Illusion Pockets for Your Junk Journal

This little project started with Halloween cupcakes. 😂

I saw some really adorable ones, and with all the trick-or-treating preparations in the stores, I wanted to make a paper treat bag that could hold a few little surprises.

I already had the template for Santa’s Stash, so I changed it up for Halloween. The result was Wicked Treats—a printable Halloween illusion pocket in black and orange, ready to tuck into a junk journal.

Want to make this little treat bag? You can find Wicked Treats in the shop, ready to print and assemble.

What is an illusion pocket?

An illusion pocket uses an image to make a working paper pocket look like an actual object. A printed bag appears to hold your tags, or a little flowerpot looks as though you have tucked something inside it.

The artwork gives it depth, while the way you cut and glue it creates the pocket. It is a simple way to add an interactive detail to a journal page.

For Wicked Treats, that means a Halloween treat bag holding paper surprises instead of sweets.

How to make a simple illusion pocket

You can try this idea with an image you already have. The important part is choosing something with a believable opening—a bag, basket, envelope or flowerpot all give you a natural place to start.

1. Cut around the outside of your image. Keep the whole object together for now.

2. Find the natural opening. Look for the front edge of the bag’s mouth, the basket’s rim or the envelope’s opening. Follow that shape when cutting across the image to separate the upper and lower pieces.

3. Glue the upper piece flat to your journal page.

4. Line up the lower piece so the two sections look like one complete image again.

5. Glue only the side and bottom edges of the lower piece. Leave the cut edge open, and keep the glue narrow enough to leave room inside.

6. Let the glue dry, then tuck in a tag, journal card or a few little fussy cuts.

The opening is what makes the illusion believable. Follow where something would naturally slip into the object, including any curve along its front edge.

A little gift to try it yourself

I have included four neutral images so you can give the idea a try: a linen pouch, woven basket, envelope and flowerpot.

Right-click and save the image for personal use. Print it at a size that suits your page, choose an object and follow its natural opening to create your pocket.

Try slipping a floral tag into the pouch, a little paper leaf into the basket or a note into the envelope. You can use the same idea throughout the year by changing what you tuck inside.

Once you start looking for natural openings in your images, you may find quite a few things that could become pockets. Apparently, even looking at cupcakes can lead to another paper project. 😂