A Huge Black and Orange Halloween Junk Journal

Sep 18

Side view of an overstuffed black and orange Halloween junk journal with black cats, ghosts, layered papers, lace and colourful trims

This one-of-a-kind journal has now sold, but you can still explore every wonderfully overstuffed page in the full video flip-through below.

There are quiet, mysterious Halloween journals—and then there are journals that arrive with orange pompoms, black lace and an entire Halloween celebration spilling from their pages.
This enormous handmade junk journal definitely belongs to the second group.

Handmade Halloween junk journal cover with vintage-style ephemera, spiders, the number 31 and an oversized black polka-dot ribbon

Open Halloween junk journal spread featuring a vintage black cat, spiderweb pocket, friendly ghosts, pumpkins and green rickrack

I filled it with the colours and characters of a wonderfully old-fashioned Halloween: black cats, friendly ghosts, crooked witches, glowing pumpkins, haunted houses and plenty of October orange. Inside are layered pockets, oversized tags, hidden paper pieces, vintage-inspired illustrations and lots of curious little details waiting to be discovered.

Side view of a very chunky handmade Halloween junk journal filled with lace, orange pompom trim and layered pages, tied with black spotted ribbon

Black and orange Halloween journal pages featuring a grinning vintage witch, black lace, the number 31, a flying witch and a black cat

The pages are deliberately abundant. Papers overlap, ribbons and trims escape from the edges, and tucked-away pieces reveal themselves as you move through the journal. Black lace, green rickrack, orange pompom trim and spotted ribbon add even more texture to an already very full book.

Pages Halloween junk journal spread with a vintage trick-or-treat pocket, haunted house illustration, October title and orange pompom trim

Some pages are cheerful and nostalgic, while others wander slightly farther into the shadows. There are long dark nights, chills and thrills, strange old witches and a ghost or two—but never so far into the darkness that we lose the fun of Halloween night.

Interactive Halloween junk journal spread with a large illustrated hand, orange polka-dot pocket, black cat and oversized Halloween tag

This journal has now gone to its new home, but I wanted to keep it here as part of the ila & alice journal archive—and as inspiration for anyone who loves a gloriously chunky, traditional Halloween journal.

Layered Halloween journal pages featuring vintage black cats, a ghost, pumpkins, candy, orange pockets and black rickrack

Black and orange Halloween journal spread with a moonlit witch and cat illustration, October 31 pocket, green-faced vintage woman and skull paper

You can see all of its pockets, tags, layers and hidden surprises in the complete flip-through on YouTube.

If you would like to see the next one-of-a-kind journal when it appears, you can join Updates & Other Curious Things or visit the Halloween collection at ila & alice.