Free Christmas Junk Journal Printables: 7 Botanical Pieces

These free Christmas junk journal printables give you seven coordinated botanical pieces: two journaling cards, three tags, one decorative strip and a foldable keepsake pocket. Download the three-page PDF in A4 or US Letter, print the pages you need, and add a little pine, holly and burgundy to your December journal.

The cards have space for real memories, while the tags and pocket help you save small notes. Everything uses the same cream-and-green palette, so you can put together a page without hunting for matching papers.

Download your free Christmas junk journal printables

Choose the file that matches the paper in your printer. Both versions contain the same seven designs at the same finished sizes. No email signup or purchase is needed.

• Download the US Letter Christmas journal kit (PDF) — 8.5 × 11-inch sheets, three pages.
• Download the A4 Christmas journal kit (PDF) — 210 × 297 mm sheets, three pages.

Before printing: select Actual size or 100%, rather than Fit to page. The one-inch check square on page one lets you confirm the scale. These are digital files, not a physical kit.

What’s inside the botanical Christmas kit?

The previews below show the free Christmas junk journal printables included in your download. The botanical borders are vintage-inspired illustrations; the writing areas, cut edges and fold guides are part of the finished printable files.

• Two 3 × 4-inch journaling cards: “Christmas Memories” and “Little Moments,” with six writing lines on each.
• Three 2 × 3.5-inch tags: “Merry Christmas,” “A little December joy,” and a blank version for your own words.
• One 6.5 × 0.75-inch decorative strip: a deep green band reading “little moments, lasting memories.”
• One pocket: a 3.5 × 3-inch front with three half-inch glue tabs and a thumb notch.

A useful size detail: the tags fit into the pocket with their tops showing. The larger 3 × 4-inch cards are separate page elements, not pocket inserts. Keep them beside the pocket or on the facing page.

How to print the Christmas journal pages

1. Match the PDF to your paper

Save the PDF before printing so you can reopen it later. Use the US Letter download for Letter paper and the A4 download for A4 paper. Open your printer settings, select the matching paper size, choose single-sided printing, and turn off automatic scaling.

Print page one on ordinary paper first. Measure the check square with a ruler: each side should be one inch. If it is smaller, look for a Fit, Shrink or Scale setting. Adobe’s guide to PDF page sizing explains the difference between fitting a page and printing at actual size.

2. Choose paper your printer can handle

Regular printer paper works for pieces you will glue flat onto a journal page. For loose tags and cards, light cardstock can give more body. Check your printer manual for supported paper weights and feed instructions before loading thicker stock; there is no single weight that works for every printer.

White paper keeps the artwork close to the preview. Cream paper adds warmth, but the design already has a cream background, so a dark stock may make it harder to read. Let a test sheet dry before judging the color. Screens and printers can show the same greens differently.

3. Cut after the ink has dried

Use scissors for the tags and pocket notch. A paper trimmer is convenient for the straight card edges and strip. Cut around each design’s outer edge; keep the pocket tabs attached. Punch the tags only if you want to add thread or ribbon. A tag also works perfectly well without a hole.

You can print these free Christmas junk journal printables one sheet at a time. Select page one for cards, page two for tags and the strip, or page three for the pocket. Keeping the downloaded files makes it easy to replace one piece without printing the whole set again.

How to fold the printable Christmas pocket

Start with a plain-paper trial so you can see how the tabs fold. You will need the pocket sheet, scissors, a ruler, a blunt scoring tool and a small amount of paper glue. Place a protective mat under your work when scoring.

1. Cut the outer shape. Keep the side tabs and bottom tab. Cut out the small half-circle at the top; it gives your fingers room to grasp a tag.
2. Score the dashed lines. Use the ruler to keep each crease straight, then fold all three tabs behind the printed front.
3. Check the position. Place the pocket on your journal page before adding glue. Leave enough room above it for the tag to slide out.
4. Glue the tabs. Apply a narrow layer to the backs of the folded tabs and press them onto the page. Keep glue out of the opening and away from the pocket’s center.
5. Let it dry, then add a note. Slide in a tag or thin keepsake. Avoid forcing thick bundles inside.

Want a taller or simpler pocket? Our three free junk journal pocket templates include different shapes and a separate assembly guide.

Quick fixes before you print another sheet

If the edges look cropped, check that the PDF and printer paper sizes match. These layouts include white margins, so you should not need borderless printing. Print one test page at 100% and compare it with the screen preview before changing settings for the whole kit.

If the ink smudges, let the sheet dry longer and check that you selected a paper type suitable for your printer. A glossy or coated sheet may need different settings from ordinary paper. Try a small test on uncoated stock rather than printing several more sheets with the same problem.

If the pocket bows away from the page, open the folds and crease them again along the dashed lines. Use less glue and allow the tabs to dry flat before inserting a tag. Thick ribbon knots and bulky decorations can catch inside a shallow paper pocket; keep those on the visible top of the tag.

Three easy page ideas for your Christmas printables

A one-memory page

Choose one journaling card and write about a single moment: the first evening you turned on the lights, a conversation over dinner, or a song that brought back a memory. Add the date before you forget it. Place a small photograph beside the card and use a short piece of the green strip beneath both.

Leave a little blank space around the pieces. You do not need a packed collage for the page to feel finished. For a simple starting arrangement, follow our memory journal page layout and substitute one of these Christmas cards.

A pocket for December notes

Attach the pocket low on a page and put the blank tag inside. On the back, write three things you want to remember about December. Add a second small note later if there is room. Keeping the entries loose lets you write before deciding where everything belongs.

Use a copy of a fragile receipt or a treasured family note if you want to protect the original. These decorative printables are intended for casual journaling, not as archival storage materials.

A small handmade gift insert

Write a short message on the reverse of a tag and tuck it inside a card for someone you know. The blank tag can hold a name; the “Merry Christmas” version already has its greeting. Personal gifting is included in the usage terms below.

If your project needs a dedicated To/From layout instead, use our free printable Christmas gift tags. For a less seasonal palette, try the botanical tags and journal cards.

Questions about these free Christmas junk journal printables

Are the downloads really free?

Yes. Both PDF links above open the kit directly. There is no checkout and no required email signup. You supply your own paper, printer ink and craft materials.

Can I print the kit smaller?

Yes, if your printer offers a custom percentage. Scale every page by the same amount if you want the pieces to stay coordinated. The stated dimensions and one-inch check square apply only when you print at 100%. Smaller pocket tabs can be harder to fold neatly.

Why does my pocket not hold the large card?

The included cards are designed to sit on the journal page. The pocket is intended for the narrower tags or small slips of paper. Keep the cards separate rather than trimming away their writing space to force a fit.

Can I sell the files or items made with them?

This free kit is for personal use and personal gifting only. Do not resell, redistribute, upload the PDF elsewhere or include the designs in products for sale. To share the kit with a friend, send them this article’s link so they can download their own copy.

Keep these free Christmas junk journal printables somewhere easy to find, print one sheet, and start with one small memory. A single finished page is a lovely place to begin your Christmas journal.