Manor Doors Open at Dusk,” and the inside layers a Forbidden Rooms ticket, a lantern, a framed lady, and a wax seal beside your invitation wording.
How to make it: Print the cover and the inside page, then fold the card. Layer the ticket, lantern, and frame on the left of the inside page, and add the date, time, and place by hand on the right. It also makes a lovely page to tuck into a journal pocket.
Make this page with: Haunted Manor Journal Kit and Haunted Manor Fussy Cuts.
Layering Tips for Any Halloween Page
- Start with your largest piece, such as a ticket or a quote card, and build outward from it.
- Overlap your pieces and tuck smaller items under the edges of larger ones.
- Choose one focal piece, and let the other elements support it.
- Age the paper edges with a little brown ink for a vintage look.
- Use foam tape under the focal piece to give the page real depth.
Want more gothic Victorian projects? See my post 4 Ways to Use Victorian Witch Clipart in Junk Journals and Paper Crafts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some Halloween junk journal ideas for beginners?
A single ticket page or a quote-card page is the easiest place to start. Both need only a few pieces and give you a clear focal point to build around.
What is printable ephemera?
Printable ephemera are digital files of items such as tickets, tags, labels, and quote cards. You print them at home, cut them out, and use them to decorate journal pages.
What paper should I print on?
Matte photo paper or lightweight cardstock gives crisp color and holds up well when you layer pieces.
Can I use these pages after Halloween?
Yes. The gothic Victorian style suits a journal all year, so these pages are not limited to October.
Get the Printables
The pages in this post were made with these sets from my Etsy shop, Love & Layers Designs:
If you make a Halloween page with these sets, I would love to see it. Tag me on Pinterest or leave a comment below.
