Last Updated on February 13, 2026 by Dee
There’s something about moon phases and star charts that makes a junk journal feel genuinely magical. Not in a cheesy way — in that quiet, atmospheric way where you open a spread and it feels like stepping into an old observatory or finding a forgotten astronomer’s notebook.
Celestial junk journaling has been one of my favourite creative rabbit holes lately. The colour palette alone — deep navy, antique gold, aged parchment — creates spreads that look rich and layered without much effort. And the imagery? Moon phases, constellation maps, vintage compass roses, celestial tags. It all works together beautifully.
I’ve put together a free Celestial Junk Journal Kit with 25 printable pages of moon phases, star charts, celestial tags, decorative papers and ephemera — grab it right after the table of contents below!
Whether you’re building a celestial-themed journal from scratch or just want to add some cosmic magic to your current pages, this post covers everything: layout ideas, colour palettes, ephemera inspiration and that free printable kit to get you started.
Table of Contents
Free Celestial Junk Journal Kit
This printable kit includes 25 pages of celestial-themed ephemera — moon phase cards, star chart papers, constellation backgrounds, celestial tags, vintage astronomy decorative pages, sun and moon embellishments, and more. Print on regular paper or cardstock and cut out the elements you need for your journal spreads.
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What Is a Celestial Junk Journal?
Quick Answer: A celestial junk journal is a handmade journal built around moon, star and cosmic themes — using vintage astronomy imagery, moon phase ephemera, constellation maps and deep navy-and-gold colour palettes.
Think of it as a regular junk journal that’s been dipped in starlight. The pages might include hand-torn constellation maps, gold-foiled moon phase cards, deep indigo backgrounds scattered with stars, and vintage celestial illustrations that look like they belong in a 19th-century observatory.
What makes celestial journals so appealing is the built-in cohesion. Unlike some junk journal themes where you’re pulling from wildly different aesthetics, celestial imagery naturally hangs together. Moons, stars, suns, compass roses, zodiac symbols, old star charts — they all share that same sense of wonder and mystery.
You can use a celestial junk journal as a creative outlet, a mindful art practice, a moon phase tracker, a manifestation journal, or just a gorgeous handmade book to flip through when you need a moment of calm.
The Perfect Celestial Colour Palette
The colour palette is honestly half the reason celestial journals look so stunning. Get this right and even simple pages look polished.
Core colours to work with:
- Deep navy and midnight blue — your anchor colour for backgrounds and larger papers
- Antique gold and warm brass — for accents, stars, borders and lettering
- Aged parchment and warm cream — for contrast pages, tags and text-heavy elements
- Soft charcoal and warm grey — for shadows and subtle detail work
- Dusty purple and deep plum — optional accent for a richer, more mystical feel
The secret is keeping the contrast high between your dark backgrounds and light ephemera. A navy page with gold-toned tags and cream-coloured star charts creates instant drama without any real effort on your part. I like to tea-stain some of my lighter papers to give them that aged, antiquarian look that suits the theme perfectly.
If you want to soften the palette, try swapping pure navy for a dusty slate blue, or add in some warm sepia tones alongside the gold. Both variations still feel unmistakably celestial.
Moon Phase Journal Spreads
Quick Answer: Moon phase spreads use the eight lunar phases — from new moon to waning crescent — as a visual and structural element across your journal pages.
Moon phases are probably the most iconic celestial element you can include, and they’re incredibly versatile. You can run all eight phases across a two-page spread as a banner, stack them vertically down one side of a page, or feature a single dramatic full moon as a focal point.
Some ideas for moon phase spreads:
- Moon phase tracker — a monthly spread where you colour in or stamp each phase as it happens
- Intention setting pages — new moon for setting intentions, full moon for releasing what no longer serves you
- Decorative borders — a line of small moon phases running along the top or bottom of any page
- Focal point pages — one large, detailed moon illustration with journaling space around it
- Moon phase cards — small individual cards that tuck into pockets throughout the journal
The free printable kit above includes several moon phase elements you can cut out and use — from full-page backgrounds to individual moon cards. Print them on slightly heavier paper (120gsm works well) so they feel substantial in your journal.
Constellation and Star Chart Pages
Star charts and constellation maps bring that old-world astronomy vibe that makes celestial journals feel genuinely special. There’s something about the precise lines connecting stars into familiar patterns — Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia — that adds both beauty and meaning to your pages.
You can use constellation imagery in several ways:
- Full-page star chart backgrounds — dark navy pages with white or gold constellation lines make gorgeous base layers
- Individual constellation cards — feature your zodiac sign or favourite constellations on small cards
- Vintage celestial map sections — cut or tear sections from printed star maps for a layered collage effect
- Hand-drawn constellation additions — use a white gel pen or gold Posca marker to add your own star patterns on dark pages
If you’re working with the printables from this post, try layering a constellation page behind a torn piece of aged parchment for a beautiful peek-through effect. The contrast between the dark starry background and warm cream paper is absolutely lovely.
Celestial Ephemera and Embellishments
Quick Answer: Celestial ephemera includes printable and handmade elements like sun and moon illustrations, zodiac symbols, astrology cards, vintage telescope drawings, celestial borders, and star-themed washi tape alternatives.
This is where the fun really starts. Celestial ephemera covers such a wide range of imagery that you could fill an entire journal and still have ideas left over. Here are some of my favourite types to collect and create:
- Sun and moon faces — those classic illustrations of the sun and moon with human features, very vintage and atmospheric
- Compass roses — ornate directional stars that double as beautiful decorative elements
- Zodiac symbols and cards — individual signs or full zodiac wheels
- Vintage astronomy illustrations — old telescope drawings, armillary spheres, orreries
- Celestial borders and frames — starry borders, moon phase strips, constellation line frames
- Star burst elements — various sizes of decorative stars for scattering across pages
A gold gel pen set is brilliant for adding hand-drawn celestial accents between your printed elements. Little stars, dots, and crescent moons in metallic gold tie everything together and fill those awkward gaps between ephemera pieces.
Vintage Astronomy Inspired Pages
If you lean more towards the historical side of celestial aesthetics, vintage astronomy pages are your best friend. Think old observatory logbooks, hand-drawn star catalogues, antique celestial globes, and those beautiful copperplate illustrations from 18th and 19th-century astronomy texts.
To create this look in your junk journal:
- Tea-stain your papers — brew a strong cup of black tea and brush it over printed pages for an instant aged effect
- Tear rather than cut — hand-torn edges look more authentically old than clean scissor cuts
- Layer different paper weights — mix thin tissue-weight papers with heavier cardstock for textural variety
- Add faux aging details — brown ink around edges, small burn marks (careful!), or coffee ring stains
- Include handwritten elements — write in a slightly old-fashioned script with brown or sepia ink
The printable kit includes several vintage astronomy-style pages with that aged parchment look already built in, so you can skip the tea-staining for those and go straight to cutting and gluing.
Celestial Tags, Pockets and Tuck Spots
Tags, pockets and tuck spots add that interactive, treasure-hunt quality to any junk journal — and celestial themes lend themselves perfectly to these elements. There’s something deeply satisfying about pulling a moon phase card out of a starry pocket.
Celestial tag ideas:
- Manila-style tags stamped with star bursts and moon crescents
- Navy circle tags with gold constellation patterns
- Aged parchment tags with vintage sun illustrations
- Layered tags — a smaller celestial tag on top of a larger plain one
Pocket and tuck spot ideas:
- Simple envelope pockets from dark navy paper, decorated with gold star stickers
- Fold-out pages that reveal hidden constellation maps
- Vellum overlay pockets — translucent pockets that let the starry background show through
- Wax-sealed flap pockets for a really premium feel
Use a quality paper trimmer for clean edges on your pockets, and a strong double-sided tape runner to keep everything secure. Nothing ruins a beautiful spread faster than a pocket that falls apart.
Layout Tips for Celestial Spreads
Celestial spreads look best when you balance dark and light elements across your two-page layout. Too much navy on both pages can feel heavy, and too much cream can lose that dramatic cosmic atmosphere.
My favourite layout approach:
- Start with one dark and one light base page — navy on the left, aged parchment on the right (or vice versa)
- Layer contrasting elements — light ephemera on the dark page, dark elements on the light page
- Create a visual bridge — one element that spans or connects both pages (a strip of washi tape, a moon phase banner, a torn paper edge)
- Add dimension — pop dots under key elements, fold-out sections, layered tags
- Scatter small stars — tiny gold star stickers or hand-drawn stars across both pages to unify the spread
Don’t overthink it. Some of my favourite celestial spreads happened when I just started gluing things down and trusted the colour palette to pull everything together. The consistent theme does most of the heavy lifting for you.
Best Supplies for Celestial Junk Journals
You don’t need a massive supply collection to create beautiful celestial journals, but a few key items make a real difference. Here are my recommendations:
Essential supplies:
- Cardstock printer paper — 120gsm for printing ephemera that feels substantial
- Gold gel pens — for hand-drawn accents and details on dark pages
- White gel pen — brilliant for adding stars and constellation dots on navy backgrounds
- Strong adhesive — double-sided tape runner or a quality glue stick
- Good scissors and/or a paper trimmer
Nice-to-have extras:
- Gold star stickers — tiny metallic stars for scattering across pages
- Navy and gold washi tape — celestial-themed if you can find it
- Vellum paper — for translucent overlay effects
- Wax seal kit — with a moon or star stamp for sealing pockets
- Brown ink pad — for distressing and aging edges
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. I only recommend products I genuinely love and use myself!
Looking for more printable resources? Check out my Payhip shop for premium junk journal kits, ephemera collections and creative printables!
Celestial Junk Journal FAQ
What paper is best for printing celestial junk journal ephemera?
For most ephemera and decorative papers, 120gsm cardstock gives the best balance of quality and printability. For tags and cards that will be handled frequently, go up to 160gsm. Regular 80gsm paper works fine for background pages that will be glued flat.
Can I use these celestial printables in other craft projects?
Absolutely! These printables work beautifully for scrapbooking, card making, gift wrapping embellishments, book of shadows pages, planner decorations, and even decoupage projects. Print at whatever size works for your project.
How do I get the vintage aged look on my celestial journal pages?
The easiest method is tea staining — brew strong black tea, let it cool slightly, then brush or dab it onto your printed pages with a sponge. For edges, use a brown ink pad and lightly tap along the paper edges. Tearing rather than cutting also adds to the aged appearance.
What’s the difference between celestial and zodiac junk journals?
Celestial journals focus broadly on astronomical and cosmic imagery — moons, stars, constellations, vintage star charts, compass roses. Zodiac journals specifically centre around the twelve astrological signs and horoscope themes. There’s plenty of overlap, and many people combine both in their journals.
Do I need a colour printer for these printables?
A colour printer gives the best results, especially for the deep navy backgrounds and gold-toned elements. However, many of the vintage parchment-style pages actually look great in greyscale too — the sepia tones translate well to black and white printing, and you can always add colour with gold gel pens afterward.
Final Thoughts
Celestial junk journaling is one of those themes that just works. The colour palette is naturally cohesive, the imagery is endlessly fascinating, and there’s room for everything from simple moon phase borders to elaborate vintage astronomy spreads.
Grab the free Celestial Junk Journal Kit from this post, print a few pages, and start playing. You don’t need to plan the whole journal in advance — just start with one spread and see where the stars take you.
Want to see these techniques in action? Head over to my YouTube channel where I share creative journaling tutorials and art inspiration. Hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next one!
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