Hidden Sliding Ephemera Pockets for Junk Journals

Hidden Sliding Ephemera: A Fun Little Junk Journal Trick

I just shared a little peek on Facebook of a hidden ephemera trick I used in my junk journals, and I wanted to bring it over here to the blog too. I learned the idea from a YouTube video a while back, but sadly I’ve lost the link now. If I ever find it again, I’ll be sure to share it, because it really is a clever little method.

https://www.facebook.com/junkjournalephemera/

At first glance, the piece just looks like an ordinary card of ephemera. But when you pull on the tab, a hidden piece slides out completely and can be tucked right back in again. I love that kind of surprise in a junk journal. It feels a little secretive, a little magical, and just plain fun.

A Peek at What I Made

For these examples, I used a mix of papers and designs from my shop. I really like how they all play together because they have that aged, collected look that works so well for hidden pockets and interactive pieces.

The products I used were:

• French Schoolgirl Junk Journal Kit

• French Schoolgirl Portrait Format

• Shabby Vintage Marbleized End Papers Set

• Steampunk Gentleman’s Accessories Junk Journal Kit

• Photo Booth Portraits Vintage Ephemera

The steampunk gentlemen journals were the first place I used this idea, but honestly, I think it would work in all kinds of themes. That’s one of the things I love most about little tricks like this. Once you know how the mechanism works, you can dress it up however you want.

How It Works

The whole thing is really pretty simple once you see it.

You make the outer piece look like a plain card or panel. Then you build a hidden insert behind it that can slide in and out. A little tab at the bottom gives you something to pull, and that’s really the part that makes the surprise work.

So from the outside, it just looks like a regular ephemera piece. But once you tug on the tab, out comes the hidden card or photo. Then you just slide it back in again.

I love making things like this because they give a journal a bit of movement. It’s not just something to look at — it’s something to interact with.

Why I Like This Technique

I’m always drawn to anything that gives a journal a little secret. Hidden pockets, tuck spots, pull-outs, flip-outs — all of that just makes the page feel more interesting to me.

This particular technique is especially nice because:

• it hides a photo or note really well,

• it doesn’t take up much bulk,

• and it can be adapted to so many different themes.

For these examples, I used vintage French papers and steampunk-style accents, and I really like the look of that combination. It feels a little old, a little mysterious, and very much like something tucked away in a forgotten file drawer.

What I Used

If you’d like to recreate something similar, here are the designs I used:

• French Schoolgirl Junk Journal Kit – https://www.etsy.com/listing/897063570/french-schoolgirl-junk-journal-kit

• French Schoolgirl Portrait Format – https://www.etsy.com/listing/1646765319/french-schoolgirl-portrait-format

• Shabby Vintage Marbleized End Papers Set 3 – https://www.etsy.com/listing/1209733095/shabby-vintage-marbleized-end-papers-set

• Steampunk Gentleman’s Accessories Junk Journal Kit – https://www.etsy.com/listing/1486691130/steampunk-gentlemans-accessories-junk 

• Photo Booth Portraits Vintage Ephemera – https://www.etsy.com/listing/1707243190/photo-booth-portraits-vintage-ephemera

 

I like using a group of papers throughout a project to help give it visual continuity. They make it easy to build something that looks pulled together without having to overthink it too much. Bless my heart, I do love a good shortcut.

More Coming Next Week

The full tutorial for this hidden sliding ephemera idea will be coming next week, so this is just a little sneak peek for now. I wanted to go ahead and share the finished pieces because I thought you might enjoy seeing the idea in action before I show how it’s put together.

If you like little interactive surprises in your journals, I think you’re really going to enjoy this one.

In the meantime, if you’d like to browse the coordinating designs, you can find them in my Etsy shop.

Let’s Talk Ephemera

I’d love to know what you would hide in a sliding piece like this. A photo? A note? A tiny journaling card? Something silly? Something sweet?

If you try this technique, I hope you have as much fun with it as I did. I’ll be back next week with the tutorial, but for now I just wanted to share the idea and give you a little inspiration to tuck away for later.